In the Family

It looks like the green thumb runs in the family -- second place in the plant contest.

Even More Peppers

Veggies

Veggies are really coming now. Not bad for an 8' x 12' garden.

My first tomatoes are starting to ripen.

My tomato plants have reached 6 feet in height from the ground now and the top are covered in new flowers.


Here you can see how well the horizontal tomato cages are working. The only maintenance is threaded side branches back into the mesh.


My pepper plants stand tall in front of the tomatoes. I have a couple bell pepper plants, and the rest split between banana peppers and cayenne peppers.


We picked the rest of the onions today. They seem to die earlier and get more weeds when I don't mulch with straw. Still, not a bad harvest -- some of the onions were 3" across.

Second harvest of peppers yesterday.


First harvest of peppers a couple of weeks ago.


My three helpers that help me pick veggies and pull weeds.

Zone 5 Fuchsias

Fuchsias are a beautiful flowering plant. My wife recently purchased a fuchsia hanging pot at a local nursery and I just love the mixed colors and the unique flowers. And so I began my quest for a zone 5 hardy fuchsia.

Reports online talk about zone 5 fuchsias but I find no mention of them actually being grown.

I checked at a nearby nursery and they said they had tried growing hardy fuchsias a few years ago, but they all died.

And so the quest continues.

Daylillies in Bloom

Happenings in the Garden

As June starts to take hold and temperatures rise, lots of new things are popping up.

The yucca plant is getting new growth and getting ready for flowers.



The garden is jumping but still looks pretty tidy. Unfortunately the weeds are jumping too.


Sweet williams are in bloom.



Our new red hot poker plant is getting ready to bloom.



Our little alcove of sweet williams and phlox is in full bloom.


My new rose hedge has already double in size.


Daylilly buds and coming.


The patches of clover we left for the bunnies are in bloom.


The purple clematis is blooming.


The perrenial blue veronica (I think that is what it is) out front is getting ready to bloom.

Spring Walk Around (Part 2)

There are always more things to see, so here are a few more stops in my garden.

This is a spot along my patio wall where I transplanted phlox and sweet williams last year. They seem to be taking off. Later in the year, we will be rearranging the plants for height and installing a water feature.


Out front, my two lilacs, a holly, hostas, and some spent tulips and daffodils stand together. Since these pictures were taken, the lilacs have started to bloom. After they are spent, I'll need to get out the trimmers to shape things up a bit.
A rogue bachelor button migrated out of my wife's cutting garden and around the corner into the landscape rocks. It seems to be doing well. I'll have to move it back when I get the chance.
I am trying a little Asian inspired growing this year with this hardy bamboo and japanese blood grass. I haven't grown either before and they are off to a bit of a slow start. I hope warm weather helps them along.

Sambuca "Black Lace" elderberry is a new addition. With a height of 8 feet, the black foliage with pink flowers should look nice in my wife's cutting garden.

Gnorm, the gnome, guards one of my boxwoods that are growing like crazy this spring.
Another boxwood stands in one of my beds that needs weeded.
The circle out by our front porch is greening up. With the shade it gets on the north side, the host lillies and hosta do awesome. I added astilbe this year for color. Daylillies and other flowers sit in the sunny part of the bed. In the center, I added my witchhazel this year.

Well, that is enough looking for now. More projects to come as planting season continues.