Some garden photos

[reinbeau]

No bees here, sorry, I was taking pictures of my gardens.  Please forgive me!  :-P

Cindi asked for pictures, so here are a few I've shot over the past couple days.  The front garden is in its last year.  After going to the Herb Society gathering Mom and I went to last weekend I've decided I'm going to dismantle this veggie garden and turn it into a more formal herb garden.  I'm going to leave the border in place, get rid of the grass between the beds and border the large rectangle somehow.  There will be a focal point in the center, I'm hoping for a fountain, but a sundial may have to do for a bit due to funds.  This shot is from my yard, the houses are my across-the-street neighbors.  I don't have a large lot, just .6 acre, if I could change one thing here it would be to have more land.  I love my house!



When I actually get the new garden in place I'll post pictures again, but that won't be until next spring at the earliest - I'm not going to take it apart until the growing season is over.  Here is a shot from the corner towards the house. 



This verbascum planted itself right outside my arbor.  I like them, I know they're weedy, but they're an herb that was brought here for it's medicinal uses, and I enjoy them - in a proper place.  The seedlings will be ruthlessly dealt with unless they behave themselves!



Here's a volunteer sunflower, I didn't plant any specifically this year, but just let come up what came up.  He's pretty cool!



And here are my portulacas.  I've tried to grow them along this fence for several seasons with piddling luck, this year they really took off!  And those calendulas you see in the garden behind the portulacas are volunteers that come back year after year.  I love volunteers!





The back veggie garden will gain about 12 more feet to compensate for the loss of the front.  The whole backyard is still a work in progress, someday I'll have lawn again back there, along with a greenhouse. We're bringing the hot tub down from Maine soon, I've got to plan out some patio space and walkways. 

[Moonshae]

I think my neighbors would string me up if I turned my front yard into a garden like that. it looks nice, IMHO, but I think they'd get upset with anything other than lawn and an occasional flower bed. My front yard gets the most sun, so it'd be my ideal location for veggies and such. I have a small plot along the side of the house that works ok, but it's only 3 x 10.

[reinbeau]

Well, fortunately I've never wanted to live in a neighborhood, and would never buy in a covenanted subdivision, so that isn't a problem.  My town doesn't have those kind of bylaws, the only way it would happen is if you bought the house with restrictions on the deed.  Some people like that, I hate it.  My town actually has lots of residential/agricultural land, I have no restrictions on what I can grow here, other than the lack of space.  Someday I'll have a small coop out back and a few hens for fresh eggs and manure. 

I've been here since 1978, my next door neighbors have both developed gardens of their own.  There's another neighbor up the street who has a gorgeous garden out front, also.  Grass is a waste, the less of it the better!

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I think my neighbors would string me up if I turned my front yard into a garden like that. it looks nice, IMHO, but I think they'd get upset with anything other than lawn and an occasional flower bed. My front yard gets the most sun, so it'd be my ideal location for veggies and such. I have a small plot along the side of the house that works ok, but it's only 3 x 10.

That's what fencing is for. I've never cared what my neighbors think and get disgusted at most of their flower choices. Honestly who plants Marigolds?

[Cindi]

Ann, thank you for taking me into this part of your world.  I looked at the pictures in awe.  You say you have a small amount of property, but the way you have managed it is breathtaking!!!  You have done a wonderful job and I cannot say enough.  Yeah!!!  Good for you.

You spoke of Verbascum.  What I see is what I call Mullein.  They must be one in the same.  I have this plant growing at my place too.  I have no clue where it came from.  It was not here prior to the land clearing that we did the fall before last.  The seed must have been carried in on the wind and like so many annuals, perennials, once you have them, they are yours until the end of time.  Mullein is a monster of a plant.  It is said that the bees love it.  I have not ever seen bees on any of mine though, maybe they are on it when I am not loooking  :roll:

Ann, I love your love for medicinal plants, the herbs, it is cool. I wish that I knew more of these.  This is an area that I would love to pursue.  I have planted a few of these specialty plants around my house.  These are ones that I have grown from seed myself and set outside.  I love what your aspirations of gardens-to-be are.

when the weather clears, I will be taking pictures of them too.  They have set forth flower blooms now and look very interesting.  One called Figwort has the most beautiful buds appearing, hundreds of them on each plant, but are still in bud form (well, a few days ago before the rain they were only bud, wonder what they are now).  The Lion's Ear is showing flowers now too, and that is very interesting, as is the Fuller's Teasel and Sea Holly. 

Isn't it funny, it seems such a short time ago that we were all talking about how cold it is and how we were just getting our gardens going, and look at things now!!!  The summertime doth bring the beauty of the gardens about.  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi