Garden 2015

As mentioned in a previous post, I am really happy with our garden this summer!  This may also be the last year that we have this yard and the gardens we've created here to care for (if we end up having to move for fellowship).  So, I wanted to be sure to have this to look back it!  It is a big part of our lives (or at least mine and James') this summer.



We have a great little herb garden right off the deck... sweet green and purple basil, rosemary, German thyme, oregano, pineapple sage and chives.  Along with a couple of marigolds to deter the rabbits.





We planted 5 strawberries plants in a big tub on the deck this year.  It has been really fun!  I didn't get the June-bearing plant, so we get berries for a much longer season, but it's only a few at a time.  This has been James' favorite part of the garden this year.  Note to self:  raw (non-composted) used coffee grounds do NOT make strawberry plants happy, despite what the internets may say.  We didn't get any strawberries at all for about 4 weeks after I dumped some coffee grounds in!





On the deck in pots, we have lavender (which has done so great this year - in the past it just dies, so I'm pretty proud that it's still alive AND flowering!), along with parsley and some other ornamental plants (love that creeping Jenny overflowing the terracotta... but it spreads EVERYWHERE, so, another note to self: never put this in the ground!).



Roma tomatoes in the raised beds.  3 plants this year.



Zucchini, cantaloupe vine and two roma plants shown here in the front raised bed, along with accompanying marigolds to deter pests and a couple of random kale/spinach plants here and there that never really took off.



Blueberries!  We have 2 plants that both have a handful of berries this year.  Hope the birds don't get to them before they're ripe.



New permanent addition this year: a fig tree.  I mostly put it in because I needed something in the front corner bed by my raised beds, and I love the shape of the leaves.  But then, it surprised me by fruiting!  I think we have 3 or 4 figs right now.  Now... what to do with figs?? Cheese plate!

Back raised bed with 5 tomato plants (4 varieties: carbon, some sort of sweet cherry orange-colored, black cherry, and 2 romas), carrots (all that crazy green on the right side of the photo), lettuces, basil and marigolds.



Black cherry tomatoes.



Lettuces and basil planted under the tomatoes in the back raised bed.  I read about doing this somewhere to lengthen the lettuce season - they don't like it really hot, but they do well in the shade throughout the summer!  Planted under the tomato plants efficiently uses my minimal amount of space, and also chokes out most of the weeds.  Definitely want to remember this and do it again!



Zucchini plant close up (front raised bed) - not productive yet, though lots of blooms.  Trying to be patient.



Cantaloupe vine, just planted a week or so ago, in the front raised bed.  Hopefully he will be productive - James loves melon!



Blueberry plants in the background, with zinnias and cosmos, plus some marigolds just for good measure (do rabbits like to eat berries?), with the fig tree in the corner, though he's too short to see from this angle) and the raised beds.