Tomatoes

First harvest of full sized tomatoes today with several more just a day or two away. Have harvested a few dozen cherry sized so far. Nothing like the flavor and taste of homegrown tomatoes!

Clethra rosea - Summersweet

 A most fragrant blooming shrub tree that is so amazing at this time of year. This one was planted 13 years ago and grows nicely along the driveway between Mexican mock oranges. It has grown slowly but does send out runners. I was able to successfully transplant one to my son's yard and it is blooming now too. It is a big bee attracter and is always buzzing while in bloom. It is also known as Summersweet.

Raspberry season is over

After 40 days and 163 pints of berries the 2013 season is over. Lots of jam, pies, muffins, cereal toppers, and many bags frozen for winter. Plus shared with family and friends. A couple baskets flew with me all the way to San Diego!

Asiatic lily

These lilies are new this year. They are large, fragrant and spectacular. There are also some pink ones including a stargazer lily I've had several years.

Garden scene

Some Shasta daisies, a variety of coneflower and a few stalks of gayfeather surround a glass ball which has been adorning my garden for many years. It was a gift from my son Erik.

Spanish lavender

Spanish lavender looks so festive - like a butterfly in the garden. It seems to be fairly hardy as it survives winters and even makes baby plants too! The hummingbird garden art is from Squak Mountain nursery I believe.

Pinky Winky hydrangea - encore

As the name indicates the blossoms start to turn pale pink after they have been blooming for awhile. Love these flowers!

Honey crisp apples

This apple tree was planted 3 or 4 years ago and espaliered on wires. This is our first attempt at this method and so far it seems to be working. The apples have been delicious in past years.

Blue lace cap hydrangea

This large hydrangea started out as an indoor plant gift. My mom took it for awhile and repotted it and put it outside in the summer. When it got bigger and bigger she gave it back to me and I decided to try it as an outdoor in the ground plant. Apparently it liked it as it has grown quite large over the last 13 years. It lives across the sidewalk from the large mauve mophead and provides great color and structure in the front garden.

Russian sage

A spiky lavender colored flower with gray green leaves. I have this plant out near the street and another inside the yard. I moved that plant last year as it was overhanging into the lawn. It had a much larger tap root than I expected and I was not sure if it would live. But lots of water last fall and this spring it grew again and is blooming. The Kennydalegardener is visiting in Leavenworth where there are lots of Russian sage plants growing.

Phlox

A beautiful perennial with a slightly nutty fragrance. It faithfully returns year after year and also makes a great cut flower. I think it also comes in a pink variety.

Sweet peas

Ah the wonderful fragrance of sweet peas. This is the first good crop of sweet peas I have had in a long time. They are doing well growing in an inverted tomato cage decorated with a glass door knob on top.

Hens and chicks

These succulents are so easy to grow just about anywhere. They can be tucked into small places or put in a bed to fill in a larger area. At this time of year the flower stalk appears - I call it the "rooster". I have them in many places in my garden and never tire of them.

Chinese lantern

I am so pleased this plant is growing so well this year - it is a perennial that returns each year but this is the best year so far after 4 or 5 years. By fall the green lanterns will turn orange in time for Halloween! Can't wait!

Gladiolus

This is such a stunning flower - blooming tall. There are many colors available and they usually come back for many years if the soil drains well. They last a long time as a cut flower in a vase and are quite dramatic. I planted this one a year ago and it came back again.

Hydrangea - mophead

There are five separate plants - two in one group and three together. They start off pink and become mauve to purple. They were planted 13 years ago - I am still looking for the name of this variety. They provide beautiful color in the front of the house all summer. This year they are adjusting to more sun since a large fir tree was cut down over the winter. They are doing well but require extra water on hot days.

Garden art

This piece is tucked in between a red penstemon and lavender hyssop - both big hummingbird magnets. Behind it is white phlox which will be featured later. This piece came from Cest La Vie - a favorite store at The Landing.

Gerbera daisy

Such a bright red flower - and it survived all winter in its pot on the deck. It has been blooming like crazy - enjoying its spot on the deck stairs in the morning sunshine.

Sea holly

I got this plant a couple of years ago at one of my favorite nurseries - Cultus Bay Nursery on south Whidbey Island. It is a beautiful periwinkle color that blends well with a blue penstemon nearby and the baby's breath. The flowers are prickly stiff and according to others is great in bouquets and also as a dried flower.

Monarda (bee balm) "raspberry wine"

A new addition to my garden this year - it is quite stunning in color and flower details. I have seen the bees visiting but it is supposed to attract hummingbirds too. Many years ago I had a lighter pink one but it never was as big or spectacular as this variety.

Daylilies

Such a fleeting flower - each flower blooms for a day - luckily there are many stems with several blossoms on them! I have 4 or 5 varieties - the only one I know the name of is Stella d Oro and it is between bloom times right now. I remember being surprised to see them growing wild along the roads in Minnesota a few years ago.

Crocosmia - lucifer

Such a stunning flower in the summer garden - they are a hummingbird magnet and spread a little each year. My garden has 2 separate areas planted with these beauties! The are about the closest thing to the Bird of Paradise which grows in more tropical locales!

Baby's breath

This plant grows into a giant each summer with a very strong fragrance. I often cut it to use as filler in bouquets. It is growing in a large tomato cage to keep it corralled so it doesn't cover and overrun its plant neighbors. A garden art bird is nesting along one side this year. This perennial has been coming back for years and is cut to the ground in the fall.

Petunias

Petunias are so bright and colorful in summer pots - this striped one is quite spectacular paired with some yellow gold  wave petunias - a pot for. Husky fans!

Tomatoes

Couldn't believe it when I saw 2 plants with nearly ripe tomatoes and it is only July 6! There are lots of green tomatoes on the larger varieties - can't wait to eat a home-grown tomato!

Pinky winky hydrangea

This hydrangea is my newest - it is a newer variety that does better in lots of sunshine. The blossoms will develop a slight pink tinge. I have had it for 3 or 4 years - and it lives next to a pink mophead which I wii feature on another day.

Passion flower

The first Passion flower this summer! Very fragrant and a spectacular flower - it almost looks like a firework! This vine has been in a pot on my deck for at least 10 years-surviving being blown over by strong winds on the front deck before it was moved to the back. It gets moved into the garage if winter temps are predicted below about 25 degrees. 

Last summer we actually watched a blossom open over several minutes - it carefully unfolded itself until it was in full bloom - it was like watching a time-elapsed movie! My granddaughter was amazed! Just a stunning flower!

Lobelia

Lobelia is one of my favorite pot fillers - I like the trailing varieties - and often buy fountain mix for the color mix. Although it is an annual I find it often reseeds itself in the pots. It also finds its way into other places - especially under the deck in little pockets of sun!