Monday, May 26, 2008

Garden News

This is a row of our Gourmet Mix Lettuce. We thinned them out last week and had our first salad from the garden this year...so tender!

We have a big flower bed in the front yard that, among other things, has Purple Coneflowers in it. These are two of the first blooms this year. I transplanted about 20 seedlings this weekend. I'll probably plant them along the back fence line with the Bearded Iris in our border garden.




A close up of the same young blooms. I love the way that the blooms begin their life with the petals standing straight up towards the sun, then begin to hang downward as time passes. One bloom we have has its' petals so far down they are almost touching the stem.


This is a strawberry pot that I have sitting on the front steps.



I have three that are in graduated sizes, large to small. They all have Hen & Chicks and small ferns in them. I usually plant an annual or Lemon Thyme in the top of each one in the summer. I haven't found Lemon Thyme yet but did find Lime Thyme. They stay green all year on my steps.


This is a close up of one of the Hen & Chicks.



We have so many beautiful container plants on our front porch and patio. We manage to keep a lot of things all year on the porch, I guess there is an awesome micro climate there.


I'll try to remember to take pictures of the topiary that I made a few years ago. It turned out quite nice.


I also have a Dahlia bed, a smaller bed with Gardenias in it and a "good sized" flower bed at the side bank...can you tell that I love flower gardening? I actually am a certified Master Gardener. I haven't volunteered at anything in a few years though. You should check out the program at your local Extension Office and get involved if you love gardening.


My husband is really the "Master" at gardening...vegetable gardening, that is. We have a huge garden every year. Some how it keeps growing...We live beside a church and when our harvest out-grows our ability to eat, to freeze or give to friends, we leave bags at the side church door for the members. We have the garden right along the fence next to the entrance and we love to watch people stop and point and look. Several friendships have been made at that fence because of the garden.

The Master himself...nice arms Farmer Sloan.


1 comment:

Jill Smith said...

Hi Carol, what a great garden and you seem to like everything l do but now l have to buy it as only have a small flower patch that the lady next door keeps tidy but a strawberry pot would be great, will have to look round for one as l just love strawberries.
Your flowers look fantastic, l used to have a flower shop and sold, fresh dried and silk flowers. If you ever want to keep any flowers they all will dry to keep as long as you hang downwards so the stalks are pointed to the cieling, l have dried all sorts like daffodils and tulips. Have you seen the plant on my blog as l am trying to find out what it is as its new and think a bird dropped a seed but the leaves come out from folds,
Jill