Wednesday, August 3, 2016

The Garden in MidSummer

I've wanted to share updates on the garden throughout July, but somehow the month got away from me! 

Instead, I'll overwhelm you with a bazillion photos at the midsummer point....so grab your favorite beverage and settle in - we're going on a Walkabout!


We'll start at the bottom of the stairs I use most frequently. These stairs lead from the garage door to the kitchen door. 

I'm greeted with a variety of flowers, and their bright colors are a wonderful sight to see when I come home after a long day. The willow cone planters I got from Gardener's Supply are just perfect lining the staircase, and the musky scent of the Petunias wafts up the stairs with me, welcoming me home. 


In the corner of the back garden, my garden cottage swing is a shady oasis on a hot day. The little garden I put in back in March needs some TLC at the moment - the wild ferns took over and need to be thinned. In future years, the 7 peonies I planted across the back should be a wonderful focal point in this part-shade garden. And despite the lack of full sun, the butterfly bush is flowering, which is a wonderful bonus as I thought I might have to move it to a sunnier spot. 


In the opposite corner, behind the veggie garden, my andirons and junk metal planter are lost in a sea of Creeping Jenny. I love the wild look of this corner. 

The Nasturtiums have gotten so large you can't even see the Weeping Pussy Willow Tree I planted in the center of the metal trough!


Next to the trough, the small whiskey barrels are happy at last....now that the slug population in my garden has been greatly diminished.  Sluggo Plus to the rescue!


You can see that corner of the garden best in this photo - it was truly a hot mess when I moved in last spring, a dumping ground for the previous owners. Now it makes me smile, in all its wild glory. 

The garden around the veggie garden has filled in well, and although the dreaded mint is popping up here and there, it's being smothered by the plants I put in back in June. 


The Cosmos really come into their own at this time of year - they love the heat and sunshine!


I just love the jumble of colors all around the veggie garden - the flowers grow up and intertwine with the cucumber vines that are growing up the fence...and the tomatoes that have escaped the fence. 


The Morning Glories reseeded from last year and are climbing up the veggie garden fence, over the trellis, and just beginning to bloom like mad. It's truly a country garden, my favorite kind!


Next to the birdbath, the Bee Balm plays along side the Cleome, with Creeping Jenny winding its way through everything. 


In the same little garden, the Coneflower I thought had disappeared popped up and opened some lovely lavender blooms. 


Heading to the front of the house, it seems to sit in the midst of a green jungle. 


But amid the green jungle, there are flowers galore, adding much needed color to the landscape. 

The Hydrangeas in the front garden are gorgeous again this year, with flowers bigger than my head....although sadly, one shrub did not come back - I think it may have been smothered by the awful bindweed.  


The new tree is just lovely, and it thrills me to see it thriving and glowing in the center of the front garden. Eventually the Hostas I planted around it will fill in, but for this season the Wave Petunias must work overtime. 


In one corner of the front garden, the ornamental grasses are ahead of schedule, no doubt due to the dry summer we had. 

In the other corner, the Burning Bushes are already starting to change color, getting ready for their vibrant autumn display. 


The Hollyhocks I put in right after I moved in have finally bloomed. This is the first time I've had success with Hollyhocks, although I've attempted them in the past, so I'm delighted!


Climbing alongside the Hollyhocks is this Clematis of unknown variety - the only Clematis that was in the garden when I bought the house. I installed a trellis for it to climb up, and planted a Sweet Autumn Clematis next to it. The Sweet Autumn Clematis has reached the deck on the second floor, right behind the fire pit - my plan is working! In future years, I hope the Sweet Autumn Clematis will be a mass of creamy white, sweetly scented flowers, which will make my relaxing time by the fire pit even more heavenly. 


In the perennial bed next to the garden steps, Queen Anne's Lace is abundant right now, growing next to Obedient Plant and quite a few varieties of Lilies. 


In addition to the wild Tiger Lilies, these sunny yellow ones are in bloom everywhere right now! They are simply gorgeous, like spots of sunshine in the garden on a cloudy day. 


The butterflies and I are both loving the Bee Balm at the bottom of the garden steps. 


At the top of the steps, Love In A Mist creates the most interesting seed pods, like bizarre creatures found at the bottom of the sea. I pray that these seeds will scatter throughout the perennial bed and Love In A Mist will be in my garden for years to come. 


Back up on the deck, the Herb Garden is absolutely flourishing! The scent on the deck is just glorious, it never gets old. 


The Dill is flowering to beat the band - it amazes me that this all started from a teeny tiny seed. 


These gorgeous Dahlias in pots on the deck are a sight to behold - I think a Dahlia is one of the most beautiful flowers, its form is just perfection. 


But I truly think that my absolute favorite part of this year's garden is the vine covered arch I added in between the herb boxes. The Morning Glories have nearly met at the top of the arch, and it makes my heart sing to see the sun shining through those lovely flowers every morning. 


There are a mix of these blue Morning Glories as well as some pink ones. I also planted Moonflower in these boxes, and although it sprouted, I have yet to see any of those lovely white blossoms. 


Climbing up with the Morning Glories are one of my favorite flowers - the gorgeous Gladiosa Lily. They have just begun blooming, and I can't help but smile when I see their bright colors and interesting form. 


This is the amazing sight that greets me when I open my kitchen door. A little piece of heaven, without a doubt. 


As an added bonus, I see the flower arch through my window, as soon as I step into the kitchen for my morning coffee. What better way could there be to start my day? 


I am truly blessed, no doubt. Washing dishes has never been so enjoyable as it is right here in my little mountain top kitchen. 


To top it all off, yesterday morning these two little Hummingbirds put on quite the show for me while I was sipping my morning coffee. 

Can you see why I hate to leave home? 

43 comments:

  1. Your garden is just glorious! I'm so impressed by how well the herbs are doing in their pots on your deck. Mine are struggling this year and I'm now quite sure why. Maybe they are getting too much sun?

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    1. Herbs love the sun, and mine get full sun where they are - I'm not sure why yours are struggling....they must be lacking some nutrient, I would guess. Try giving them some organic food, maybe they will perk up?

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  2. My moon flower only started blooming a few weeks ago, so maybe yours will too. I've never gotten hollyhocks to do a thing. I love the sea of Creeping Jenny! You've already done SO much with that place. Pat yourself on the back.
    Brenda

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    1. I'm happy with the progress I've made so far, Brenda, but of course I still have a ton of plans for the future! Fingers crossed the Moonflower will show up at some point - I've never had luck with it!

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  3. Oh my gosh, I want to come walk your gardens in person. I love it all. I love creeping ginny, this is the first year I have had any of that. I love cosmos and bee balm. Everything is so very pretty . Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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    1. Thanks, Susie! I just love going home and heading straight out to the garden to see what's new!

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  4. Your gardens are really beautiful! I would love just being outside there!

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    1. Thanks, Linda! The weather has been cooling off this week, which makes it even more enjoyable!

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  5. What a wonderful place and gardens! I love it!!! Your flowers are just beautiful and I bet the scent on that deck is AMAZING! Your view is perfect from the kitchen window, too.
    Hope you have a wonderful August full of blooms,too! xo Diana

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    1. Isn't it crazy that I'm already thinking of mums and pumpkins? I'm planning where I'll place some mums when the flowers fade!

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  6. Oh, my! Veggies and now all of these wonderful plantings just thrive in your yard! Everything looks lovely and lush. I do know now, you truly have a green thumb! Love your sweet kitchen!
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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    1. I love my kitchen also, Shelia - it's my happy place for sure!

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  7. Your gardens are an inspiration! I adore the wildness of it. I need to plant some bee balm -- I totally forgot about it til I saw yours! I had it in a garden years ago and loved all of the pollinators it attracted. Thanks for the mini-vacation walkabout!

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    1. I adore bee balm - I added two new patches of it this year. I hope they go crazy!

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  8. Your garden is gorgeous. I just love all your different flowers.
    Breath taking.

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    1. Thanks, Katie! It's fun to have something blooming every month during the gardening season!

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  9. Everything is just gorgeous! Come do my yard...lol! ;)

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    1. Ha ha are you trying to kill me, lady? I think you have more rocks than I do!

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  10. Wow, I wouldn't want to leave either. Your gardens, deck and view are so peaceful & serene. What a beautiful transformation! You got skills, girl!
    Would you tell me where you got your hanging Bird feeder from (the one that hangs in the middle of your arched trellis)?

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    1. Sure! That was a Decor Steals bargain of the day last year - I've seen it featured a few times since then, they seem to rotate their items a lot. I also saw it somewhere else, perhaps Dot and Bo?

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  11. I have to agree! WOW! It's all wonderful and lovely.

    FlowerLady

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  12. It all looks wonderful including your interesting-looking seed pod! :)

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    1. Such interesting seed pods - they make me smile when I see them bobbing in the breeze, Deb!

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  13. Your gardens are beautiful. I would hate to leave home too. I would want to spend my days sitting on your deck staring at the mountain n the distance. xo LAura

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    1. I would do a lot more of that if I didn't have to spend so much darned time at work, Laura! :)

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  14. Oh yes, Debbie, I can see why you hate to leave! And I bet, even though vacation is wonderful, you couldn't wait to get back to the garden to see what new things there were to see. I share your passion for the garden. You have so many wonderful specimens, many of which I have or have had, many which I have yet to try. Yes, your love in a mist will spread, as will the bee balm, and hostas. It's so much fun to watch regional differences, I know i've said this before, but it is. It's like an encore of what I've already enjoyed from the blooms we share, and it's very captivating for me to see those blooms you have (and how they thrive) which I don't have (yet). ;) Thank you for the tour today!

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    1. You are most welcome, Rita! We are definitely kindred garden spirits, although your garden is much more under control than my crazy wild country garden!

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  15. Your flowers are so beautiful. I especially love your Dahlias, with the Hollyhocks following close behind.

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    1. The Dahlias are gorgeous - I am going to try lifting the tubers this year and see what happens. I've never done that in the past, but I know that's how you keep them from year to year. The Hollyhock will hopefully drop seeds and spread - it's a Biennial so it doesn't flower the first year - last year it was just green leaves. Fingers crossed it will be happy in that little corner by the Clematis!

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  16. Oh my gosh I am swooning over all your pictures. It is like looking in a magazine. How beautiful your garden is. Enjoy enjoy that beautiful sight.
    Kris

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    1. Thanks, Kris - it's a true country garden, weeds and all!

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  17. Ok, it's all so beautiful, you are a master gardener with an emerald green thumb...but those andirons??? Amazing detail!! Now I need some! :)

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    1. I found those andirons behind a stack of firewood near the firepit in the back yard when I moved here. The metal trough was behind my garden cottage. I knew straight away I would use them in a garden!

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  18. Yes, definitely it would be hard to leave home! Your gardens are so beautiful! Are those pink double hollyhocks. Love them. Do you save the seeds? What are they called? Looking at your gardens make me miss mine although mine were not nearly as gorgeous as yours! Enjoy! Nancy

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    1. I don't actually know what they are called - I bought the plants already started in a local nursery when I first moved here. They are actually a pale peach, not pink - I am hoping they will drop seeds and come back next year!

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  19. I wasn't able to do much in the garden this season because my husband was so ill, and then I lost him at the end of June. So, it did my heart good to see all of the beautiful plantings and lush growth in your garden. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I'm sure you are missing your husband very much, Pattie - I'm glad to see you bouncing around blog land again. Perhaps you can plant a bunch of bulbs in the fall in honor of your sweet hubby?

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  20. I somehow missed this post before. Your gardens are so beautiful! I must plant bee balm next year, as well as zinnias. Those two are on my next-year gardening list! You have really spruced up your place and brought so much love and beauty to the landscaping. Great job, Deb!

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    1. Now I need to get a handle on the weeds, Melanie - I refuse to use any non organic weed killers so I'm experimenting with vinegar based mixtures - stay tuned!

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  21. So Debbie I'm going to need you to hop on a plane and come to Oklahoma and work on my garden because I haven't had time and yours are just plain .....Beautiful.

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    1. Send tickets, I'll be there!! :) I'm sure you have your hands full with the farm, Valerie - if I had a farm it's doubtful I would have so many flowers!!

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