Coneflowers

This echinacea came up from seeds I planted last year. I am a little embarrassed to admit I am not a big daisy type flower fan. I do like them especially in large quantity covering fields but I just have a hard time finding a place for them in my garden . 

I do like these fun colored coneflowers popping up. I have a hedge of boxwoods along the fence in our front yard and I have been considering putting colored coneflowers between it and the fence. I like the idea of the formal boxwood  holding in the " wildish" garden.

Harvest

My favorite harvest time is happening! We have been getting lettuce and kale and peas but those are not nearly as exciting as the berries! Look at these big blue beauties. Ahhhh ... So excited. 

New Dawn Rose

This climbing New Dawn rose is only two years old and look how full it is already. I am excited to see it fill in more this year.

Garden Overview Part 2

Our tiny cherry tree is producing more cherries! We've been keeping count and I think we are at 12. 

Red Eden Rose

My fig tree did not like our cold winter. I am hoping it will recover but I think it will need some severe pruning.

May Garden Overview

 Adding new brick edging to hopefully not have to weed wack. 

 My blueberries are finally getting big.

Cauliflower

A new bed I am creating with shade loving plants .

Scotch broom plant.

We got river rocks to put around the beds and I love them.

Gourd Projects

We had so many gourds last year we are having to come up with some gourd projects. So far we have a planter and a fairy house.

Garden Planning from the Ground Up

So no updates on the garden for now because it's a wreck. I have been very nauseous with this baby and it's been debilitating. So I let the garden go. With the heat I just couldn't get myself out there. Anyway I still am planning it and thinking about it.

I came across this post from one of my favorite garden bloggers, Nancy Ondra. If you are interested in planning a garden this is a great series of posts about how she started her gardens and how she fills them. The pictures will make you want to garden for sure. She writes gardening books too so you can check out her books also. She's amazing at combining foliage colors and textures.

Garden Update

 Harvesting beets and turnips

 The peaches are making my tree bend like crazy. 

 Time to replant. 

artichoke and cucumber

I have been letting my chickens roam the yard more but they are eating as many peaches as they can reach, begonias and my cabbage. Hoping to make them a bigger yard.

Renata's Plot

Renata has been begging me to have her own plot or area of the garden. I tried a couple of things but ....ahem...I had a hard time letting go and letting her really take over a part of the garden. She kept asking for her own plot and I decided it was time to give her one.  I had a perfect place for it and a friend gave some fun wood with a tiny bit of decorative wavy trim on it . I thought it finished it off nicely. She wanted to plant flowers and we got her a bunch of annuals. Now I just have to figure out what to do about all the other kids who now also want their own plots. 

Flowers

 Hibiscus and begonias on the porch.

nasturtiums

My flower bed. I have a very sophisticated way of planning my flower beds. I go to Lowes and pick out plants on clearance with no tags and no blooms and plant them. Usually in the fall. Then in spring I try to figure out what I have planted. I also pick out things I really love (knock out roses and butterfly bush) and put them in praying they will look ok to together. I seriously do pray that things will make sense later and i can move things as they don't work . So far God has blessed me . I like how it's coming along. I do tend to pack the plants in because I want as few weeds as possible.  

 Knock out roses, sedum, mum, aster

 anise hyssop?, phlox

 This is the unfinished side of the flower plot. I planted a few veggies till I figure out what to put in it. 

lemon balm, celosia , knock out roses

I like nasturtiums.