What’s your favorite part of spring/summer? The warm sunshine? Clear skies? Birds singing and bees humming? I enjoy all of those things because it means I can get outside and start to garden!
No blooms yet
Now, I am NO master gardener! I couldn’t tell you what nutrient is lacking in my soil because I don’t get it tested. I don’t always remember all the names of my plants and if we don’t get rain, I usually let the garden fend for itself. Hey, these plants have been around for millions of years and there was no one around to water them then so why waste my time now? Ok, sometimes I water, but not all the time!
I garden because I like to be outside. I like the way my garden looks mid summer when everything is in bloom. I like weeding. Yup, I said that! I like weeding because when I’m done the garden looks so nice! I don’t enjoy it, but I like the end result. I like watching my flowers grow and bloom and die back, only to start the whole process again next year. For me, it’s just a relaxing place to be.
We put in a vegetable garden this year for the first time. That is not as fun to me as my flower garden! Toby has done most of the work with that. The planting, tilling, watering and some weeding. I have tried doing my part, but honestly, vegetable gardening doesn’t thrill me like flower gardening does. I did do some weeding yesterday and that was no fun! Harvesting we’d better do together because there is a lot of stuff out there!
How about you? Do you garden? Flowers, veggies, rock, water, containers? I think it’d be fun to see what everyone else has and does so feel free to slip a photo in and let us see what you’re up to! Our growing season just began up here so the flowers aren’t too big, but the anticipation is high.
Iris waiting to bloom
Bloomin' Iris
Us Girls..Our Views 
I am extremely envious of your weather. Summer out here is like working in an oven. Oh sure, there are lots of sun lovers around, but I’m not one of them–not during the summer anyways.
I envy the green you have, and the change of seasons. We have brown, and dust. Our sunsets are often spectacular because of all the particulates in the air. They cause the sky to turn many different shades.
I understand you have horrific humidity, but at least you have the greenery to show for it. *sigh*
I think I’ll console myself with a burrito.
Sometimes the humidity is unreal, but not always. It’s much worse in southern Iowa and Missouri than here! The change of seasons is wonderful and the color is great, but 6 months of frigid temps just about sends me over the edge!
Very beautiful garden and the weather looks like heaven.
My favorite part of the summer is being able to spend whole days experiencing nature or bummin’ around on foot with my kids.
I am not much of a gardener. It’s one of those things I always wanted to get into if I ever got the time. This year my girls and I planted a few things, more as a science/economics lesson than anything else. The deer have pretty much eaten our pea plants, I’m not sure what’s going on with the carrots, and only one of the sunflowers is even attempting to grow at this point. So maybe I’m not meant to grow things, or maybe I need to step up the effort. I do love the “idea” of growing things.
I think that is one of the things I most look forward to about having my own place one day – i want to learn to garden! It seems so relaxing and fun!
Oh I love being in the yard working!! We are cooped up all winter!! I did tomatoes last year but not this year. We’re moving so I didn’t want to do too much in our yard this spring. I LOVE playing with my flowers. Right now all of mine are in planters for the above reason. I have some tulips and lilies in the ground. Our new house has a “cabin” feel to it so I can’t wait to get my hands on it!! Jason is even excited, new sod, flowers…. it’s gonna FUN! To me it’s mostly relaxing, working in the yard and the end result is the so satisfying! I love mowing the yard too!!
Pictures are great Sue!! Are you making salsa??? 🙂
I think I have those same Iris’!
I much prefer vegetable gardening. I like that I can feed my family by growing food right in my own dirt. You know you can combine vegetable gardening with flowers too. I think there are more but chrysanthemums (if I remember correctly) naturally ward off insects. That way you get to plant flowers and not use harsh chemicles on your food plants.
We just have a suburban corner lot. As suburban lots go (around here) it’s a nice size. We have two large fig trees and just in the last year I’ve transplanted seven mature blueberry bushes from the u-pick berry farm. I also planted two peach trees and reestablished my vegetable garden, which is about 30X35. I had the kids help me. We planted Italian green beans, tomatos, cucumbers, peppers, sweet onions, Japanese eggplant, watermellon… I think that’s it.
I know the guy who sold his day lilly farm several years so we also have some pretty exotic day lillies too.
I love playing in the dirt.
One thing that really helps with the weeds in the vegetable garden is; I pick up lots of yard clippings around the neighborhood and pile it around the plants/rows in the garden. This helps keep the weeds down and I don’t have to water as much either.
HAPPY GARDENING!!
That’s why Toby likes to garden – to play in the dirt!!! Ha ha ha! Yes, we did get yard clippings this weekend so that’s what Toby was doing while I tried weeding. The carrots are horribly small yet so to weed around them was hard. Our sweet corn didn’t come up great so Toby planted another pack yesterday. Hopefully those do better! Sweet corn is my all time favorite!
I grow mold in the fridge, that is it! 😦
We have a good rule at my house, my work is inside, my husbands work is outside and very rarely do they ever cross! He planted some Hibiscus which I love to look at. We can’t grow too much because our yard is nothing but clay with grass on top!
Our soil is the same way! Toby brought in loads of black dirt for my flower gardens and the veggie garden sits in a low spot so the soil is a little better, but otherwise the ground is hard as a rock.
Ours too but thats a good portion in SE Texas!
Pretty Iris, looks like you guys will be busy this Summer! We have a very small flower garden and a small square for veggies. We have actually had a really good time putting it together. It’s fun watching stuff pop up, we have broccoli, carrots. leeks, red onions, strawberries, and a couple of other things I can remember. But it is all in a very small space. I’m crossing my fingers that it all comes out OK.;+)
we used to have the best looking yard out here..not braggin even at the office they said that. My husband really has slacked off at our house cuz he’s so busy with everybody else and so now our yard looks like shit. I want to just put it all back to grass and throw in some flower seeds. I have to take a sickle with me to even get in the front gate that’s how overgrown with tall grass it is. Pisses me off frankly 😦
My husband and I both love to garden. In fact, we have to split the vegetable garden in half so that we can both put in what we want. The flowers are my husband’s joy, I let him do them, but I definitely want my stake where the veggies are concerned!
And Joy, feel free to post the recipe you asked for.
Thanks Kween. I think everyone would love it.
It looks nice & warm where you are. We are into our 2nd day of winter here in Tasmania & it’s already getting very cold
I’m really glad you did a garden this year. Toby did get a little “big” but he must have that in his genes. We used to also. But it will be so good to just go out and pick something for supper. I’ll help freeze and/or can things. I also think it’s good for the kids to see where our food comes from AND…it’s so much cheaper and so much better. We WILL get you to try beets now.
I am very envious of your flower gardens. I want a pond it the worst way. Your Iris almost open is a great shot.
I live in an apartment with a teeny “deck” out back suspended precariously in the air. I never sit out there, because although they tell me it can hold plenty of weight, I don’t trust it, and because it is a haven for spiders.
Because of apartment living, I have no bit of land to call my own. Hence, no gardening in the traditional sense.
The good news is that I’ve become rather proficient in the art of container gardening. While I’ve never had much luck with vegetables, my container herb garden has always thrived.
For the past couple years I’ve attempted to grow some plants from seeds. I’ve got a mini greenhouse happening in my kitchen. I sowed the seeds a little late this year, but since we’ve had some unusually cold weather lately, I don’t think it matters much.
I really don’t enjoy summer at all.. Not even a little bit.. I love the fall.. its when I come out of hibernation. I don’t like hurricane season (which started yesterday) and I don’t like the 100% humidity or the 100 degree temps we get.. no thanks!