Thursday, September 30, 2010

Well, it seemed to work!

I tried it, and it worked! I tried to link this to my Facebook page, and that also seemed to work. Hmmm. This could be VERY interesting, and time consuming.

Waiting for more rain

Hi garden lovers, It is early fall and I am finally beginning my adventure into the world of blogging. Not sure what I am doing, but am determined to figure it out! A gloomy day, with lots of rain promised, but mostly wind and humidity. Very frustrating. Catching up on work and spending time focusing on things that I don't get a chance to think about on a regular basis. This has been the strangest year in the garden that I can remember in a LONG time. Extremes of rain and drought, cold and hot, plants blooming out of season. I have had great success in some aspects of my garden. Tomatoes and peppers are pouring in. Freezer's just about full. Totally frustrated by Mexican bean beetles that devoured my cucumbers and tried to destroy my beans, but I prevailed. Love the rattlesnake snap beans from Seed Savers Exchange. Yum. Cabbage worms on the kale, they are relentless. Radishes refusing to plump up as its just been too hot. Arugula and 'Ruby Streaks' mustard are my main salad greens right now. I've also discovered curly cress and it is so delicious and so easy to grow. My courtyard garden is a delight. It all came together this year, and three frogs have taken up residence in the pond. The Cimicifuga ramosa 'Atropurpurea' is so fragrant and lush. The rest of my gardens are almost all mulched, but some plants finished early due to the heat and drought. Just opening this week- Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' and the unusual Coreopsis integrifolia. Looks great with Eupatorium coelestinum. The other floral surprise is the self sown, red leafed, red plumed flowering Amaranth that stands six feet tall. Wow! Wind blew some of it down, but it's still knocking my socks off as I gaze past the courtyard to the raspberry patch. And the Aster laevis 'Bluebird'- what a fabulous plant. Clean, a clear shade of blue, butterfly magnet, even have one new self sown baby this year. What's going on in YOUR garden?