I love this time of year in my gardens. It takes a while for plants to really hit their stride in Minnesota, but by early June, I see a lot of green and blooms are starting to make their appearances as well.
My trusty garden gnome watches over the gardens. Behind him is a container I made out of an old metal pot – I just drilled some drainage holes in the bottom and it was good to go.
I think I must be obsessed with purple this year – most of my containers have some purple in them.
This is the north side of our house – all green, for now. The Annabelle hydrangea along the wall, though, will bloom big snowball sized-blooms of white, which will turn to an antique-ish green as we head toward fall and will fill the area with color. I love Annabelle hydrangeas. I know there are many other, newer varieties of hydrangeas (and many of which I have in other areas of my landscape), but Annabelles will always be one of my all-time favorites.
Our rooster – fitting for a gal who works in the poultry industry, yes? – was a wedding gift nearly 16 years ago.
This is why we bought our house – the wrap-around front porch, where I had visions immediately of rocking chairs and a porch swing. We can pretend the house was in a great location, near the high school and on a cul-de-sac offering a nice amount of privacy, but it was really the porch that sold me on it – from the very first time we saw it.
I love this canvas print of an old outbuilding on my brother-in-law’s farm near Lanesboro, Minnesota. I took the photo at our nephew’s graduation a couple of years ago and was immediately mesmerized by the stunning blue sky again the white backdrop of the old farm building. I knew I had to find the perfect place for this photo – and our front porch just seemed to be that place.
Purples, pinks, and yellows in cobalt blue containers – I am just loving all these colors.
This lavender (with some hints of yellow) Osteospermum has quickly become my favorite container flower this spring.
World’s ugliest stepping stone? Perhaps. But for Joe, a frog-obssessed 11-year-old, this was exactly what my garden needed, apparently. He found it in – of all places – our local supermarket, Cub Foods, and decided we had to buy it. Every time I walk by it, I have to smile.
Aaah, peonies. I think I lived in England in a previous life because I love, love, love all these cottage garden favorites, like peonies and hydrangeas. This is the first of my three varieties to bloom this year. This plant came from a cutting on my family’s farm. My great-grandpa Dave first planted them decades ago (well before I was even born), and now I have my own plant to enjoy every summer.
New this year, I added a Scabiosa – yes, more purple – to the garden on the south side of the house.
Two of my raised beds, which include carrots, chives, red onions, walla walla onions, a cherry tomato plant, a “Red Robin” tomato plant, two different pepper varieties, winter squash, and a new “Spacesaver” cucumber I’m trying this year.
My newest frog – a Mother’s Day gift from Joe – has a good seat on the bench to view the peony blooms.
The second of my peonies – the variety name completely escapes me, so let’s just admire the pale, pale pink blooms!
A walk-about my garden is made even better with a little company from 14-year-old Earl the pug. He doesn’t need much exercise anymore, but he loves a slow, meandering walk around the house these days – as long as it isn’t too hot outside. 🙂
How are your gardens looking?