First ripe raspberry

The season begins a bit earlier in 2013

Vegetable garden

Here is the red leaf lettuce planted mid April which we have been eating for a couple weeks. The beets aren't ready yet.

The pole beans were planted on June 1 and sprouted out in 6 days.

Hummingbird

The hummingbird really likes the orange tubular flowers on the cigar plant

Coffee on the deck

First time this season for morning coffee on the deck - enjoying the birds and flowers.

New planting bed

After 13 years a few heather plants had overgrown the area blocking 2 sprinklers and crowding out other plants. So I dug them out, added some rocks, parahebes, black mondo grass, some hen and chicks and a clump of stonecrop. I spread Cedar Grove compost around and added a couple solar lights. The sprinklers are now useful again. The plants should fill in the space and remain low to avoid sprinkler issues.

Rhododendron beauty

Spring 2013

A different weather spring with a warm weather streak in early May which helped get the azaleas, rhododendrons, lily of the valley, camelias and the climbing hydrangea off to a great start. Tomatoes were planted but they are now languishing in cooler wet weather and not flowering yet. The raspberry crop looks like it will be great again this year. The basil plants are spending more time in the garage than outside right now and the beans and cucumbers haven't been planted yet. The calla lilies have been stunning and the peonies are doing well. I have picked many bouquets this spring. I need to take some photos to post.