Wow!!!  This isn't the best picture of the sunflowers, but it shows you how tall they are.  The tomato cages are 5 feet high, and you can see the sunflowers are WAY higher.  Some of them are 12 feet tall.  And the gold finches LOVE them.  We can see them flitting about in them all day long.  :)

 

We had a pretty good wind storm a couple weeks ago, so we got some stout stakes for the sunflowers, because they really sway in all that wind.  We got (30) 10 foot stakes, and tied up most of the sunflowers.  They are sprinkled all over the garden.  Most of them planted themselves from last year's seeds.  And then, of course, I had to go along the rows and add more!!  

 

I think we will leave the stakes in the ground, and just plant seeds next year next to the poles.  Hauling a ladder through the garden is a bit much.  

 

Maybe I'll send you a picture of the winter garden, with poles awaiting sunflowers.  For now, we are really enjoying the sunflowers.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The Rattlesnake beans are coming along well.  In the past, when I went out to pick beans for the first time of the season, I'd get about 3 or 4.  Happy, but it took a few days to get enough to cook for supper.  Well, this year when we went out to pick for the first time, we got about 60.  I didn't actually count them, but a gallon ziplock bag is about 1/2 full.  That's a lot of beans.  Enough for supper:  twice!!

 

The Rattlesnake beans are so cool;  they are green with purple stripes.  They are easy to see because of the purple.  How many times have we missed green beans because we just didn't see them?  AND they grow up a trellis.

 

I have a friend who only plants bush beans;  we plant pole beans because we don't have to bend over to pick them.  Hey, being older may be harder, but there is wisdom involved.  I'm running with that!!!

 

If you'd like, I will post my simple recipe for cooking green beans.  Look in the recipe section.  We love green beans, and don't mind eating them every day when we can pick our own.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The Sourwood all over the neighborhood is blooming now.  This one is on the corner when you turn onto Stonebriar from Five Forks Drive, just below Mark and Renee's.  It is so pretty!!!

 

Of course, you know when you are in the presence of Sourwood:  you can smell it before you see it.  When we smell it, we look up, and there is usually a Sourwood right there.  

 

Next time you are out for a walk, notice the sweet smell in the air, and look up.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I showed you catnip earlier, when it started coming up.  Well, it is all the way to the top of the deck rails, and blooming!!!

 

I am thinking about planting it everywhere, because the deer don't touch it.  Even the rabbits leave it alone.  And it's pretty at all stages.

 

HAPPY  GARDENING!!!

 

Check out the broccoli.  Aren't these leaves beautiful?  They are really as blue as the picture.  

 

We planted six plants in March, and the crowns are ready now.  I will cut all six, and blanch them.  Then we can eat some, and put some in the freezer for a yummy winter soup.  I'll check the recipe section, and see if I already posted the recipe.  If it's not there, I'll add it, because it is easy and delicious.

 

Last winter we made soup with store bought broccoli, but I bet it will be even better with broccoli we grew ourselves.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The name of this cabbage is Ruby Ball, but right now it is lavender, and silver when it gets rained on.  So pretty!!!

 

I sowed 12 seeds and got 6 good strong plants to put in the garden.  Each plant is about 18" across now, and the heads are about 4" across.  The seed pack says they should grow 6-8" heads that weigh 3-4 pounds!!  

 

Won't this be a gorgeous addition to our Asian Cole Slaw?  Check the recipe section, under vegetables.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Wow!!!  Our Bee Balm has really taken off this year.  I planted it about 10 years ago, and it has only ever grown a few stems.  Now it is huge.  It stands about 3 feet tall, and about 3 feet wide.  

 

Two things have changed:  I added mushroom compost to the soil last fall, and we put up a fence to keep the deer out.  Take your pick.

 

Whatever, it is working;  and isn't it gorgeous?  The flowers attract butterflies, bumblebees, and hummingbirds.  The flowers are also tasty and pretty in our salads.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Remember the picture of the huge squash leaves a few days ago?  Well, this is what's happening under those leaves.

 

I promised to show you our squashes when they set fruit.  Well, they start out a lot smaller than this, but this is so pretty, I want you to see it now.
 

This is a North Georgia Candy Roaster.  I've seen them in the fall at the Sunrise Grocery on the way to Vogel State Park.  They grow to about 18", and when they are ripe they turn a beautiful salmon pink.  This one is about 12" and still green.  But isn't it impressive?

 

That little tray underneath it is to keep it off the ground.  I've tried paper plates and pieces of bird seed bags to do the job, but they get really yucky by the end of summer.  These work well.  They let water drain through, and keep the squashes clean.  I guess farmers don't do this when they are growing a field full of squashes, but I do it because I only have a few.  

 

I'll show you again when they are ripe.  I planted the seeds on April 14, and they take 100 days.  So.........that should be early in August.  So exciting!!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

Did you know that some people buy beets and throw away the greens?  Whaat?

 

I know some folks who grow beets JUST for the greens.  They are so good.

 

We planted these beets about mid-March, and they are big enough to pull the roots.  I will leave some of them in the ground for the greens.

 

I have a great recipe for a beet salad.  It's under vegetables in the recipe section.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at this one plant.  It has 3 big zucchinis and some baby ones waiting to bloom and get pollinated.  

 

I guess I finally found the right place in the garden for it.  It gets morning sun and afternoon shade.  Seems happy.  Me too!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!