A Walk Through Our Garden

Earlier this week I was sending pictures from our flower gardens to my family.  It later occurred to me that you might like to see them, too.  I am not one to spend a lot of time in the garden, or even outside, for that matter. My flowers are entirely in pots and raised beds, which makes the project so much easier on my body.  Beloved made the raised beds for me shortly after we moved into this house over fourteen years ago.  (he is such a sweet man!)

This (above) is the Zinnia and Day Lily bed. The very tall orange Day Lilies (shared from family in Illinois) are done for the year, but the Zinnias are at their best right now.  This is just one envelopes-worth of mixed color Zinnia seeds from one of the local garden centers (not Walmart this year).  We also have a hardy miniature purple Hyacinth collection in a corner of this same bed, but they are not in season right now.  One of our sons dug up a clump of them from his yard to share with us six years ago. They are very dependable and pretty when in bloom.  

Friends from our previous church gave me these Black-eyed Susans two years ago (also known as Rudebekia).  They are very cheerful, stalwart, and a lovely addition to a raised Windsor Stone bed that also is the home to a Maple tree, Vinca Vine as a ground cover, and abundant Snapdragons.

Lovely old-fashioned pale pink and pale yellow Holly Hocks stand in a back corner of the yard, sharing their space with hardy and invasive Virginia Creeper.  I planted the Holly Hocks years ago but don't remember this color.  I wonder if the colors have mutated over the years?  I also wonder if I gave them a healthy infusion of Miracle Gro if maybe the colors would be more brilliant?  

I planted maybe 2 envelopes of Snapdragons this year in both the front and back yards.  A good number of them have popped up in places I don't remember planting.  Perhaps the birds spread them out for me? I have come to enjoy them so much that I think next year I'll get three envelopes!

The Zinnias never disappoint me.  I love their bright profusion of color.  Some are a solid shade and then others,  like this one, are especially artsy in design.

I was standing in our back yard, looking toward the house when this picture was taken.  The Zinnia bed is on the left, with the vegetable garden beyond that, where the white lattice is seen.  The containers on the right have parsley, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Tithonia, more Snapdragons, and lavender Coleus -- although none of those flowers show up well in this picture.  The tall evergreen tree was named after our second Cocker Spaniel, who died about 18 months ago.  That is "Pal's Tree."

Beloved built this deck-type structure out of the leftovers from our big deck that was constructed with Trex (a composite material that is no-maintenance).  It looks like a small boat dock, so we call it "the dock."  Beloved installed the trellis last week for the Morning Glories to climb.  This scene is in view of Girlfriend-Next-Door's dining room window, so I wanted her to have something nice to see.  However, with Pal's Tree and her own Catawba tree between our houses, the day will soon come when this view will be obscured for her by tree leaves.  (and that's okay!  We love trees!)

I didn't say much about our vegetable garden because it has turned out to not be my favorite kind of communion with horticulture.  The giant Zucchini leaves make my arms to itch when I go digging in there; and although the green beans have been profuse, picking them is a lot like playing "Where's Waldo."  I think I've picked all there are, start to retreat to straighten my back and then see many more that I overlooked.  The spinach grows only in the cooler weather, but I eat spinach almost daily, so with our hot summer weather, I've still had to buy mine at the store.  The bell pepper plant I brought home from Walmart has not grown anything, and yet has not died. (!)  

Anyway, thanks for strolling with me through the flora and fauna.  In spite of what I've said, it has been very satisfying to see what can come out of tiny little seeds!