Things That Grow In My Garden... Part 5

This week is a sad little version of what is growing in my garden because the squirrels have killed some plants and for a lot of the rest, the first bloom of spring/summer had worn off and I cut a lot of stuff back hoping it would bush out and re-bloom. For some of it I think it will work and for others of it, well, I think they just died. So I am showing you my original pots but I am also adding some other beautiful areas of our yard these days -- like the daylilies! And the slowly-getting-weeded boulevard.

This was the beautiful Million Bells basket on the front porch. I cut it back. One plant died and the other two are coming along nicely. I cut back the lettuce for a salad on Sunday and the little green things along the outside are Sam's lettuce from Sunday School. Maybe by the end of the summer we can make salad from them?!?!?

The petunias in the first planter died and the portulaca aren't very happy. The two plants closest to the outside of the middle planter were dug up as was a petunia in the last planter. If I pulled the petunias out of the last planter I think the alyssum and spotted plant would show up really nicely. Right now the petunias are overwhelming it, I think.

I think the bed is one of the nicest spots in the whole yard right now. I weeded it and hoed it on Saturday and cut back all the dead and dying flowers. Some of them are looking little right now but hopefully in a couple of weeks they'll revive. Dave and I staked the tomatoes on Saturday and wow! Are they ever huge!!! And there are only three plants in there folks. Yep, you read that right -- three! I've included a picture of our tomato forest below. The Million Bells basket hanging outside my kitchen window needs watering and some TLC so I'll have to do that soon.

The Gerberas are still looking good. The middle planter seems to have lost its petunias (sigh) but the green thing is still going strong. And it's starting to get buds again so I'm hopeful we'll have flowers before long. The petunias, despite Rachel's constant "deadheading" of them, are doing beautifully! Yay!

And here are some of the other plants and flowers giving me joy while these baskets are not all at their best. First of all the daylilies!!! The orange ones are beginning to end their blooming but the yellow ones, which have HUGE flowers, are just beginning.

We also have a gorgeous poppy, although I think it will only get two flowers this year. And that thistle tree on the end. I don't think that was supposed to survive but how are we supposed to pull it out now?!

And I mentioned the boulevard. Dave and I have been slowly working on this project for almost a month. We got slowed down a bit when we were gone a few weekends ago and now it's just too dry to try and weed. Trust me, we tried on Saturday, and it was frustrating and futile. We're supposed to get some rain this weekend so maybe that will help us in our attempt to finish this project. I think we just need a few good hours to get it done, once the ground is a little more willing to let go of the weeds!

So that's what going on in our yard this week. Thank goodness the perennials are stepping up to the plate while the annuals slow down.