Pearls for Normal Folk

The blue Borage is flowering! Quick, someone freeze the flowers in icecubes for later!

I'd do it but apparently I am too busy relocating shrubs against the house.

I tore out the two small wooden raised boxes that were filled with lettuce (can you believe I did that? seriously, we are talking about food here!) and dropped in the shrubs like 3 pearls against the foundation while also taking away my shortcut to the sideyard storage area. (can you believe I did that?) This area has always been a major flood washout during any rain event. I haven't planted anything against the house before because in my mind nothing will grow in rocks that has had all of the topsoil washed away from it. But then, last year the canna seemed to survive the torrent, so hopefully the leaves of the shrubs will buffer the rainfall and we can have foundation plantings like normal folk!

I also relocated the Donna Darlin rose under the far window, a much better location then where it was before and I am hoping that it will like the partial shade.

Ultimately I am preparing to plant a climbing rose on the arbor. I have decided on a climbing white Iceberg rose. I also am going to plant a pale pink climbing rose against the house and let it fan out against the wall between the windows. I have decided on a climbing Pearly Gates rose. Can you imagine?

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Garden on!

It's All About Food

My vision is skewed and now it is all about food in the garden. I look to the left where I added vegetables to the In-Ground garden in the fall, and I asked myself what is the difference between the left and the right of this particular garden area. The left represents the capacity to grow food in the desert in the Winter using Tomato Lady Soil, drip irrigation, and cool season plant seeds, and on the right it is pretty much the way most gardens look in Las Vegas right now with dormant shrubs and flowers. And now to me, it is a new place to grow more food.

So I dug up the Lantana, the two varieties of Canna, and removed the Chaste Tree. The mulch was removed and placed behind the Sunning Patio. The soil was moist and you could where tell there was microbial activity under the mulch. The canna did a great job breaking up the soil with their roots. ( I hesitate to grow them again because of all of the bio-mass.) The Chaste tree was spreading roots under everything and had gotten everywhere so it would have reduced the vitality of everything growing in this bed, which was worth a mention. I have Iris and Double Lilies, and Hummingbird bush in the area where I am working. I need to relocate them somewhere else. I like the rockwork, I wrestle with raised wooden beds in this area. I think about Corn, and Melons and an In-Ground bed would be perfect for them, also it would be less confining without the lumber, which then you have to accomodate walking paths, and access to both sides of the beds, and with the walls there and the rock layout, in order to accomodate all of those aspects it would reduce the size of the final planting area overall.

So I think that I can make two large rectangular planting areas, essentually divide the area in half, place small flagstones down the center then off to the left nuancing the flow of the rock in the wall in the forground, which will provide a simple access but still allow for most planting area. So I will get more soil, level the pads, sow Poppies, and be ready for early summer for my Corn and whatever else, until it is Melon time!

Here is what is growing on the other side of the patio right now. Eventually there will be food growing on both sides of the sunning patio.

Here is Cilantro growing in the pot almost in the shade from the south most wall. It is in it's peak right now. I have it growing with Red Onions from seed planted in the fall.

I have Turnips, Lettuce and Spinach growing in the Greenhouse. I need to take some more photos to capture the garden this time of year.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Garden on!

Black Eyed Susans

This is my favorite area in the garden right now, where the Black Eyed Susans, Echinacea and Zinnas sway in the breeze beneath the Sunflowers.

I love Black Eyed Susans. They remind me of back home in Missouri where I grew up. These Black Eyed Susans are from seeds that I planted last year. Which reminds me.... I had wanted to plant Forget-Me-Nots which bloom in January, so maybe I should broadcast seed for those someday soon.....

Here are the Cucumbers, Squash and Melon spilling over the walkway. I have harvested 2 Scallop Ssquash and 2 Green Machine Melon off of the plants in the corner. The Pickling Cucumber in the foreground has Cucumbers forming so I will let you know how they are doing in upcoming posts.

The more recent garden design changes include removing some rock and creating more pathways. This area leads to the water hose, greenhouse and side gate. Someday there might not be any 3/4" granite back here, but it's 112 degrees out lately so it's small moves in the earthwork department.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

Red, White and Blue

I took off the lower branches of the Eucalyptus and it really opens up the area. All you can see is red, white and blue.

The Coreopsis are flowering! I sowed the seed last year with the Lobelia and Alyssum and they have become permanent fixtures in the main bed. It took a whole year but they were well worth the wait. There is blue Salvia in the center that is about to flower too!

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

Too Much of a Good Thing

It is time to go vertical.

Moving lattice about the yard contemplating the effect of extremely busy grid work on the eye,

I kind of like the look of the two pieces framing the corner.

But here is the location where one will be. It is a good idea to consider other options, once you have the lattice on your property you can move it around and feel the effect.

So here is the second location and the lattice is in place.

Here are the two pieces side by side. Once they have vines growing on them it will increase the amount of visual green in this area, and reduce the amount of reflected heat. I had my heart set on morning glories but after speaking with my friend Leslie, she shared with me that they are extremely prolific. That would mean that I would be trying to eradicate them before long. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

But this is an artist's vision and Zen has latched on to this vision and won't let go. I will be the one who unleashed the Blue Morning Glory on Black Mountain and right now I'm okay with it.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

Hint of Spring Garden Tour

The first of the Grape Hyacinth is hidden in the shade of the Rosemary.

The Pansies are thriving and share hint of yellow.

Faces toward the sun.

Another bed is born and starts to change from the rock collector to the place for the Artichoke, and the Mexican Primrose. It is a hot baking spot.

The Artichoke was planted in October and is ready to spring into action. The Artichoke was fine in a raised planter above the rock, but once the rock is removed and becomes a bed, the Artichoke has to be lowered to the ground. It is too heavy in size and appearance to remain in the pot above anything at all.

The over-wintered Long Bed receives more light as the shade decreases moving across the garden, revealing the areas that used to be in full sun before last August.

The New Zealand Spinach bit by frost shows sign of regaining it's vigour.

The traveling pots filled with Lettuce have remained the same and look as if they were recently planted.

The newly abandoned walkway, (what started out as full abandon has be met with half abandon) has been seeded with Poppies and Hollyhock. All of the humus has been washed away by the heavy rain and litely sprinkled with compost where the seedlings emerged.

Here is a close up of the Flanders Poppies.

I was given this herb plack placed by the herbs which is now surrounded with newly placed strawberries. The Rhubarb is located at the dripper to the left, and fingers are crossed that it will flourish. It has just survived it's first winter here.

This yellow daisy is the first to flower in the Lily Bed.

The red Chard has such an unusual color and texture.

There are lots of contrasts of color and texture.

Here is how the knot gardens in the raised tubs look this spring.

These have survived the winter as they were planted in the fall.

Along with the early winter items planted in December.

I am preparing for Iris to put on a stellar show in the Main Bed this spring.

This one was a gift and I have no idea what color it will be. It's a surprise.

This angle from the patio, reveals the garden's intricacy.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

Little Rosemary Wreaths

Here are little Rosemary wreaths that are perfect to make after a rain. I added them to the bowl of orange rind and dried lemon slices and they spice up the kitchen.

The new raised bed is filled with Black Dirt and the irrigation is installed. The rain settled everything in and the whole garden is fresh and new.

Here is a close up of the irrigation and it was fun to arrive at this design where the lumber was cut at an angle. As all of my planting areas and raised beds have names, I thought about this one for a while, this one is called the Bevel Bed.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!