Ad-Free Blog
After my last blog post, I went outside for entire day and clipped and deadheaded and surveyed the rain damage. Surprisingly everything was thriving because of the natural water instead of our calcium laden well water.
One thing we do is plant flowers around the vegetable garden and inside too.
Remember my sunflowers last year...yikes, who knew. I only planted short varieties this year. These Nasturtiums are the bees favorites...so are great for around the garden.
We had our huge Silver Maple trees professionally trimmed this year, so we are getting mottled shade in parts of the garden. A blessing actually during the horrendous heat wave.
Last thing I planted on a rainy day was this little flower garden in the middle of the vegetable garden, with our starts and seeds. It gets the mottled shade and seems quite happy. The white Alyssum is huge and continous blooming.
More Nasturtiums mixed with onions and herbs. Two large round pots of salad!
We have 4 separately fenced areas for produce. And, large pots keep nibblers at bay.
One day just before our rains came, I filled in all the garden bare spots (where seeds were eaten or just didn't germinate. With the natural rain...the Hubbard squash succeeded with rain and moderate temps. I will pole these to the fence for climbing when they are larger.
We have spare pieces of trellis if we need them.
I planted multi-coloredcarrots and some radish tapes which are still too thick. We are late on these also...the first plantings died in the heat.
Before the rain, I had pruned all the tomatoes to the basic yielding branches. You would never know it after 12" or more of rain. Thick and sturdy and finally blossoming, but needing another clipping of excess greenery.
TIP: Trim your tomatoes to encourage larger fruit.
NOTE: Plants won't seem to blossom during too hot weather, nor during extended gray rainy days.
The Green Beans are definitely climbing. This wall gets sun about half the day, and hopefully the beans will stay tender. Last year I planted them along the north wall, they did well, but were a bit dry even when young, due to our continuous winds.
Something new for us---bush pickles along the ground, instead of up a trellis. We still have Burpless and Chicago Pickler going up the center garden trellis.
Something else that is late are the Sweet Pod Peas and they were planted first.
Peas don't like heat, so I plant them where they get a bit of shade. But, now they took off and should begin blossoming this week. At the base is a thick row of Ruby Red Chard...which I will thin for salads. By the time the peas are done...the Chard can take over this spot! Chard is super healthy and freezes well with a quick blanch and ice. Again the shade should keep it tender.
After struggling in the heat, the yellow summer squashes and Zucchini are taking off! And, looking very healthy.,
Our green sea of tomato plants...and this is way less than last year.
Turnips....something different. We love roasted root vegetables in Fall.
Behind our lot, our neighbor is trying some sort of Grass that gets huge for a privacy screen. The rain sure helped them get going, as they were little sprigs when he first planted.
I planted a couple of Holly Hocks back by his woodpile along the lot line. We have had a lot of mature trees damaged in storms over the last few years. Trimming or removal is a safety issue.
Here are 4 o'clocks, a new clematis and a bunch of Zinnia seeds (and weeds), a Russian Sage and smaller version of Phlox under here. The dirt here isn't the best. Hopefully the clematis will grab hold, it is on the lower left. They are hard to get started.
Along the north edge, I have two HUGE Rhubarb plants which loved the rain. I'll be cutting back on the weekend.
Only two Chinese Eggplant this year, but they are happy and blossoming. They are behind a fence, critters love them.
All those weedy looking plants in the back are Chinese lanterns...which we usually forget about and pull out as weeds in Spring. I let the few that made it go to seed last year, and now I have an entire wall of lantern plants. They will be fun to decorate with in Fall.
We planted extra dill for the Monarchs and for pickles.
Sweet Peas finally started to bloom (almost a month late)
More Holly Hock photos...they are gorgeous this year.
but, we have to bug spray these or they are eaten alive.
The white ones seemed to ruffle this year? I leave the stalks dry and sprinkle the seeds along the fence. It takes two years to get flowers...they are Biennials, so forecasting seeds every year ensures continuous blooms.
These are my original ones...love the soft burgundy centers!
Our very mature Giant Hosta. I keep saying I'm going to split and move...and in Fall we never get it done. Love the leaves, and this is a low spot in the yard for drainage so they get tons of water. It's early for blooms which they do when they are root bound, another sign I should split them.
My camera battery died, so that's all for today. I'll be taking more photos of what's growing in our plot...Besides Everything!
What's Thriving and Not in your GARDEN?
If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get ONE email of each new post.
Please Join me at these fine blog parties:
Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Sandi
