Go Garden!

Pea trellis from dried sunflowers

The structure itself is made from dried sunflowers stalks from last year's flowers, and they are holding up to all of the storms very well. The peas didn't do very well, not for lack of a good trellis (they did climb the strings well), but due to some combination of timing, watering, and sun which we didn't get quite right. I plan to make some modifications to the trellis for a late season cucumber crop, by removing the strings and replacing with a some plastic mesh fencing I have leftover to hold the heavy cucumbers and provide more space to grab onto. I also am having a hard time getting the cucumbers to grow TOWARD the trellis, away from the sun - DUH - so I will be moving it above the plants and flipping it the other direction. We have some peppers in the same bed so I need to be careful about not shading them at all. It is possible I may need to completely move the trellis and cucumbers.

Spring 2012 (March)

Around Town

I'm a big fan of climbing vines on trellises ,houses or trees, despite their damaging effect. I'm not climbing any vines on MY houses, but I appreciate the look. And more photos of lamb's ears and giant hostas.

 

Rainy Weekend Gardening

Blue Delphiniums are really blooming now, and the Salvia's I deadheaded are starting to rebloom. We planted a few more Coreopsis, some Shasta Daisies, another Salvia, Catmint, Sage, and I repotted a few overgrown Hypoestes. Before we became too mosquito-bitten, we have retreated indoors for the evening.

Purple Smoke Tree

Here is the tree from down the street. I think it's a purple smoke tree? Super cool. And their Clematis look sgreat here too! these people have some nice looking plants all around.

A Whole New World

We went for a family walk yesterday evening and Mr. GoGarden remarked at how as soon as you put a name to something it opens up a whole new world to you. I notice so much more on our walks now ... from the wellpruned to the poorly weeded. What were "plants and flowers" only a little bit ago are now hostas and salvias, astilbes, violets, and spiderworts. New types of plants jump out and I rush home to look up the "weird purple poofball tree" or the "furry silvery purple thing". I didn't know Lamb's Ears flowered!

Closeups in the garden

Goatsbeard, Scottish Harebells, Hostas and Wild Strawberries, Sweet Kate Spdierwort.

Lavender

This is my favorite smell. Lavender. I just planted a few more seeds, I don't know much about starting a flower from seed, so I have no idea if they'll come up but it was worth a shot. The one lavender plant we do have is beautiful and smells wonderful!

Filling in the holes

We pulled all of the violets and we've been spending our weekends filling in the holes. We propped up some of the salvias which were a little droopy after the violets no longer held them up. We bought wallflowers, delphiniums, butterfly bush, sea lavenders, speedwells, more sage, lavender, catmint, salvia, pincushions, moonbeam coreopsis ... Mister Gardener has been obsessive about placement and has moved the plants a couple times each, finding the perfect spots. I am trying to let him be, he is the primary bed planter, and I have taken to the potting. I bought a bunch of Coleus and Hypoestes for some subtle pottings, and a few Lysimachia? Golden Jenny Aurea ...

 

My favorite, Goatsbeard!