Veggies & Berries Update

Bottom terrace:

 

spinach & beets

As mentioned in the previous post, we have already been harvesting spinach.

I thinned the beets once; I may need to do it again.

 

Potatoes growing full and bushy.

I love growing potatoes.

I guess its my latent Idahoan genes coming out.

(We didn't move up north until I was 8.)

They are certainly big and impressive for this early in the gardening season; it's very satisfying. Plus, with this rain we've had today, they must have grown another 4 or 5 inches.

 

tomatoes & peppers

Haven't seen much change since I planted them.

 

Cucumbers

 

Middle Terrace:

carrots

So, all my carrot seeds must have washed over into this corner the first time around.

I replanted a bunch (in furrows this time) of Danvers Half-Longs.

I may end up with more carrots than I know what to do with.

 

 The peas are gaining height; no flowers yet.

 

Oh, several of my squash and pumpkin seeds are up as well.

No pictures of those.

 

  

Berries

 

Our raspberry patch is still going strong!

The berries have started forming.

Maybe 2-3 more weeks?

strawberry patch

 

These plants are just loaded with berries, as well.

Nearly all green, and mostly smaller. 

My daughter picked this ripe one and we all shared it.

It was divine.

Long view of the patch.

Bring on the berries!

That's what I say.

Flowerbed Tour: Front Beds

 

June 12:

 

Middle Terrace

 

This time I started at the East side and worked my way around towards the driveway.

Some of these shots I will also post for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, but I thought it would be worth it to see the progression. 

 

wild daisies

 

Sem False Spirea and salvia

I love that bright green on the false spirea.

 

Coming around the corner, burgundy iceberg rose, knautia.

The big empty space in front is where the burgundy blanket flowers were.

They didn't get enough sun here, and were very floppy.

I dug them out and gave them to a friend.

salvia starting to crowded out by lamb's ears

Hmmm...one of those may have to move, or the lamb's ears may need to be cut back next year.

 

Coming on around, you can see the oriental lilies at the bottom of the picture, with dianthus, daylilies, and Shasta daisies just coming into bud at the top.

I love this time of year with these terraces!

 

Just past the daisies, we have the pink salvia, more dianthus, some purple salvia, and you can just see the peony at the top of the picture.

 

A bit more salvia and that gorgeous peony.

 

closeup of the peony 'Top Brass.'

 

That's where I stopped as far as going bit by bit along the whole terrace, but here's the view from across the street of all 3 terraces.

Once again, I've arranged the pictures left to right, if you're looking at the house.

 

 

 The part-shade corner

Middle

I really like the repeated colors.

The barberry on bottom echoes the dianthus, which repeats down the bed as well.

Here's a little closer view of about the same place, in the middle.

 

 

Then coming on around a bit.

 

For some reason, the view from the mailbox and driveway was completely neglected this time around.  Maybe I'll catch it next time. 



Flowerbed Tour: Shade Bed

June 12:

 

I need to figure out some kind of edging for the back of this bed.

By this time of summer, the weed grass is just about taking over.

 

columbine

 

hardy geranium amidst the grass

Heuchera, daisies, and lots of grass

fence side looking East

dogwood, heuchera, and violas

Those little violas self-seeded from last year!

Yes!

 

Spinach rules!

We are excited to be harvesting our first garden vegetable: spinach!

 

These smiles are not staged.

We really do love it.

The kids know they are free to pick it and eat it straight out of the garden.

So they do...often.

I'm not about to put a stop to that!

 

In addition to the spinach shown here, we've harvested at least that much another day as well.

So far we've had it in salad, soup, and vegetarian burritos.

I had half a packet of seeds left.

Surely I can fit another small spinach patch in somewhere, once the garden walls are finished, to extend this leafy green goodness for as long as possible!

Weeds & Wildflowers

We went on a walk to the cattail park last weekend.

It was the prettiest I've ever seen it.

Maybe I've never gone in June before?

I feel certain I would have remembered this!

 

Here's a sampling of the beauty:

 

wild wallflower

hillside covered with vetch

 wild lupines: 3 shades of purple

 

A couple more of the vetch:

 

 

I may have to go back, just to soak it in a little more.

That is, as much as beauty can be soaked in while chasing after 3 little munchkins!

Flowerbed Tour: Back

June 4:

 

Overview from gate side to deck.

Penstemon and the poppy show up.

Overall overview.

Again, a few splashes of color, and the rose is blooming.

I think I need to add something that will make more of a bold statement back here.

Anything pastel at all fades into that blue.

Also, a climbing rose or something similar on the left end would balance it out a bit more.

This rose bush is simply lovely in bloom.

Shape is a little odd, but I can continue to work on pruning as we go.

Check out these penstemon!

They're going for broke!

One perfect poppy.

 * Love ! *

(Those are the geums in the background.)

 

 

 

Birdbath!

 

 

I found one!

And I love it.

My husband is being a good sport.

(He is anti-birdbath, but I'm hoping he'll come around after a summer or two--once he sees that I will not let it turn into a stagnant water mosquito hotel.)

 

This will not be its permanent home, but the place where I plan to put it is currently a staging area for extra wood. Once the projects are finished, that space will become {another!} flowerbed. This will go in the middle, with a trellis & vine of some sort behind it.

 

I was going to wait until birds were actually using it to take a picture, but I was too excited.

Maybe that will be tomorrow's post.

 

I stare at it every now and then with a silly grin on my face.

Yay! Birdbath!