How Does My Garden Grow

Over the Spring I suddenly got into gardening. I have usually done a vegetable garden growing tomatoes, zucchinis, and hot peppers. One summer I did a whole variety of hot peppers and ended up making pepper jelly much to the delight of my friends. I did can some of them as well. A couple years back I also started an herb garden and grew things right outside my back door that I could use for cooking. But this year I have been concentrating on the flower beds that are along the side of the house.

For many years I have asked my husband who usually takes care of the lawn and flower beds to do something with the garden beds. But for some reason he hasn’t done a thing. Sure there are some things in there, but I don’t like the looks of them. I have always fancied an English Garden type of flower bed, full of color and texture. We have two beds separated by a fence and this year I am concentrating mostly on the rear one as that has the least amount of plants in it. The front bed had a weeping cherry tree right in the center so it needs shade loving plants. I have planted a few to fill things in, but I am going to concentrate on the rear bed and work on the front one next year.

Somewhat late in the Spring I decided that the garden looked awful, as you can see by this picture, and if it was going to get done then I needed to do it myself. So I have jumped in with two feet and now I am working on the flower bed as well as the vegetable and herb gardens. I love it. There is something extremely satisfying about planting and weeding and seeing the results of your hard, sweaty work as a mass of beautiful flowers. Not to mention the wonderful fragrance they have.

I am no where near to be on a garden tour as it has to get established yet, but I am having great fun picking out plants and figuring out where they should go and planting them there. It will get fuller as the summer progresses.  I am keeping a garden journal and reading everything I can about ways to have color all summer long. There is definitely a science to the whole thing and it can get very complicated. Overall it is very relaxing to be out there.