What a beautiful day. Perfect for Earth Day. Perfect for wandering around my backyard, gardening, sitting on the patio... and of course taking a million photos. I can always manage to avoid the work that needs to be done, because I can always make some kind of excuse - like "It's so beautiful out, I need to take some photos and blog about it!" What I really should be doing is weeding.
I really love my patio. And all of my gardens all over the yard. I have quite a collection.
I planted this wisteria a few years ago, and it's finally getting established. My mother warned me against planting this, because she said it will tear the siding right off the house. But I didn't plant it up against the house, and I'm not too worried about it tearing the siding off the workshop in the back yard.
My Peas have sprouted and started to climb. I planted more peas this year than I usually do, and I'm really hoping I get a decent crop. I would show you a picture of my asparagus, but I ate it for lunch this afternoon. I can't imagine why it took me so long to plant asparagus! I also plan on putting in a few tomato plants - nowhere near as many as last year - and a few pepper plants. I want some butternut squash, but the seeds don't seem to be sprouting, and I want some zucchini. And LOTS of string beans.
OH! I almost forgot, we've also planted HOPS up against the side of the house - for my husband, who has started brewing his own beer lately. (If you drive by my house, and smell a HORRIBLE stench, that's probably him. Sorry. I have no idea why beer smells so incredibly awful.) I don't have a picture of the hops yet, but it's going to be a very interesting plant. I'll get photos when it starts climbing up the side of my house. You should see the trellis he built for it!
And of course we have the strawberry plants - looking incredible already. I got them from Lowes a few years ago. I particularly love plants that come back year after year.
The problem I've had with the strawberries year after year has been the slugs. I'll get a huge, lovely strawberry, and just when it's ready to pick, a slug will eat it before I have the chance to. This year, it's a slug war. I'm going after those suckers. (I hear they are attracted to beer. I'm going to try luring them to their doom with saucers of home made beer.)
The other berries I have are blackberries - which we have pretty much gotten rid of, because they were too messy -- and a mulberry tree. I'm definitely harvesting mulberries and making jelly this summer.
I also plant a lot of herbs. I have some chives, sage, tarragon, and some mint in the yard. I also have a planter with oregano, parsley, and thyme - they all come back every year. I'll plant a few basil plants; they don't come back every year, but I LOVE basil; and I am going to try to find a hardy rosemary. Rosemary never seems to last from one year to the next.
And, of course, we have dandelions. I love dandelions. I like them when they are yellow, but I love them when they are puffballs. Sure, I know mostly everyone else wants to eradicate them from their yard. But why? They are such a pretty - and free - flower!
Give Dandelions a chance!
Happy Earth Day!
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