I cannot believe I have not posted regularly this month--but I suppose when it's nothing but 100+ outside, the tough stay inside!! Actually, our gardening activities have come to only watering, picking veggies and mowing so there really isn't a lot to report. Even with the high temperatures and the Extreme drought stage we're in right now, I'm so proud that Pat has been able to keep everything growing. We've harvested lovely tomatoes over the past several weeks--enough for us to eat. We have squash and zucchini, and Pat made a lovely black-eyed pea salad...but I dumped it on the floor (an accident)! Oh, well...the veggie crop is starting to play out--I'll post more about that later. On to a few photos and part 1 of my summer garden update.
Pat and I spent this weekend at my in-laws house cleaning up the yard. It's on the market and the backyard was a mess for sure! Pat is chopping weeds and overgrowth from the flower bed my mother-in-law had there. We're hoping the grass will fill in quickly since we've started watering again.
I raked out flower beds, trimmed vines and mowed. When we finished we had to piles of brush, a full trash can and countless lawn bags full of leaves, sticks and vines!
As a reward for our hard work--we brought home Mom's potting bench. It needed to be hauled off anyway. It's rotting away, but still has a few good years left. It's perfect on the back porch!
![]()
Since we needed to pick up some sunflower seeds for the birds, I couldn't resist buying another plant. Pat reminded me of the drought, but I had gardening goals in mind. I searched through the plants and all I found were plants I already had, or dying annuals. I was about to give up until I saw this lovely portulaca wanting a new home!! It's from Brazil, so it isn't cold hardy--but in my lovely shell planter, it'll look nice inside during the wintertime. I also plucked a few baby hen-n-chicks. I've heard all you do is pick them off and put them in dirt. We'll see!! If that's the case, I'll have hundreds of those before too long!! Here's another container planting for my gardening goals checked off!
![]()
In my gardening goals, I commented how I was determined to find something to grow in this little flowerbed by the house. I'm still working on it, but earlier this spring I had planted some cold-hardy/shade tolerant Hostas. I quickly discovered why nothing grows in this bed. The water hose is right by the bed, so it stays pretty moist. As soon as I'd planted the Hostas...here came the dogs to cool themselves. The photo below shows how we've remidied this problem. I've lost one of my Hosta plants...but two are hanging on. If we're lucky enough to get a couple more rains this summer, they may take off!![]()
 |
| Now I know what my mother-in-law did all the time in her yard--she tamed the forest along the fence!! |
Pat and I spent this weekend at my in-laws house cleaning up the yard. It's on the market and the backyard was a mess for sure! Pat is chopping weeds and overgrowth from the flower bed my mother-in-law had there. We're hoping the grass will fill in quickly since we've started watering again.
 |
| The dead plants are gone--I'm sure that was killing the curb appeal!! |
I raked out flower beds, trimmed vines and mowed. When we finished we had to piles of brush, a full trash can and countless lawn bags full of leaves, sticks and vines!
 |
| Mom's potting benches spruce up our back porch! |
As a reward for our hard work--we brought home Mom's potting bench. It needed to be hauled off anyway. It's rotting away, but still has a few good years left. It's perfect on the back porch!
Since we needed to pick up some sunflower seeds for the birds, I couldn't resist buying another plant. Pat reminded me of the drought, but I had gardening goals in mind. I searched through the plants and all I found were plants I already had, or dying annuals. I was about to give up until I saw this lovely portulaca wanting a new home!! It's from Brazil, so it isn't cold hardy--but in my lovely shell planter, it'll look nice inside during the wintertime. I also plucked a few baby hen-n-chicks. I've heard all you do is pick them off and put them in dirt. We'll see!! If that's the case, I'll have hundreds of those before too long!! Here's another container planting for my gardening goals checked off!
In my gardening goals, I commented how I was determined to find something to grow in this little flowerbed by the house. I'm still working on it, but earlier this spring I had planted some cold-hardy/shade tolerant Hostas. I quickly discovered why nothing grows in this bed. The water hose is right by the bed, so it stays pretty moist. As soon as I'd planted the Hostas...here came the dogs to cool themselves. The photo below shows how we've remidied this problem. I've lost one of my Hosta plants...but two are hanging on. If we're lucky enough to get a couple more rains this summer, they may take off!
