Allium Season - My Favourite!

 

LOVE this time of year when the Alliums are in full bloom!!

Gardening

This years garden variety is consisting of peas, tomatoes, kale, purple basil, green basil, mint, pineapple mint and chives.  As I was typing that out it began looking like a rather odd mix. However, they all have their purpose!

Peas are being eaten right off the vine so they never make it beyond that point but SO yummy.  Really, the only way I actually like eating peas.  The tomatoes are flowering and little green tomatoes have started growing.  As for the kale and basil......well the pictures below show how well they are producing!  Kale always appears in our smoothies so this won't last too long.  My mouth waters taking in the aroma of the basil - I love that sweet smell!  This year purple basil is a new variety for me to grow but it smells and tastes just like the green.  Can't wait to make some home made pesto sauce!!  The mint and chives aren't to be forgotten either.  Mint is great for cooking with and for drinks although I think I spend more time just smelling it in the garden.  Love walking by and getting that faint smell of mint. Mmmmmm.  

kale

purple and green basil

A Summer of Flowers

Hard to believe fall is just around the corner when 

these are still in full bloom and going strong.......

Pure Freshness

With my home grown tomatoes, parsley and basil I'm making a Marinara Sauce to go with supper tonight. It's going to be so tasty I can't wait!

Front Yard Garden Beautification

Les's parents were in town for a couple days, which meant I had a gardener at my disposal!!! Many thanks to my MIL for helping me make my garden look picturesque (click on picture to get a much better look). Of course it'll look even better once everything fills in but that will need some time.

BEFORE

AFTER

We added some heather, a smoke tree, coral bells, bugbane, split and replanted bugleweed, then moved a couple other plants to different spots but most importantly the rhododendron's we're yanked out (good riddance!).

All in all a job well done - thanks again Martie, I couldn't have done it without you AND your knowledge!!!

Gardening Is In Full Swing

Thought I'd show some updated pictures of our garden! I was getting a little bored of it but now that the veggies are coming I'm pretty excited. Hard to believe all of this came from seeds we planted!






We've had lettuce in quite a few meals now. Just planted some more today!






Had our 2nd dish of beans tonight. MMMmmm Good!














Tomatoes are coming. Wondering when they'll turn red?














I don't know what I love most about peas? The flowers or the peas themselves?!?










We've gotten the odd one.....I wonder how many the kids have snuck?!

Bloom'n!

Gardening News

It's been three weeks since we planted our seeds and look how well everything is coming up! To the left are the herbs (cilantro, parsley, lemon basil and basil) and to the left are some of our tomato plants.

I just planted beans and peas a couple days ago (indoors to get them started AND it gives the kids an opportunity to help care for our growing plants). We're still getting frost so I'm a little leery about planting outdoors yet even though I've been told both the beans and peas are hardy.

The strawberry plant and chives are from last year and they've come back BEAUTIFULLY! I can see the chives are going to have lots of flowers and going by the flowers on the strawberry plant we'll have more strawberries then we did last year!!

When Les was on holidays we brought in a truck load of dirt (actually I think it was more cow manure then dirt) so the plants have a home waiting for them! I'm reminded over and over again DO NOT plant before the May long weekend so I'm listening.....it's hard when its so beautiful out I just want to get my little tomato plants snug into their home BUT these are seasoned gardeners who know what they're talking about so I'm trying to listen to their wisdom!

Hummingbirds A Plenty!

Last week the kids and I hung our hummingbird feeders and we've had plenty of visitors (the most since we've moved here)! It's so fun to watch these beautiful little birds and it reminds me of my grandparents, they loved to watch the hummingbirds and so many of their windows were adorned with feeders. I haven't been able to take a picture yet but hope to!

Pre-Garden Work

This morning our pre-garden work was completed! The kids and I got the tomatoes planted and waiting to germinate indoors along with some flowers and herbs - parsley, coriander, lemon basil and basil. I look forward to May when we'll be able to transplant these to the outdoors and finish planting the remaining of our seeds - beans, lettuces and peas.