Tablescapes, Home Decor, Thrifting, Cooking

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Garden in Mid Summer

 

 

 

 

Let’s all give Tootsie  at Tootsie Time a big high five for sponsoring this Flaunt Your Flowers event.  For all of us who enjoy gardening (and probably even those who don’t) it’s really an eye opener to see what everyone grows.  It’s also a great way to get ideas on things we might want to try next year.  Is everyone keeping a gardening journal??

Here’s my favorite spot to watch the garden grow and to do some serious bird watching. 

Notice those sickly pathetic petunias.  I have decided I won’t plant wave petunias anymore.  I like the normal ones with big, beautiful blooms.  I usually plant the bigger ones and they are so much more showy in my opinion.

I really should have tidied up the clutter under the bench, but I’m keeping it real people.

Garden 2009 002

This week we had a rose breasted grosbeak  at the feeders which thrilled me because of their beauty.  They are black/white with a raspberry red chest.  Beautiful bird.

If you look very closely, you will see a bluebird on my fence!   EXCITEMENT!  I’m still trying to get them to nest in my birdhouse.  Did I tell you I got wrens instead?  I moved it so it’s not so close to the woods in hopes of still enticing bluebirds.

Garden 2009 006

Here’s Mr. Brown Socks.  The vegetables really are HIS garden.  He loves, loves, loves gardening.  I think he’s picking green beans here.  He rarely wears this summer cowboy hat, even though he’s a cowboy at heart.  I had to take this because I thought he looked so cute.

 

Notice the cardinal climber coming up the arbor?  It’s sooooo slowwww.  I have yet to see one single red flower.

Garden 2009 005

 

Here’s the arbor we had a couple of summers ago.  This was taken in late September and has plenty of red flowers.  About a week after I took this, we had a big storm and the wind blew it down and broke my metal arbor.  Mr. Brown Socks bought me the new one above this spring.  He set it in concrete.

Silk Thumb fall 2007 001

 

 

Well, here he is again with his good ole dog, Chester on the lookout for any smells in the woods.  As Mr. Brown Socks would say, “he has a good nose on him”.  I guess that’s a good thing.

Garden 2009 004

 

Who doesn’t love a hydrangea?  And my impatients are getting fuller and fuller now.

Garden 2009 001

 

Bee Balm is another FAVORITE.  We get oodles of hummingbirds on this as well as bees.

 

 Cukes and garden 004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there anyway to pick just one favorite?  Oh how I love flowers.  Can’t wait to see how your garden is doing.  Meet me at Tootsie’s, okay?

17 comments:

Tootsie said...

OMG!! I am so sorry you lost that arbor! It is just gorgeous!!! Your garden looks wonderful this week my friend. I thank you for joining in with me! If you have not linked up, I will add you to the list!
I love the hydrangea, bee balm....oh goodness..I love anything with leaves and yours are definitely lush!

Jacki said...

You are right - who doesn't love a hydrangea? They are so pretty, and I love the pale lavendar colour of yours. Your bee balm is just amazing too - everything is so lush in your gardens.

I didn't reply to your post at my blog last week. I've never tried the Royal Burgandy bush beans before so I have no idea how they will taste. The seed package just says "This unusual purple podded snap bean features smooth, round, meaty pods. They are delicious fresh and unbeatable for canning and freezing. Vigorous plants produce heavy yeilds. Pods turn dark green when cooked." So, I guess we'll see. So far, lots of blooms but no baby beans that I can see.

And, as far nasturtiums go ... I pinch the leaves in the garden and munch on them there. They have such a nice peppery flavour. But I've never actually incorporated the leaves or petals in a dish.

Glad I visited your garden this week :)

Anonymous said...

Such a treat to get a tour of your garden! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Paula@SweetPea said...

You two have done so much with your yard in the short time that you've been in your new home. I really enjoyed seeing pictures of your pretty flowers and of Mr. Brown Sock's garden. It looks like you two have enough squash plants to feed the neighborhood! Oh, I really like the iron fencing surrounding your backyard. I don't remember seeing that before.

Cathy S. said...

Beautiful Hydrangea, and really nice garden! Happy FF!


-Cathy

stitching under oaks said...

Your vegetable garden is so overflowing...I'm so jealous. We have too many oaks to get enough sun for a veggie garden. Your flowers and yard look great. Thanks for sharing.

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Your garden is absolutely beautiful!!! I'd kill to have a bluebird right now instead of the awful black birds. Ick!

southerninspiration said...

I wanna come sit in your lovely back yard and see all this for myself!! ;)

Suzanne

It's gorgeous back there!!!

Tootsie said...

are you referring to my front yard hanging baskets??? if you are there is trailing Verbena...(ball shaped purple blooms) and Bacopa in blue and white! Hope that helped.
I am very happy with the performance of that Bacopa this year. It is the first season I have found any seeds...therefore my trial run to see if they are worth it! and I think they are!

Tootsie said...

are you referring to my front yard hanging baskets??? if you are there is trailing Verbena...(ball shaped purple blooms) and Bacopa in blue and white! Hope that helped.
I am very happy with the performance of that Bacopa this year. It is the first season I have found any seeds...therefore my trial run to see if they are worth it! and I think they are!

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Wow, that arbor was full - I hate that it broke! Everything looks beautiful.

Colleen Wms said...

Your gardens look so serene. Lovely. I look forward to spending some more time touring your gardens through your blog!

marmielu said...

Alas, I have yet to find time or a green thumb for gardening. My hubby and I try every year, but I think it will be a future project. Anyway, I really enjoyed looking through yours.
Mary Lou

Linda said...

What a shame you lost that gorgeous arbour, hope the blooms fill the new one in quickly. We have wrens in our bluebird house too! I'd love to sit and watch the birds from your deck too.

sheila from life @ #17 said...

if I were a mean-spirited person, I'd just be sick sick sick with envy...I cannot believe how full & lush that garden is...my poor little excuse of a veggie garden looks so sad....

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Oh, I do love hydrangeas, and that is a beauty! What a lovely place you have to sit and watch the pretty birds. laurie

Behind My Picket Fence said...

I'm fascinated by fences and yours are to die for! I'm wondering what the vine is that's climbing on the arbor. It's huge! Could it be Trumpet Vine? I hope so, because I just bought one. Wonderful pictures!
Faye