Once again the middle of the month has rolled around, time to share with all the folks in Internetland the answer to the question, “What is going on in our gardens?” This question was originally posed several years ago by Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, and has turned into quite a popular monthly activity.
The short answer is:
Of course, I’m going to go into a little more detail. The front garden is starting to phase out of day lily mode and into the late summer mode of garden phlox, black eyed susans and, a little later, asters. I have truly enjoyed the day lilies, and am sad to see them winding down.
Out in the rain garden, things are looking quite spectacular, since we just had 3 inches of rain.
When I looked out my bathroom window this morning, I knew that the hardy hibiscus had got the memo that today was GBBD, for it had chosen to put on a spectacular flush of blooms.
The bees were not unaware of their availability.
At the feet of the hibiscus, in the sedum/hen and chicks bed, one of the hen and chicks is blooming. Notice that the dear little black ants have made themselves an aphid farm there. How industrious of them. I must go do something about that little business.
The grapes in the vineyard have started ripening, so we have deployed the netting. In this shot you can also see that we have caged the espaliered apple trees in chicken wire.
This has effectively excluded the neighborhood squirrels, so I’m pretty sure that WE will get to eat the apples on those trees this year. This will make a nice change from last year, where we noticed that the squirrels were busily eating all the little green apples too late. There’s a pretty good crop set, too.
The sauna garden is looking quite good today, despite the fact that the rabbits ate all the annuals I purchased to fill it in. The perennials have settled in well, and the marigolds and cosmos and cleomes reseeded themselves nicely from last year. For some reason I didn’t get a single zinnia, but perhaps the rabbits like them too.
I have featured the vegetable garden rather fully just a few days ago, but there is still a lot going on. The tomatoes are about to drive me crazy though. There are tons of fruit set on them but it is stubbornly staying green. I’m pretty sure all the varieties I planted are supposed to turn red, too.
Check out that cucumber row in the back. I swear that plant seems to think it is some sort of antebellum damsel getting prepared for the big dance. Look how she has her skirts spread. If you get close up to that plant, you discover that cucumbers are the Big News as far as the pollinators are concerned.
The dragon flies are hunting for aphids over here as well.
They are commuting from over by the pond.
There is more than one variety of dragonfly over there, too.
I despair of getting a decent picture of the pond until I clear some of the overgrowth away. But this is the little waterfall that flows into it.
That little pool is one of the most popular spots on the place for the birds. They drink and bathe in it all day long. The forsythia forest that surrounds it I thought was going to be a prime nesting area. How wrong I was. It is the waiting room, and because there is so much diverse traffic through it no one makes a nest there. Still, it’s a great place to watch the birds.
So, what am I going to do with all that cucumber? The variety I have planted there is called Parisian Pickling cucumber, and my plan is to make sweet gherkins out of as many of the tiny cukes that I can. Experience has told me that you rarely catch all the babies when they are 1-2″ long, which is when you are supposed to harvest them for gherkins. But this cucumber makes a very tasty dill pickle when it is allowed to get 3-4″ long, and the ones that lurk and get even larger make wonderful slicers for snacks and dinner. So the question is, when we are going out there and picking over the vines twice a day, how do we ever miss those great big ones that are on the right in this picture?
I shall leave you with an artistic macro shot of the wooly thyme, which is busy blooming right now.
It’s worth making the time to visit other participants in GBBD. There are many beautiful gardens being featured by their proud guardians. You can find links to them here.
It is good to hear that flowers are now getting the memo about bloom day! Your hibiscus is quite the show-stopper today. Thanks for sharing your whole garden with us today, along with all the pollinators.
Hi,
Beautiful floral artwork! It is spectacular. I am writing as I saw your post on Carol’s May Dreams. I am the gardener of Hope Blooms and I do have some clearer shots of the pond. If you contact me at cvoltz@aidscommunityservices.com I can e-mail them to you.
I love the floral scan. I really must try this. Thank you for sharing the lovely vistas of your gardens. What a tranquil looking place.
Woohoo–that hardy hibiscus knows when to start putting on a show! And your Bloom Day scans are gorgeous, too. But I think that my fave is the macro shot of the woolly thyme, it’s so cute!
I know, I know, it’s all about the flowers on the 15th… but I haven’t drooled over your veggie garden path lately, I don’t think. So consider this my monthly twinge of jealousy on how pretty it is. 🙂
Wow, what a great collection. I love that first photo. What fun for me to see some pictures of other gardens as I’m away from my own garden.
Happy Bloom Day!
I had the same question about my cucumbers. How do I miss a foot long cucumber just because it happens to be hanging behind a leaf???????
I know GBBD is all about the blooms but what impresses me most in this post is your caged espaliered apple trees. That’s a serious operation.
Glorious, glorious! It’s winter here in Cape Town, but my orchids are blooming. So beautiful. And of course my geraniums bloom all year round, white and a really rather vulgar pink.
You’ve inspired me. I might do a winter pot-garden post too.
love the dragonflies
I love the photos of the dragonflies. Just the sight of one makes me feel like a kid again…chasing them through the fields with friends.
Your analagy of the forsythia being a waiting room is true for my garden too. I always see birds flitting in and out but never find a nest. They seem to prefer the rhodis for nest building. Happy GBBD, a day late!
It’s fun to see how your gardens are laid out… love the arrangement at the beginning of your post! The photos at the end are amazing. Larry