How does your garden grow?

Hope everyone is enjoying the days since our last snow! Now before you start complaining about the heat, take a moment to remember the blizzard that hit us on May 3rd.

I have out one thing for sure, the more you try to improve on gardening the more time it takes! I purchased a great deal of perennials for the gardens this year, I wanted to use some grasses to fill the back corner garden, I also wanted to get the years of mulch off of the gardens so I could get them turned over and work the new soil into ground. The Hostas last year did not come up as well as I had expected, so I decided to purchase a couple more, I also got a number of different Sedums, I even purchased perennials for the flower pots to reduce the need to get as many annuals going forward.

Weeds are weeds and I expected to be continually fighting them to get the gardens in much better shape, then they have been for a number of years.

Put planters behind the pool and a Clematis and an ivy in the corner.

At the other end of the garden behind the pool I found an ornament that I had to have, since it complimented the ornaments I put behind the pool as well. I thinned out the primroses, and got a real deal on some old hydrangeas that I am trying to make spring back to life.

My neighbor, who has a beautiful garden, gave me some Columbine that I have planted. I did use Gerber daisies for much of my colour for this year . I have a few pictures of the gardens so you can hopefully see what I am trying to achieve. I am using perennial grasses in the tall pots that I use to hide the A/C unit, they are not mature yet, but should cover it properly next year. One thing for sure, if you take the time to make your own planters the cost is very reasonable. You need to research what takes full sun, and can survive together. I think I did this ok, time will tell. Great find looking for plants, a Tamarix bush, actually ended up with 2.

On the vegetable garden front, I replanted my garlic into a tub with a wicking watering system. Same as last year I have used the one raised garden for peppers only, I bought a few varieties as well as replanted the ghost pepper that I kept alive from last year, I also put a wicking watering system in that planter as well. The peppers are doing well, I cut back most of the ghost pepper and now it seems to be growing well again and flowering. In the planter I made during the winter (affectionately known as the “Condo”, since it is so large) I have planted Cucumber, Zucchini, Tomatoes and Leaf Lettuce. First try with the lettuce, it was faltering as I do not think I was watering it enough, I took most of the lower branches off of the tomatoes, and they are both producing lots of flowers and them hopefully, Tomatoes. The cucumbers are starting to climb and each of them already has a cucumber. The Zucchini are growing like crazy but I am having trouble getting them to grow up. I have cut much of the lower foliage off and hope they will start to climb to.

I almost forgot, I got a small garden shed, is it ever wonderful to put all the gardening and backyard items in one place.