Midwest Gardening in June: Community Style

Ad-Free Blog

Hi Midwest gardeners! 

Can you believe it's the first of June?---and just 3 weeks ago we had snow flurries and frost kissing temperatures, followed by 90's --which is when you don't want to transplant anything in the garden.

  What does this mean?

For this home, it meant 2-1/2 weeks of garden work, which normally would take 5-6 weeks. 

oldnewgreenredo

Today I loaded up the truck with a bin full of plants, my yellow tow-cart and some extra tools to help a

 Kiwi-Mate with her first vegetable garden plot in the community garden.

oldnewgreenredo

Roughly 5'x15' these garden plots are made available by the community for a fee: with an access to water, black dirt, and compost. The plots were made available the first week of May, so E planted seeds and plants, some made it and others not.

oldnewgreenredo

E's plot has now reached the weeding stage and we replanted where things have failed with the crazy temps we had last month. I dragged my battery cultivator along, but her plot is too tightly packed with plants to use it in the garden. We tackled the outside edge of the weeds already invading the mulched walkways with the power cultivator, hoe and a cultivator.

oldnewgreenredo

The plots' areas are bordered by a wedge of park along the main highway. A city maintained mounded Perennial bed's really coming into it's own. 

These Poppies were gorgeous. 

oldnewgreenredo

Poppies have so many textures, here the hairy pods are getting ready to explode into orange bloom.

oldnewgreenredo

And the Iris are just really gorgeous. They love rocks around their roots. 

oldnewgreenredo

This is a lovely lavender and purple iris...so elegant.

oldnewgreenredo

Next to the Iris was some Chamomile coming into bloom.

oldnewgreenredo

The large plant in the foreground may be a Echinacea or Black-eyed Susan. Russian sage has nicely matured and adds bluish color. There are lots of other plants I'm not sure of. It will be fun to visit and see what all blooms.

After a thorough weeding of the garden plot, some moving plants around, cages added and some serious cultivating and watering, we headed back to her townhouse to do a bit of planting.

oldnewgreenredo

E has a soft-touch for dogs. This sweet girl came as a Mom with 9 puppies E fostered last year. Puppies always find homes, but Barley is happy now as a member of the household. 

oldnewgreenredo

Willy is E's newest foster/boarder. Willy is a small mixed breed Chihuahua who is looking for a home. He was surrendered by his only 'older' owner who could no longer keep him. He's available to adopt, he's a sweet shy boy with people but manages very well with other dogs. If interested and in the Chicago area, let me know and I'll give you contact info.

oldnewgreenredo

Willie says: Trying to get attention in a four dog home isn't easy!!!

oldnewgreenredo

Pai is E's energetic 1-1/2 year old crazy Corgi. He's adorable but quite the handful. 

Missing because she was under a bush was Vienna, a Dachsund mix...her Majesty to you---who rules the four-footed pack.

oldnewgreenredo

E's trying a new vegetarian meal plan andthis Flat Bread with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh veggies was excellent. The kale salad with veggies, sun-flower seeds (we added some excess beet greens from the garden) and a hot balsamic dressing you let soak in---WAS also excellent. I could only eat two of those hearty slices of Flat bread. 

oldnewgreenredo

Served on vintage Fiesta Ware with mixed cutlery, it was quite a feast to have under the shade of her 

huge Silver Maple tree in the backyard.

After lunch we did a bit of weeding, planting, and back yard clean up. Oh, I forgot we also planted perennials in the front and moved about 30 huge (one at a time) white rocks into the truck to extend the perennial bed that E has been working on. 

Photos for that later...Phew...this was quite the day. 

oldnewgreenredo

E posing in front of her first veggie garden!

Does your community have Community Gardens???

If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get just one email of each AD-Free post.

Thanks  ALWAYS  for visiting,

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will post at the following Link Parties, 

I hope you visit them.

Your the Star

Happiness is Homemade

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Sandi