I've toned down some of the garden work. Making it more doable and accessible continues to be a major theme. Also, continuing to evolve, more water-wise and mindful of wildfire risk mitigation. Here is part of the front border now. This Spring we replaced the wood and composite decking with a concrete patio. That takes care of the recommended 5 feet of defensible space recommendation, but we added more surrounding non-flammable area. We removed all of the wood chip mulch, which is flammable (and also rots away too quickly), and most of the perennials and shrubs. Now it's a rock garden. The boulders were from our old water feature. Everything is old, from previous gardens. Now it's also mulched with red lava rock, presumably from Mt. St. Helens contribution. The container plants were unplanned. I mostly just plunked them here and there. Mostly geraniums / pelargoniums that I overwintered in the garage last winter or grew from cuttings last year. It will look better when the pelargoniums are in full bloom. They are starting to now. Also, sedums and sempervivums. And some marigolds and mini dahlias in containers. Cost-wise, no new plants were bought, so it's pretty frugal. I don't like using round up, but compromises are made. If weeds grow in the lava rock, they get sprayed. There are a few shrubs of St. John's Wort here and there. Honeybees and bumblebees like them. The red berries give some color. The only care they need is pruning in late winter, cut back to a foot tall or so. The area on the far side of the patio, where nobody can see it, still needs some work. Mostly just spread more lava rock. Despite trying to downsize, I can't seem to control myself. That's why I started more pelargoniums last winter from seeds, and grew some from cuttings. Plus it was too easy to overwinter them, so there are too many. Same with the mini dahlias. Meanwhile in the vegetable and fruit garden, mostly it's just running the irrigation each day. There are strawberries every day, which get eaten before they can reach the kitchen. The shiny holographic strips keep most bird damage to a minimum. I had nearly given up on the snowpeas but - I used tomato towers for support. Nobody else here likes them. They are just for me. I cut off the garlic scapes. They make a nice crop. They are great, cut to about 2" lengths and air-fried along with snow peas, broccoli, summer squash, olive oil , garlic powder, pepper flakes, pepper and seasoned salt. No squashes or tomatoes yet. But it's only early June! We usually don't get those until mid July. This is an heirloom rose I grew from a cutting. The most fragrant of all my roses. bA bit raggedy from earlier rains, plus it's too small to be blooming. I cut off the other buds so it can focus on growing stronger. It's probably / maybe Mme Boll / Compte de Chambord, a mid 1800s variety. That ID is based on photos. I was calling it rose Parfumée Mystérieuse because most of these varieties are French, it's name is a mystery, and it's very fragrant. I usually start bush beans in July, to fill the raised beds from garlic and onion harvests. I have a little space now, so I'll start some now as an experiment. During the cool Spring, they grow too slowly and slug bait washes away too quickly, and they are all destroyed. Maybe now will be ok? I pre-soaked for a while to wake them up. Also trying some different bean varieties. One is a pole bean, some limas which need warmer climate but maybe they will grow here now, and some black turtle beans as an experiment.
Your place is looking Marvelous, Daniel !! I have St John's Wort planned for a mostly shady area in my garden for the future. Love the flower form of that plant. I love Snow Peas too and plant them every fall. Spring sewings of those do not work in Saunaland, it gets too hot too fast. Same happened with my Fava beans- total failure.
Daniel—mate, it all looks so good there. Those raised beds are looking great. And the rest makes me jealous. Slugs and snails are a problem here as well. We use beer in homemade traps of yogurt containers. Good luck with the seed packs. Those peas turned out well, didn’t they.
Thanks @Shoerd and @Anniekay! I enjoy your input very much. Today my back is acting up (Rufus pulled and yanked too hard while playing tug-o-war with a squeaky toy). So mostly sitting around with an ice pack. Some cherries and strawberries, today's harvest. And not outdoors, an African Violet started blooming for the first time. I switched from some larger plants to a few African Violets. They take up less space, so I can have them on the window sill.
Beautiful gardens Daniel Your rose is so similar to my Mary rose. This doesn't represent it very well as when mature thecblooms are very full. She's a david Austin rose. My mom was Mary. Very special rose to me.
