August 1, 2016

July End of Month Views: the ABC's


Hello, and welcome to my Eastern Washington, USA garden!

Summer heat has come to stay!
We are now on our second week of 95+ degrees F, with no end in sight.
This is where anyone in our town without air conditioning moves to the basement for 6 six weeks.
(We are wimpy and put in A/C about 4 years ago. Haven't looked back.)


Today we will go on the alphabetical tour of my garden!
(In other words, I had already labeled my pictures and I'm too lazy to put them back in order by where they belong in the yard.)

Let's get started, shall we?

A is for.... APPLES, of course!
I thought everybody knew that.

Yes, for the first time since we planted this tree 6 years ago now, we will harvest some apples this year! I still can't really believe it's true.


A is also for asparagus fern (Asparagus springeri), which managed to survive a whole week in a pot, in 100 degree temps without water.
A walk in the park for this easy-care plant!


Last but not least, A is for astilbe, which suddenly re-appeared in my front porch bed after I assumed it was long gone.

Moving on now, B is for beets and beans.

The beets--admittedly--are a bit ragged, but the beans are flowering.

Any other B's? Oh yes!

B is also for black raspberries, going for broke! (Ha!)

Not sure what is so amazing behind the shed, but this black raspberry is determined to find out!


Moving right along now, C is for Cosmo Jungle, 2016.

There are so many, I don't feel bad at all about cutting down as many as I want for bouquets.

Okay, one more C before we go: 

cucumbers

There are very small cukes forming on the vines now.
These got such a late start--I'm hoping we'll get to harvest some before frost.


Oh boy.
We're going to have start skipping letters now.
What? You thought I actually had a picture for each letter of the alphabet?
Um...no.
You're welcome.

E: Echinacea

Ever since I cut back the salvia, the Echinacea have really taken on the spotlight in the front terraces.

These are volunteers, and they are about twice as tall as any of the parents.
Go figure!


F: Front porch Flowerpots

Which reminds me, MUST get out and water these tomorrow!

G: grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium)

Loaded with these blue "grapes."
I tried one this morning.
Very sour and seedy, but edible.
I think I'll leave them for the birds.


H is for hydrangeas

Dear hydrangeas,
Please grow extra big and tall, so that I can cut some of your blooms off without leaving a hole.
Thanks so much!
The Gardener

'Little Lime' in the shed bed is just starting to bloom out now.

Won't these be fantastic in a bouquet....someday?

'Quick Fire' hydrangea, top terrace, front beds

My darling oakleaf hydrangea, just putting on a blush of pink.

Let's see, where were we?
Oh yes!

O is for onions, which I have stopped buying and started picking.
Hooray!



P: pineapple sage

It is doing wonderfully well.
I realized I have never actually cooked with it before.
I am looking up recipes. Do you have any for me?


R is for roses, of course.

This 'William Shakespeare' rose out front is just a burst of color.


 Oh, and the rosemary. Can't leave that out.

Doing surprisingly well amongst the weeds, strawberry runners, and aspen shoots in the top bed.
(The top vegetable garden bed is kind of like the Wild West these days--everything running amok.)
I used it in some homemade focaccia this week that was superb.


S for shade bed.
It's hanging in there, which is all I ask of it during this time of year.



Almost done!


T for tomatoes.

So close!

W must be for water, water, water, and WEEDING.
Yes. The two everlasting summer chores!


We will end on a Y for yellow straight-neck squash, which has been loving this hot weather!
I'm hoping we'll start harvesting summer vegetables in the next couple of weeks.


Thanks for taking the alphabet tour of my garden today!
To see other gardens, go to The Patient Gardener.

What do you have growing right now?

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