Who Says Crepe Myrtle Don't Do Well in Zone 6?

I know my yard is not "normal" -- you never know what will do well here that isn't supposed to and vice versa. And almost everything blooms two weeks after everybody else's on the street. But, I am really happy with how well these crepe myrtles are doing here!

I also have rosemary on the west side of the house that over-wintered just fine and looks very healthy this year. I guess the micro-climate is okay. Of course, both areas have a nice covering of oak leaves through the winter to help protect them from the coldest weather. (Gotta love the oaks that wait to drop their leaves until AFTER the City stops leaf collection.)

Garden Lights

I confess. I am a sucker for solar garden lights. I mean really, how could you resist these cool pink and green outer-space-looking things to go with my swirled gazing ball? I did restrain myself from getting a blue one...

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Yellow, deep pink, pale pink. Gotta love those knock out roses! Nice to see the yellow one really taking off. Hopefully the deer will leave it alone for a while.




Oh, and a rose of sharon, too!

What Makes Summer Worthwhile ;)

Need I say more?

Baby Melons

See the teeny watermelon hiding among the chard? There are about 10 of them peeking out throughout the garden. Like the zucchini, this is supposedly a dwarf variety, like those cute little "personal" watermelons the grocery stores have been carrying. Looking forward to trying one...

Just got my fresh chickens from the farm. What with the giant squash, along with onions and garlic, in my produce share, I see a cacciatore in my near future. Just need some mushrooms. And I want to try that Moroccan chicken from the class at Jungle Jim's last week. I guess I'd better get cookin'!

Gad Zukes!

We have ZUCCHINI! Again, these are supposed to be a "dwarf" variety, but with the size of the leaves I am finding that a bit hard to believe. "Perfect for containers" the package says. Really? I don't think I have a container big enough for this plant. So far, two zucchinis have appeared. One is about 8 inches long, the other about 10. I swear they were not there Monday. I think I will wait until tomorrow to pick them.... Tempting fate, I know!

Fruits and Veggies to Be

The neighbor came to the fence today while I was weeding (and sweating in the miserable heat and humidity at 10:30 a.m.) to suggest first that I run through the sprinkler (tempting) and second I get her sons to dig me a bigger plot outside of my cold frame. I explained that keeping the garden in there keeps out the rabbits, and she agreed that made sense.

Check out the tomatoes and apples well on the way. Watermelon and zucchinis in flower. The pumpkins are in flower, too, but the flowers are hiding under the giant leaves trying to take over the side of the driveway.

















Meanwhile, the rabbits and squirrels are frolicking all over the yard. I do not know where they get the energy in this heat ;)

Where Does the Time Go?

It has been almost 6 years since I bought my little house in my giant yard. Hard to believe -- so much has happened/changed since then. It seemed like such a grand adventure at the time, to have a whole acre to plant whatever I wanted! After living in apartments for years and only having small containers, I was so excited to put down roots literally and figuratively. I had no idea how much work it would take.

I feel truly blessed to have a great company to cut the grass, clean the gutters, and do the occasional heavy job. Meanwhile, I keep putting in more beds for the guys to mow around. I know I must drive them crazy. Next up is a path from the driveway to the bird feeders. Can't wait!

Check out the River Birch I planted that first year. It was just a twig from the Arbor Day Foundation tree store. Pretty cool, huh? I have always loved birch trees. Of course, I planted a water-loving variety in one of the few dry spots in the yard. But, someone told me he dumps a gallon jug on his each morning, and it has done just fine. I don't get out there every day, but I don't neglect any of my trees during our frequent summer droughts.


The cotoneaster and barberries here were also planted during that first year. They have easily quadrupled in size. The goldens were added later. I had tried an azalea there, but it was not at all happy in that spot.

Summer Sun

Mostly everything is growing like crazy, with the early hot weather and lots of rain. The rhubarb totally failed this year. The early heat made it bolt, and with the ongoing heat and sun, it never recovered. I guess I picked too open a spot for it. Maybe I'll move it next spring. Maybe.

Meanwhile, the hydrangeas, knock outs, tiger lilies, boltonia, etc. are blooming and blooming. Peas and watermelons are too. If only the weeds weren't doing just as well!




I've been enjoying the CSA produce - radishes, summer squash, lettuce, poc choi, lamb's quarters, garlic, and rainbow chard this week - while waiting for my own to come in. Also visited Jungle Jim's last Saturday, so the frig is full. I need to get cooking!

Everything off to a good start...

The veggie garden is doing so well, I am going to be forced to thin. I know it makes for a healthier, more successful garden, but it just feels wrong to pull out perfectly healthy plants. Some can be eaten, though. Munched on some pea shoots tonight. They taste just like peas :)


In this year's little garden we have tomatoes across the back, mini-watermelons, peppers, chard, peas, and dwarf zucchini through the middle row, and lettuce interspersed with marigolds in the front.

Deer are supposed to be repulsed by marigolds. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. This is actually a test of my wacky deer, who seem to seek out all the "deer resistant" plants first. Having learned not to rely on purely natural deterrents, note the garden is encircled by cages, trellises, and a removable screen across the front (removed for the picture). The only thing they can easily munch will be the marigolds, and they'll scratch their little noses on the way out. Who me, spiteful?


With any luck, I'll have a good crop of berries, too. Plenty of wild strawberries among them, if the bunnies leave me any.

Veggie Garden

Planted seeds last week (while the moon was waxing), and here they are popping up all over. It is supposed to start raining any minute now. If not, I'll have to water tomorrow.

Watermelons,
peas,
lettuce and Swiss chard,

and zucchini and peas.

CSA pickups start next week. One way or another, the freshest produce is on the way :)

Working and Resting in the Yard

After weeding a bit, filling the bird feeders, and planting everything waiting to be planted, laid down and watched nature. I know people think blue jays are bullies, but they sure are pretty. Chickadees, cardinals, etc. flitting between the bird bath, the feeders, and the trees. A nice way to take a break.

Oh, what did I plant? First, another hydrangea from this Easter, another white bleeding heart, and two sweet woodruffs along the east fence. Came upon a hosta I forgot about in the process. Gotta get some more for that area. It is coming along slowly. Also, planted the Gazania from Mother's Day at church--thanks, kids--along the driveway. And, made up a container with the geranium and three Gerbera daisy's from the godchildren/niece and nephew for Mother's Day. Last, but not least, the pesto perpetuo basil in a pot with some parsley, and the sweet and purple basils in hanging baskets. Phew!

Overnight Sensation

There were maybe three blooms on these yesterday. Knock-outs, indeed!

Idea of the Day

Heard it on the radio this morning...put together a kitchen herb container garden for your mom for Mothers Day--this Sunday! She can keep it outside the kitchen door and pick fresh herbs as needed.

Just stopped by the local nursery and picked up my herbs. My mom loves parsely, so I got some flat and some curly :) Also basil--genovese, variegated, and purple (mom loves purple)--and some sage and some fern-leaf dill (says it is more compact and great for containers). Now I just have to plant them in a nice pot!

Let me just say that the variegated basil is really great. I was so happy to see it in the store again this year. I bought a plant last year and was so glad I did. I think the flavor is good, though many will say it is not the best of the basil varieties flavor-wise. But the best thing is it is incredibly prolific. I guess that's why it's called "pesto perpetuo!" And it is very beautiful.

Mulch is Good

Yes, it does look better with mulch.



Meanwhile, lots of things blooming or getting ready to. Check out the cotoneaster (with golden barberry in the background), thyme, and a pink knockout rose. Blooming flowers restore the soul.
















On the way, asian lilies and pyracantha.














Nice to see that my jasmine over-wintered nicely in the shed!

My New Babies

Yeah, I'd rather plant than weed. Between the creeping charlie, the dandelions, and the seedlings of who-knows-what, there are not enough hours in the day to rid my planting beds of all the weeds. Not that I can stop myself from pulling a bunch every time I walk by. Then again, I can make more planting areas. Now I just need to get some mulch!


First I put a spice bush by the rose of sharon. I hope they will be friends :)



Then I put two Stairway to Heaven Jacob's Ladders and a Jim Crockett Boltonia between the variegated willow and the weeping pussy willow, eliminating the grass in-between. Isn't that pale grey landscape cloth lovely?

Workin' in the Yard

The weekends just aren't long enough.

First, I tried out the new chipper/shredder. Yes, they do make electric ones :) I don't know that I have the patience to chop up the bulk of my leftover oak leaves (definitely easier to rake them out into the yard the day before the mowers go through!), but it did make lovely shreds of last year's fountain grasses. And now I have a large pile of said shreds.

Then, I added some composted manure and some regular compost from my composter to the veggie garden and mixed it in. Then turned the remaining compost.

Then, planted two new shrubs in the front. A pussy willow and a scotchbroom burkwood now flank my poor struggling crabapple. The deer rutted on the crabapple last fall and the damage was pretty thorough to the main tree, but the suckers are leafing out nicely, so I cut off the trunk. Too bad there was no mulch at the store where I stopped on the way home tonight, so I'll have to live with the bare landscape cloth until I get some...



Meanwhile, everything else keeps growing (especially the dandelions, but that is a whole other story). Tulips are fading, and the redbud is transitioning from pink to green, but the creeping phlox and bleeding hearts are beautiful, asian lilies are coming up, and the peonies are on the way (thank you, ants!).









Did a garden inventory tonight. Phew. I was keeping all the tags in an album, but it is getting too fat and messy. Now I just have to get the inventory entered into a nice database...

A Tulip 'Splosion!

Overnight, the tulips are abloom! Red ones in honor of Cincinnat Reds Opening Day (it wasn't enough), white ones, pink ones. Hopefully the pouring rain that just started won't pummel them too much.

Plenty more to come. So far only one bud was nipped off by some evil critter. That was just before I doused the area with Deer Scram and set up the twinkle lights through the row by the potting shed.

Oh yippee, now there's a tornado watch, too. Yea, spring!