Out Back

Our garden has been getting serious.

Without very warm temps and with loads of rain we seemed to be a little behind this year, but now things are really growing. I have a good supply of lettuce and spinach and a huge amount of parsley. My basil is doing well.  The peppers have been recovering from lots of broken leaves from a couple of bad hail storms we had in June.  

Recently I went out to check on things and found my beans climbing up my pea arches.  Apparently I bought pole beans and they needed something to climb FAST.  Dave ran to the store today and bought some 6 foot bamboo poles to make a tepee for the beans.  I guess I'm trying new things this year.  Gary thinks they produce more than the bush beans so maybe this will be a happy accident.  

Once the beans are climbing up the tepee I think the garden will look so pretty with all of the tall plants.  I finally have pea pods and I love them.  I'm going to try a fall crop this year.  Hopefully we won't go through that early blizzard crap again and ruin weeks of would be garden time.  

My hanging baskets are INSANE!  If you remember I had the same flower combo last year, but I had them out from for a month or two then swapped them and they took off.  Well, this year starting in their prime spot has them thriving like crazy.  The vines are several feet long and I love sitting out back looking over the garden and my flowers.  It makes me feel like a successful human being.  

I think my cosmos are slow growing, but I'm sure they will charge up any day now.  

I really love this gardening and yard keeping stuff.  

Today Dave set up the soaker hose system he developed for the garden while we are away next week.  Thankfully we will only be gone for three days.  Unless a twister comes through I don't think everything will take a nosedive in that short of time.  I am so relieved that we aren't going out of town for very long this year.  Last year I felt dreadful when we went to Michigan leaving the garden and flowers.  Actual DREAD in my gut.  So glad I won't have to go through that again.