What's Blooming

My Stargazer lilies just opened up yesterday and they smell HEAVENLY! I always look forward to these blooms each year. Almost more so than my red Asiatic lilies. I think I may cull the one type out as I am not impressed by the flower shape as well as they are taking up too much space for my garlic since they grow in the same space!


I finally planted my Black Krim tomatoes (they're in bloom already!) and basil after I dug out all the garlic. I can't wait to have tomatoes again!

Three of my Japanese Neofinetias are in bud! Not in spike, but in BUD! YIPEE!!! They smell awesome too! I love growing these things as they are so easy and bloom so readily for me. The other perk is that they stay SMALL!

The Bhut Jolokia has almost met death twice now with lots of broken branches. This last time I tried to salvage the broken stems by tying it back together in hopes that it will heal. So far, only a few leaves lost, but no wilting, keep your fingers crossed! It's been blooming its head off, but no fruit :( The other peppers are setting fruit just fine! I hope no stink bugs are around this year to eat them. I have not seen as many of them this year, knock on wood!

Garlic Harvest

These were not grown in my usual garlic patch. These were the mix-ups that I had from last year. They could be Music or some other no name type. Strong flavor though! This group got a lot more sun and space and the bulbs were MUCH bigger! I wish I had more sun/space to grow garlic as these are more like the size I wanted them to grow to be! The oddest thing happened with these...we put weed block fabric down and the bulbs luckily and oddly formed above the fabric (but under the mulch)! The roots penetrated into it for moisture and nutrients though!

These are German. They didn't do too bad.

These are Music. They are slightly bigger than they were last year thanks to the cow manure and mulch, but no where near as big as the ones that got more sun and space.

In the place of the garlic, I planted my two Black Krim tomatoes as well as some basil. I debated whether to plant the Dahlia or not and decided to try them in pots this year instead. It would make storing easier without having to dig them up!

Gardening Without Samba

This last month has been a rough month. On June 3rd, I had to put my gardening buddy down due to complete renal failure. He was just about two months short of turning six years old. I've tended to the garden more since for emotional therapy, but every time I am out there enjoying the scent of my honeysuckle and seeing things bloom....it's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it just makes me miss him just a bit more as he loved to hang out in the garden and this will be the first year I am enjoying the sights and smells of it without him. I still find myself stepping carefully in the grass for fear of landmines, but sadly...there are none.

I've harvested some of the garlic already, but the majority of the harvest will come this next week. I hope they are big!

This plant I bought at May Market is blooming these beautiful cup shaped fuschia blooms. I love how they wave in the wind. It looks awesome as the backdrop to my blooming lavender.

I got a $50 GroupOn this past spring to Urban Gardeners and used it on some more perennial wildflowers and a much coveted tree peony, even though I have not a clue where I am going to plant it! I hope it tolerates part shade. :S I also picked up a cinnamon basil, which I bought because it had pretty purple flowers as well as a lemongrass. So much for my "landscaping". I am just planting what I love instead!

I am ready to pull out my creeping juniper. It has not done well in its location. I might just plant another peony in its spot! LOL I need more space. I have outgrown this garden, that's for sure!