This year I really went overboard on gardening. Here in Alabama it is full swing in the gardening season. If you haven't planted yet (like a month ago) there isn't any reason to now - it is getting too hot and dry already!
I didn't take a picture of it but I will - I removed the sod 5' - 6' from the fence completely around the yard - and moved 2 truckloads of woodchips to mulch it all - and put in edging... It took a few weeks but all is good. I will be planting more shrubs in the fall - and some perennials after I get them going in my portable 4 shelf greenhouse thingy I got from traveling tool sale.. I am soooo glad I bought that! My seeds started and grew just amazingingly! I am going to order more seeds now and start some in the next month or so for fall planting..
Anyhoooo.... Here is my pond. My clematis already did its thing sadly but the liatris (I know I am spelling that wrong!) is just starting. I have been having lillies blooming regularly now - of course not today when the camera was out!
Please ignore the bags of rock.... I need to put some more out after I weed tomorrow morning!
Here is my veggie garden. I have tomatoes, squash and beans all growing. There are two different kinds of eggplant (both flowering but not producing quite yet) canteloupe, cukes, butternut, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans and what will hopefully become a truckload of tomatoes..
My radishes were eaten by something. I will be replanting them this week... maybe tomorrow.
How can one fit all those yummy goodies in a small backyard garden? Vertically! I love to grow vertically. It is better for the veggies and it is such a huuuuge space saver.
I bought these handy dandy cheap*arse yard trellises - for $5 a pop at a discount store but I needed to add some growing support - so I used yellow nylon twine (which was a better choice than the hot pink I had - not to mention I had a ton of the yellow) and spider webbed it. I figured soon enough the beans(yellow and green) and the butternut would take over them.. the cukes and canteloupe share a garden trellis on the other end of the garden.
I am not a big fan of tomato cages. I like to stake them instead.. so I got these great handy dandy plastic covered steel stakes from Wallyworld and used nylon kneehighs to tie them to their stakes.. This tomato plant is the one my oldest picked out - it's a yellow one. I am embarassed to say I think I have like 18 tomato plants in this garden. Long story.... Some I grew some I bought.
I put patio blocks for a walkway and intended to grow my radishes and carrots inbetween but haven't done so yet. In between two is my itty bitty compost pile. I need to work that in the ground this weekend...
Since we are a drought area - around all the plants is a good layer of newspaper and also grass clippings on top - it helps to keep the ground moist and bonus weed prevention!
So far so good! Now if only I could get a ladybug colony established! I have two ladybug houses but none are brave enough to move in just yet..
So far so good on the gardening season. I will post up more pics as things start to really kick in! I have a lot of gardening planned this year!
Okay. I have to do some weeding!.. and move that yard cart from the end of the garden... In any defense - I was just on vacation for a week - but it still needs to be done.
Maybe in a few weeks I can upload much more colorful shots of my garden. I am also going to work on some yard art to hang too - but that is another day. Right now I will just be happy that my garden is even impressing my husband!
