Pretty combination.  Double Knockout rose, Maynight Salvia, daylily, and heuchera.

 A surprise volunteer.  I haven't grown coreopsis in two years.  I used to grow Tequila Sunrise.  A lovely dwarf variety with variegated foliage.  It only survived about 3 years.  Two years later...surprise.  What a fun plant to pop up in the crack between the house and sidewalk.

 My dwarf Alberta spruce has had issues since I planted it last summer.  Lots of browning along the bottom and huge sections died off.  Since we had such a severe drought last season, I figured that I must not have been supplementing it enough with moisture.  Turns out, mites are most likely the continuing problem.  Check out all the webbing.  Ugh.

 Guacamole hosta shaded with pink and white azaleas.

 My Golden Delicious apple tree had some funky leaves.  I peeked inside to find lots of ants and aphids.  Yum.

 After unrolling the leaf, here's what was inside.  Where are the ladybugs when you need them?

 Felix Crousse peony with my new birdhouse in the far back (left side).  We just put the birdhouse up today.  I can't wait to see if we get some curious renters.

 Fat N Sassy peppers are loving the heat today.  The Kennebec potatoes are doing well in their containers.  I will have to fill them up the rest of the way with soil now that they are tall enough.

 Reliance grapes are starting to form.

 The entire vine.  Now I only hope I can keep the birds away from them this season.  They ate EVERY grape OVERNIGHT last season.  EVERY GRAPE!

 Ville de Lyon clematis gracing the porch.

 Navaho blackberries are blooming their hearts out.

 Raspberries are already in bloom!

Double Knockout Rose.

This morning I decided to bag some blossoms. I used bridal tulle circles to cover the blossoms. A bagged blossom. The clothespins are holding the "bags" together and their weight is supported by clipping them over the cages. I will remove the bags once I see tomatoes forming.
Fused tomato stems on my Lucky Cross tomato plant.
Copra and Red Zeppelin onions starting to bulb up.
Reliance Grapes
Blueray Blueberry
Newly expanded front garden. The entire middle portion was grass in the beginning of the season. Now it is filled with marigolds, dwarf sunflowers, lots of carrots, and other assorted annuals as fillers.
Scarlet Oklahoma Red Zinnia
Jacob Kline Monarda
Purple Coneflower

Butterflies, ID help, butterfly weed, fruit and harvests

Temperatures are reaching the 90s for a second straight day. I'm finding the heat and high humidity oppressive, but it's not stopping the butterflies from frolicking around!
ID me please! This is a free plant my son brought home a few weeks ago for Earth Day. I was wondering if anyone knew what type of tree it is and how tall it could get. My guess it's a pine...of some sort....
A close-up of the tips of the branches. Can someone ID me please?
I have had a lot of difficulty germinating the Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed) seed that I bought on eBay. Only one of the first batch I planted germinated. That would be the one I have in a large container by itself. I decided to take my chances and use the paper towel method on the few remaining seeds. I dampened a paper towel, tossed the seeds onto the paper, and placed it inside a Ziploc bag in a window with bright, primarily indirect light. Another one germinated after about a week and a half. I carefully removed this one from the paper towel (it came right off) and planted it with the taproot covered in a small peat pot with potting soil.
Carmine Jewel Bush Cherry from Gurneys that I received last week. Self-pollinating.
Daily mixed shelling pea and strawberry harvest.

My desperate attempt to attract hummingbirds. How can they miss this? I did it last season, and I think it worked. But so far...nothing.Irises are now blooming.
My seedlings and indoor plants are hardening off on my front porch after spending about a week on the more sheltered back porch.
The new, expanded front garden. The future home to lots of marigolds, snapdragon, milkweed, a tithonia, a pentas, and fennel to attract butterflies. I also started some carrot seed in the lower left portion along the sidewalk. Not for me to eat, but for the black swallowtails. They LOVE their leaves...A LOT.

Spring Has Sprung!

Things are starting to show signs of life again. Here is a Heritage raspberry plant that was added last season. Off to the right is a Caroline raspberry added last fall that I ordered from Stark Bros. So far those are still dormant...I hope.I planted peas back on the 6th of March. They are finally starting to come up. I was really worried about these. Especially after seeing my resident mockingbird eating away at the peas on one very cold, frosty morning.
Below is my Frances Williams hosta. The first hosta to emerge this season.
Chives that I left out in this pot, unprotected, all winter. They didn't miss a beat.
My biggest disappointment. I really wanted this one to work out. :( I ordered this Black and Blue salvia last season. It got off to a slow start and then took off. It was absolutely gorgeous. The hummingbirds and bumble bees loved it too. I have a bad feeling about its survival. We're right on the border of hardiness. Although it was well mulched......
Hyacinths are in full bloom right now.
A Golden Acre cabbage that I planted last fall. I planted it too late and it didn't have time to produce a head. It survived unprotected in one of my raised beds...along with two others. I have doubts that it will produce a head of cabbage, but I wouldn't mind some free seed for next season from it.
German Extra Hardy and Musik garlic that was planted in mid-October. It is off to a great start. Very strong and healthy.
I just planted my onion plants from Dixondale Farms. Red Zeppelin and Copra again this season. They stored well into January...when I ran out. This time I ordered a full bunch of each. The only downside about growing onions is that the squirrels like to pull them out, so I have to replant quite a few of them each season. They tug them out. I put them back in.
Karl Rosenfeld peony coming up.
My Alberta Spruce appears happy. It is just starting to put on some new growth. That's a good sign.
One of my absolute favorite spring bulbs. My Tete-a-Tete daffodils. The cutest miniature flowers I have ever seen.

Hail. Hail. Grass Be Gone!

Boy has it been a cold spring. Temperatures should average in the 50s with 30s at night. Not so here. It's about 10 degrees below normal around here lately. And what is that? Snow? Nope. We had ourselves a nice thunderstorm that produced pea-sized hail this past week.
Despite temperatures in the 30s yesterday, I found myself outside digging and tearing out the grass out front. Now there is no need for my hubby to line trim around the edge or "fancy" mow around the new bird bath. :) I'm sore today, but it's so much fun while I'm working in the garden. It took about two hours, but I was able to save and replant the bulbs that were growing up through the grass. Lots of crocuses, tiny tulips, and a hyacinth or two.
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The best part....Now I have just the spot for my new Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt peony that I ordered! I also ordered an American Revolution, Bright Sunset, and Eenie Allegro daylily that will grace this new section. The border will consist of Citrus Mix marigolds that my children are growing and carrots....for their foliage. Hoping the carrots will serves as host plants for the black swallowtails again this season. Any carrots that endure the constant foliage-munching are just a bonus.

A Case of Spring Fever

I can't plant much outside right now, but that hasn't stopped me from buying some stuff.
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Stars and Stripes Pentas. A variegated, red pentas. Just trying to tease the tastebuds of the hummingbirds a bit more each year.My new Meyer's Lemon from Gurneys.
I recently visited my in-laws. While sitting outside enjoying the warmer weather, I watched dozens of birds fly in and out of their old Alberta spruce tree. Every year I find myself admiring that tree. Wishing I had one that would make the birds as happy as theirs does. I'm wishing no more! It may not be 30 years old and 8 feet tall, but it's a start. My latest addition from Lowes stands at only 2 1/2 feet tall, but I have high hopes for it.
My new succulent collection also purchased on Sunday from Lowes. These will end up in one of my large strawberry planters when it warms up outside. The soil dried out too quickly for strawberries, but the succulents will be happy there.A welcome sight after a tough winter.