Update On The Garden

      I called my county extension agent again, and she offered to send some of my plants to the college to see whats going on with them... for free. Cant beat free. She said it would take about a week. I have about 1/2 of my tomato plants left. The ones that are thriving, are growing hug. I am 5'6" tall, and there are a few starting above my head. There are also lots of blooms and baby toms.

My first little baby hot pepper for the season. You can barely see it. It's all of about 1/8" across.

One of my garlics are blooming.

My first time growing cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. Sorry, I already picked the ready cauliflower  :)

My second time growing peas. My first time trying Super Sugar Snap  Peas. I ran out of room in the garden for now. I will try some more later in the season.

My newly sown herbs: Cilantro, Basil, Marjoram, etc. I placed them at the base of my water fountain to keep them moist for sprouting..

As you can see I am babysitting three of my grand daughters for the past couple of days. Far left, I put in 3 quick rows of Pole beans. Stringless Blue Lake. Next to the right, is my Kennebec potatoes. They grew to over 3 ft, then flopped over and grew at least a foot more. Still waiting on blooms. I have seen 2-3.. Then farther right is the tomato bed with T-frames. Some of these are pushing 6 foot tall already. Then there is the enclosed garden. In the front of the fence I have some cantaloupes,  and watermelon.

I love the baby blues and hint of green in this Hydrangea. There are only a few places I can grow it to get bloom. It blooms on old wood, and I am pushing my zone with it. If I leave it in an unprotected area, the branches die, come back next year, but wont bloom. This one is growing in the back of my house, protected from cold winds by the house.

I like the multiple petals of  this pretty Rudbeckia.

Beautiful pink Powderpuff Hollyhock.

Early June Views From My Garden

            June has just gotten started, but already I have some new things going on in my garden. I winter sown several varieties of poppies. I have never grown them before, but I am so excited. I have my first of two different poppy blooms. The first to show her face was Poppy Laurens Grape. Unfortunately I didnt get a good pic of it yet. The second was this morning, when I noticed one bloom about to pop.

Stella D' Oro was just showing her pretty face for the first time this season.

I bought these Lillies from Lowes last year during their clearance. Most had already finished blooming, but looked healthy. I think they were only $1. I couldnt pass up that price. I am getting to see them bloom for the first time.This one is 

Asiatic Lilly "Tiny Ghost"

This one is Lillium "Petite Pink"

This Clematis was a total surprise. it is the second season for Clematis Ramona that resides in this spot. Suddenly I noticed another pretty face in the same spot this morning. I dont remember planting another their, but you know how it goes. Now I have to ID it. 

Update: This has been ID"d as possibly Clematis "Black Prince".

I also have a pretty new pink Hollyhock. I must have planted it last year and forgot it, since this is the first year it has bloomed. I love the soft yellow center.

This Rudbeckia just fully opened its face this morning. I know it from its fuzzy leaves.

These Annabelle Hydrangeas were grown from cuttings traded for on Gardenweb several years ago. I just love Hydrangeas, and these are so hardy. they never fail to bloom, and are so easy to root. All my Annabelles came from this original clump.

This bed is along the walk on the way out of my courtyard in the back. To the left is where my stone raised bed is.There is Annabelle here, some Pee Gee Hydrangea (which I am sure will have to be moved one of these days), and a beautiful Climbing rose Cecille Brunner. Unfortunately is only a once bloomer. Also just showing its blooms are a purple clematis slimbing with the rose, and just now starting to open.

Then after you exit this area, and turn around to look back in (the opposite side of the above bed) is my all red and white bed. I didnt plan it, it kinda just happened. You can see the Annabelle blooms hanging over the fence, and then there are a variety of Hostas, and crammed in are the red Asiatic Lillies "Tiny Ghost", a Salvia Snow Hill, and not yet blooming but growing towards the front are Dianthus "Raspberry". When I planted everything the hosta's had just started opening up, and I forgot how big they were. So things really need dug up again, and spaced out forward some more. But I will wait till fall so I dont lose any bloom.

Hydrangea

  I have had this hydrangea for probably over 10 years. During that time I have only seen its beautiful lavender/blue blooms twice. In fact its been so long I am not even sure of the color, or the name. However, I think it may be a Nikko. I had it growing at the NE end of my home. It received only indirect light, and direct sun from about 2 pm on. The problem is that it is one that only blooms on old wood, so if the winter is too harsh for it, there is no chance of bloom the following season. I have to admit, the large chartreuse leaves are gorgeous in their own right.
   Well last Fall I spent hours, off and on trying to get it dug out. I have fibromyalgia, so even on good days I am not able to do a lot. Finally, my husband had some time, and he came out to help. Luckily, cause it was all we could both do to drag it up the hill 15 feet to its new spot in my raised bed. I was afraid it might look out of place since it is fairly large (4'x4'), But actually after seeing it in place ,I was thrilled, the Large leaves is what my bed needed for contrast. I was hoping the stones walls around it might put off some solar heat and keep the branches from dying this year. I also had good intentions of wrapping it with bubble wrap this winter and never got around to it. Anyway, I checked on it recently and low and behold , it has leaf buds on some of the branches. I would say about half of the branches have them so far. Our temps even got down to around 8° this winter.

This year I will be prepared with my camera, to get some shots of it in bloom. Maybe then I can get it identified.