New Mixed Iris Bed

I have purchased all my flower bulbs from Brecks for the past 35 years.  Last fall I stepped out of my "preferred colors" and purchased this mixed iris collection.  It was hard for me to do, but once they bloomed . . . LOVED them!  Of the 15 different colors . . . squirrels 2 . . . me 13. 

Only 6 colors bloomed . . . not at the same time.  (I'll have to contact Brecks to see what they say about the non-bloomers.) 

ENJOY . . .

Batik

Bev Sills

Love the Sun
The wind broke the stem of this one,
so I brought it inside to enjoy.

Goodnight Kiss

Sugar Blues

Spartan

Fruit of 5 Hours of Weeding & Mulching - Saturday - 6-11-13

Whimsical   :-)

White Hydrangea Bush

Shade Garden . . . My Favorite

Shade Garden From a Different Angle

Iris Bed . . . New . . . Bloom Pictures To Follow

Daffodils and Red Rooster Grass

 

 

One Week Later . . . After Wind & Rain . . .

Baby Norway Maple Seeds Turned My New Mulch Green  :-(

I'm Praying For a Maple Tree Crop Failure!

32 Bags of Mulch Used So Far.

One more flowerbed to go . . . my 20'x40'
I have it weeded and plan to work on it this week . . .

will post before and after pics.

Barrels and Pots

Annuals for my barrels and pots

Annuals:  Catalina White Linen & Begonia
Perennial:  Lemon Lime Corabelle

White Wave Petunias, Sweet Potato, Coleus

Sedge, Sundaze Golden Beauty, Black Satin Petunia

Geranium

Diamond Frost, Sedge, Geranium, Blue Wave Petunia

I planted these yesterday, Saturday, May 18, 

and will post pictures as the barrels and pots fill in.  

Should be beautiful!

Spring . . . A Looong Time Coming!

A late frost on April 25, 2013

These tulips endured 7 snows . . . now a late frost

But they endured!  Praise God!

Crab Apple Tree . . . a blue sky would have really showed it off

"Home For Rent" . . .  Beautiful neighborhood, great landlords!

Pot of Gold

Pot of Gold

Stonecrop

Spring . . . At Last!

Evidence of life returning to trees and bushes . . .

Crab Apple Tree

Crab Apple Tree in Shade Garden

Grandma's Blessing Rose Bush

My first tulip blossom!  
These tulips have been up since the first of February and have endured 6 snowfalls!

First tulip blossom!

Raised Veggie Bed 4-6-13

Snow Covered Veggie Bed

Veggie bed before today's work.

Plastic cover not opened between November and today.
Butter crunch lettuce that survived and grew this winter
while under plastic.

Spinach that survived and grew this winter while under plastic

Arugula, spinach, and butter lettuce that survived and grew this winter
while under plastic.

Step 1 . . . a big THANK YOU to my husband, Ken,
for digging out the dirt I put in this bed 2 years ago.

Ingredients for new soil . . . compost, peat most, and vermiculite.
"All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew
Great book!

Another big THANK YOU to Ken for mixing all the new soil for me . . .
1/3 of each . . . by volume, not weight

My wheelbarrow . . . two wheels in front make it stable  :-)

New soil in place.   Planting done.

Cherry Tomato 

Heirloom German Tomato

Planted in left section:  radishes, spinach, arugula, kohlrabi, onions,
beets, rosemary plant (which made it through the winter under the plastic!)

Planted in right section:  snow peas and 2 tomato plants.
Frame in place.  Ready for plastic cover.

Seeds, rosemary plant, and tomato plants . . .
toasty warm and safe from frost.