garden update!
N and I bought a deep red hollyhock yesterday and I transplanted it last night. A couple of nights before, N acquired a couple of milkweed plants from an area that was slated to be mowed, and he transplanted those... They're not doing too well, but hopefully they'll perk up soon.
But what's got me all atwitter this morning: WE SAW A BUTTERFLY IN OUR BUTTERFLY GARDEN! a Monarch flitting by, taking a little time to check things out on its way south. **explodes with happy**
butterfly in our butterfly garden. yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!! *beams*
And now, the fun part: a photo update of the garden :)
our first veggie patch
the onions are hard to see, but they're there. only a few, but they're still there.
Next year, I hope to have richer soil and better weather. And we'll be able to get an earlier start, which will make a huge difference in how much we can harvest in a given season. We got a ridiculously late start this year. Plus, we know we have problems with slugs, so we need to figure out how to deter them in a relatively humane way.
left side of our raised bed
there are carrots on the left side, but they're too small to see, still
more slug activity :(
right side of our raised bed
needs to be watered! they got so damaged last week from all the rain that I asked N to erect a protective cover over the bed. He did, and it's worked beautifully! Except that now they're a little parched and in need of some refreshment. I'll take care of that at dusk. After what happened to the carrots all along the back, as well as 3 of my 4 basil plants and the one kale seedling, I've been afraid to water it at all! But that's no good. Need to take care of them better and plant more kale and carrots! Try, try again.
two concrete planters bookend the raised bed
there is sorrel in each of them
our newest piece of gorgeousness!
in situ
The little orange flowers in the center of the bed are calendula.
at the base of the hollyhock is a fairly large wood sorrel plant
I plan on eating it :) to the right is a small patch of wild asters that grew elsewhere in the yard. I transplanted them before the yard was mowed and we were able to enjoy their tiny blooms for a couple more weeks. I hope they come back there next year.
in the centre of the flower bed are three echinacea plants, two of which are getting ready to bloom!
what's behind the echinacea
The monarda fistulosa will have cool-toned lavender-ish blooms and the monarda didyma will have red blooms. We'll probably have to wait until next year to see them, since these two plants are currently in bloom elsewhere in the neighbourhood. But maybe they'll just blossom a little late this year. Regardless, they're doing well where they are. I have no idea what will come of the squash plants. N found them in the compost bin and we decided to plant them as an experiment!
the poor milkweeds! perk up, little sweetlings!
The butterfly milkweed (near the bottom) is the sort that doesn't like moisture so the rains last week really took their toll. I hope it recovers well enough to blossom next year. I'm really looking forward to the native grass becoming established. I'm really curious about it and happy it's in the bed. The seeds provide food for birds and other critters.
I love getting free plants!
I'll need to spend time planning where these will get transplanted. I think I want to have a bunch of bulb flowers all across the front of the bed. I haven't planted much in the back corner on this side because there's supposed to be a fence going in some time and I don't want my flowers disturbed by people stepping on them and concrete being poured to hold fence posts, etc. Eventually, it'll all be filled in.
situated right in front
I kept pulling these out all spring and early summer. And then I realized I was ripping food out of my garden! Here's nutritional data for these little guys. Crazy good for you!
And that's where our little garden is at, for the moment.
But what's got me all atwitter this morning: WE SAW A BUTTERFLY IN OUR BUTTERFLY GARDEN! a Monarch flitting by, taking a little time to check things out on its way south. **explodes with happy**
butterfly in our butterfly garden. yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!! *beams*
And now, the fun part: a photo update of the garden :)
our first veggie patch
the onions are hard to see, but they're there. only a few, but they're still there.
Next year, I hope to have richer soil and better weather. And we'll be able to get an earlier start, which will make a huge difference in how much we can harvest in a given season. We got a ridiculously late start this year. Plus, we know we have problems with slugs, so we need to figure out how to deter them in a relatively humane way.
left side of our raised bed
there are carrots on the left side, but they're too small to see, still
more slug activity :(
right side of our raised bed
needs to be watered! they got so damaged last week from all the rain that I asked N to erect a protective cover over the bed. He did, and it's worked beautifully! Except that now they're a little parched and in need of some refreshment. I'll take care of that at dusk. After what happened to the carrots all along the back, as well as 3 of my 4 basil plants and the one kale seedling, I've been afraid to water it at all! But that's no good. Need to take care of them better and plant more kale and carrots! Try, try again.
two concrete planters bookend the raised bed
there is sorrel in each of them
our newest piece of gorgeousness!
in situ
The little orange flowers in the center of the bed are calendula.
at the base of the hollyhock is a fairly large wood sorrel plant
I plan on eating it :) to the right is a small patch of wild asters that grew elsewhere in the yard. I transplanted them before the yard was mowed and we were able to enjoy their tiny blooms for a couple more weeks. I hope they come back there next year.
in the centre of the flower bed are three echinacea plants, two of which are getting ready to bloom!
what's behind the echinacea
The monarda fistulosa will have cool-toned lavender-ish blooms and the monarda didyma will have red blooms. We'll probably have to wait until next year to see them, since these two plants are currently in bloom elsewhere in the neighbourhood. But maybe they'll just blossom a little late this year. Regardless, they're doing well where they are. I have no idea what will come of the squash plants. N found them in the compost bin and we decided to plant them as an experiment!
the poor milkweeds! perk up, little sweetlings!
The butterfly milkweed (near the bottom) is the sort that doesn't like moisture so the rains last week really took their toll. I hope it recovers well enough to blossom next year. I'm really looking forward to the native grass becoming established. I'm really curious about it and happy it's in the bed. The seeds provide food for birds and other critters.
I love getting free plants!
I'll need to spend time planning where these will get transplanted. I think I want to have a bunch of bulb flowers all across the front of the bed. I haven't planted much in the back corner on this side because there's supposed to be a fence going in some time and I don't want my flowers disturbed by people stepping on them and concrete being poured to hold fence posts, etc. Eventually, it'll all be filled in.
situated right in front
I kept pulling these out all spring and early summer. And then I realized I was ripping food out of my garden! Here's nutritional data for these little guys. Crazy good for you!
And that's where our little garden is at, for the moment.