My Garden in May 2013

Garden in May 2013 - Part 1 - Veggie Garden

It's that time of year again. After about a month of working in the yards we see the end in sight. We still need to plant some shrubs and finish a few areas here and there, but overall, we're happy with the progress this year. The veggies seem to be starting out well, but we'll see how potatoes grow ( our first try) and the pumpkins (we've tried 5 years now and only suceeded 2 times to harvest a pumpkin). We still have seedling that need to eventually find a growing home, 

but I'm not worried - everything always works out.

First we got 3 yards of triple mix to work into the beds that had been weeded.

The quince Tree in Bloom

Rhubarb Patch got thinned and the darned horseradish grew back!

It's basically all planted, just waiting for the sprouts so we can set up the stakes, etc.

Good old Herb's patch is abounding... Greek Oregano, Italian Oregano, Thyme, Lemon Thyme, Mint, Peppermint, Sage, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Sorrel and tonnes of chives...and creeping rosemary.

New Potatoes, Zucchini and Beans (raspberries and strawberries in background)

I plan on having the beans and zucchini grow "up" - it worked wonderfully well last year. Next year I think we need to rethink our strawberry patch location.

Cucumbers, Ground Cherries, Kale, Swiss Chard, Cabbage, Beets, Romaine & Spinach

Multiplier Onions and Spanish Onions (corn in back ground)

Pumpkins

Garden in May 2013 - Part 2 - Flower Gardens

This year we changed our multch colour to black and LOVE it.

Rose & Perennial Gardens Before the Multch 

After - so nice and tidy now

we plan on adding a few shrubs in here and replacing one of the rose bushes that died with a yellow knockout rose. Also the ninebark from last year will be replaced.

Before - the flowering crabapple standard - perfection. 

Poppies, Heuchera and Memorial Day Roses look kind of sad on the multch free beds.

The Peonies in this bed may need to be relocated, they are hidden by the giant rose bush...

After - everything pops.

Before - the Lavender Twist looked amazing! Also, a burning bush, phlox, daylilies, forget-me-nots, primrose, sweet william and a few i can't remember in front of the jap maple and daisies.

After 

Before - that little shot of yellow is a climbing impatient(?) 

After

After - lots of hostsas, yarrow, poppies, grasses, ground covers around our anniversary bench and rhododendron under the mulberry tree.

The Sunroom Cleaned Up - we "forgot" to trim up the hydrangea's last fall and they are now GIGANTIC - woopsie!

Back of House Before

Jap Maple, Holly (we'll move these in the fall); Dogwood, Sedum...

After - we're replacing this overgrown Daphne, you can glimpse the azalea (red) here too.

Side Yard - burning bush standard, climbing boxwood, a rose bush that's coming out (never ever flowers); peonies, lilac, snowball hydrangea, iris (purple, yellow and dwarf blues) also a few lilies, Another rose, a rose of sharon, more peonies and a wisteria that also won't die. I think we may have lost our hollyhocks too. 

Back After Ariel View

Front Yard & Step - Before

We still have a lot of work up here. We removed the sumac (it was too fast a grower) and so the yarrow got huge. I planted some Canalilies here too - we may move the hollys here in the fall. Mums will fill in here too and a couple sedums and the knockout rose. In the distance is our weeping lilac standard.

Before

After 

After 

After - moved some more indoor plants out and added another geranium. This will get more tweeking throughout the summer.

After

  

Balcony - I moved the sitting area furniture up here, and planted our heirloom tomatoes, 3 kinds of peppers and tender herbs (rosemary, parsley, dill and basil) and flowers (geraniums, gerberas and annuals). We also have the seedlings for cauliflower, broccoli, boston lettuce and leeks up here.

Found these 2 metal shelves at a garage sale. Looks nice up here I think.

That's it folks. Loving my gardens - still have lots of planting to do (mostly replacing trees and shrubs though - update to follow) and then it's just ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY :) How is your garden growing?