String Beans coming up in the same place where I grew the spring peas. Potatoes are here as well as morning glories and cucumbers on the netting behind.
View of Sunflowers and Trellis from bottom of the hill
View of garden and Trellis from top.
Yesterday's harvest: Cabbage, potatoes, garlic, red onions, scallions, Basil and Oregano.
Pole beans on left, purple cone flowers and sunflowers in back among other plants
Cantaloupe growing up the trellis and tomato cage
Cantaloupe on trellis
Summer Squash
Summer Phlox
Rosemallow: A summer showstopper with giant plate sized blooms
Bottom Garden View from top of hill. Cantaloupe, Cucumbers and Morning Glories are climbing the netting while corn, beans and watermelon grow on the bottom.
Trellis Garden View: Pole beans, Cosmos, Purple Coneflower, Tomatoes, Cantaloupes, Sweet Potato, Sunflowers...
Bottom Garden View 2: New berm and Swale collecting water, Cucumber patch, corn, beans.
Rose of Sharon
Summer Season 1st Sunflower
Cosmos
Yesterday's bounty. 4 carrots, 1 cabbage, our first squash, garlic cloves, basil, rosemary and oregano for a fresh soup and 2 cucumbers and 2 garden salsa hot peppers for snacking. Not too shabby!
The corn crop next to the new Berm and Swale at the bottom of the hill. There are walking rows between the terraces so that I don't compact the soil around the growing plants.
Another view of a berm and swale. Tested it yesterday after a heavy downpour. The purpose of a berm is to hold back excess water from running off too quickly down a slope. The swale is the dug out portion that collects and holds the water long enough for it to be slowly absorbed by the surrounding landscape benefiting the water thirsty crops such as Corn and the Watermelon seen in the upper right of the photo. The front of the berm has already been built up over time so some weeds have started growing there and their roots will keep the soil in place and prevent it from washing out. I also cut down all of the weeds around this area and throw them into the center of the swale. Over time, they will break down and add nutrients back into the soil and feed earthworms. In God's design, nothing is wasted. That will be the inscription on my tombstone ;)
A rainbow right outside my front door. This was taken from our front porch after a much needed 20 minute downpour. Rainbows rock!
Another Flutterby on the Butterfly bush :)
God is really wowing me tonight with all of His diverse beauty! Even in the 100 degree weather, I'd rather be outside than in the cool house.
I love the royal Easter Lilly with it's trumpet like flowers. Next will come my favorite Summer bloomer; the majestic Gladiolas.
This interesting plant is a variegated tropical looking evergreen called Japanese Aucuba 'Gold Dust'. It will grow to be about 8 ft high by 6 ft wide. It doesn't even wilt during these hot and steamy days. I have been watering them regularly though, which helps.
Collecting Columbine seeds for next year. As easy as turning the mature seed heads upside down and giving them a good shake. Each one of these small black seeds can become it's own plant which is what truly amazes me. They each contain genetic code that activates under the right conditions, continuing the life cycle over and over again generation after generation. These seeds therefore contain immortality or the very essence of God for when has a scientist ever created something from nothing before and so complex that continues its progeny? They can't and never will. This also makes me question those who say there is not enough food to feed everyone. A single plant yields, 10, 100 or even thousands of seeds. God is generous. Men are greedy. There is no excuse for hunger in the world.
Corn, Sweet Corn
The daily Pea harvest. Will get about the same amount or little more for the next few weeks.
Side garden. I love to sit out here in the evening and ponder the mysteries of the universe.
Mia admiring the Shasta Daisies
Mia admiring the Mammoth Sunflowers, which will grow to be about 12 to 15 feet tall under ideal conditions.
Every gardeners dream. A whole pickup load of free composted horse manure :)
What a difference! Upper left is corn planted one week ago. Bottom row is corn planted 3 weeks ago. Those mounds are covered in straw and composted chicken poo. The mounds on the left that are dark brown is the newly added horse poo. The dirt at the bottom left is what it looks like with nothing added. Still planting corn every two weeks.
Backyard garden
Front Entrance: Pansies still blooming (even in 95 degree heat), Texas Sage lower left corner, Crape Myrtle above that, yellow day lillies and grape vine on bottom right, Roses, Verbena and Butterfly Bush.
Trellis area is filling in nicely. Cool season crop still producing
Coreopsis and clover under a Red Maple in the front yard. Lots of shade now.
