The New Garden Planter--Blue and Yellow and Waterwise

After hours of preparation the new planting bed is complete. The plants selected for this planter are all low water users (occasional water once established/drought tolerant/ low water use) and love full sun.

The completed planter

Starring Role-- Everngreen Daylily: Starburst Double Gold Hermerocallis x Monold

Supporting plants--Lavendula:  Appears to be a compact lavender

Supporting plants--Victoria Blue Salvia Farinacea

Edging of Stonecrop: Angelina Sedum rupestre

Edging of Stonecrop: John Creech Sedum spurium

New Flower Bed with Lavendar and Lilies

Working on a new flower bed to beautify the back garden. After hours of tilling amendments into the soil, I was ready for a little sit down time. I added garden compost, perlite, a bit of composted manure. What I removed was rocks and stones!

Shade Cloth Experiment in the Garden

After a spring of fresh garden lettuce, I was having a hard time letting go of the daily fresh lettuce selection. After all the spring lettuce bolted, and the poles for beans were in place, a solution was staring me in the face. The space between the pole beans would be an excellent location for lettuce growing under a piece of shade cloth.

The shade cloth purports to shade 70% of the sun from the plants below. So far, the experiment is a success. I have wonderful lettuces growing in abundance below the cloth. The real test will come as we leave the month of June with its heavy marine layers each day. I will be happy if the lettuce keeps producing for four more weeks.

Beans in the Garden 2011

The beans are coming. Much excitement in the garden this morning when I spotted the first pole beans. They are perfect replicas but Lilliputian in size.