Things are going quite well in the garden this year and I couldn't be happier. Let's take a look at how everything is doing.
L to R: Ostrich Ferns, Japanese Maple
All of the perennials have come back and are in high gear. (Correction: we lost one perennial, the wallflower never came back.) My Japanese Maple is covered in thick foliage, and I'm very happy it survived the winter! The ostrich ferns below it have gone bananas and are gorgeous and full.
My salvia is triple the size it's been in the past and the roses are in full bloom or covered in buds.
Clockwise from left: Salvia, pink shrub rose, Nelly Moser clematis
The clematis has officially become the queen of the patio at about 9 feet high and climbing. I never get sick of these Nelly Moser blooms! This variety is incredible. Check out the flowers! They're about 6 inches across.
The strawberries are LOADED. I say that in all caps because, see for yourself. This week we've started getting a few ripe ones, and I always do my best not to pick them too early. My angst gets the best of me and the first ones are usually a bit tart, but still, their tartness is by far better than the bland, crisp, over-sized store berries. Nothing in the stores can beat a homegrown berry. When the rest get fully ripe, I'll be enjoying them by the handfuls!
Top to Bottom: Blossoming pea plant with pods forming, loaded strawberry plants.
The spring vegetables are producing as best they can. Half of the peas died, but the other half are over a foot tall, and starting to blossom and fruit.
The radishes never made it past an inch tall. For 20-day radishes, they seem to be more like 60 days and counting. I think I planted them too close together, but they do seem to be slooooooooowly forming their underground roots now that I've thinned them hard.
The lettuce and kale have been feeding me for weeks and I am grateful.
I have cleaned up the patio, and added fresh mulch to all the edges. I've also added mulch to the middle section for the summer veggies. I do believe it pulls everything together very well! It makes it look less like pots on cement and more like pots in a garden bed.
Far left: bean and carrot sprouts | Top: lettuce and kale, the veggie patch all planted | Bottom: bell pepper seedlings
I have planted all my summer veggies now, too. We have the minnesota midget melons in the white bin with the trellis. They are single-serving cantaloupes, with only 4-foot vines. Perfect for small space gardens! I have also planted a Spacemaster Cucumber, Black Beauty Zucchini, Celebrity Tomato, 2 Bell Peppers, Mucho Nacho Jalapeño, and Hot Banana Peppers.
Next to all of these I'm growing carrots and two kinds of bush beans.
Top: English Lavender seedling | Bottom L to R: lamb's ear, shasta daisy buds, vinca vine
I have planted morning glory and moonflower seeds where they can climb and intertwine with each other.
I've also planted Black-eyed Susan Vines next to the patio door. I'm hoping they'll grow up nice and tall to greet me when I come outside. Let's hope all the seeds for these climbing flowers actually produce. I'm very excited to have more vines around here!
Left and top right: Nasturtium seedlings | Middle: Catnip | Bottom: Chive blossoms
The nasturtium seeds are starting to sprout and look adorable.
My herbs are all doing well, also. The lemon thyme, and chives are back after their winter hibernation. The sweet mint and lemon balm are leafing out nicely and the english lavender is beginning to stretch it's arms to the sky.
Left: Another garden view, looking through the clematis | Right: lemon thyme
The catnip is thick, growing rapidly, and making my cats VERY happy. Every time they go on the patio, they stop to have a snack or rub their whole bodies against the leaves.
All in all, it's an exciting year already for the garden. Spring has been good to my little patch of green, and I can't wait for it to start getting full of veggies.
++ What's your favorite thing to grow? What are you growing this year?
I love your little garden so much! I want so badly to have an outdoor space to plant a garden. Unfortunately, right now I'm living in an apartment, so the best I have right now is a balcony but there isn't enough direct sunlight on it to have a successful garden. Hopefully soon I'll have a nice little home with a yard!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think with a shaded balcony, you could grow lovely shade plants. There are so many! Also, I think there are some edibles that grow well in shade during the hot season. Like lettuces and things. Thank you for stopping by!
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