Purple Queen-I thought it was pretty

These are pretty.  Next time I will group together

I’ve been lax in getting my potato garden diary posted this year.  The past couple of years we tried the trash can potatoes and the garbage bag potatoes with very little luck.  This year we decided to go old school.  My husband fixed a semi-raised bed and we (he) shoveled all the compost I picked up from the county compost into it.  We (mostly he) planted the potatoes interspersed with a few broccoli , a row of corn and sunflowers along the back row, flowers on the front row and daisies in the holes of the concrete block border.  It is amazing watching our hard work (again mostly his hard work as mine will come around at harvest time) grow and flourish.

In addition to the potato patch and the regular garden, the strawberry and herb gardens are also doing well this year.  It amazes me to watch our garden grow from seeds and small plants into a bountiful harvest.

Something is eating our garden and it’s not us!

The garden support is ready to go.

Tomatillo Plant

Strawberry and Herb

In past years, we have staked our tomatoes and beans with cane poles stuck into the ground, cane poles shaped into cut teepees, cane poles formed into trellis, small pieces of fence and au natural.  Each of these methods has resulted in a big growing mess to be dug through to find the vegetables.   In the spirit of trying to make things easier, we purchased fence post and ran lines of fencing down the middle of each row to tie the plants to as they grow.  It looks like it will be easier to manage but so far the plants are not tall enough to take advantage.

Grape Arbor

 

The grape arbor is coming along.  The grape plants are 2-3 years old and starting to send out arms to wrap around the trellis.  I’m looking forward to having a beautiful grape arbor.  I envision a bench, book, and sunlight. I know right, pipe dream in the making.  In my mind it looks so peaceful.  In reality, it would probably have something more like this—bench, book, sunlight, bugs, ants, sun in my eyes, thirsty.  Think about it.

 

Composting.  We started out with homemade composter a few years ago. From there we purchased a compost machine.  Machine isn’t really the right word.  It is a large container with a hinged door and set on a base which allows it to turn.  We have already outgrown this 50lb composting machine.  Last year I ended up with 5 large pots of potting soil—all “hand-made” by us.

Tiger Lillies Gone Wild

Speaking of composting, we also have a worm farm.   It is kind of cool.  Worms eat and poop out fertilizer.  A couple of days ago my husband came into the kitchen where I was processing food and asked what I was making.  I smiled.  He said it was an evil smile and wanted to know what I guinea pigging him on this time.  That got a big laugh.   I told him I was blending coffee grounds, potato peelings, and egg shells.  He stood there for a minute and then said, “You’re making worm food.”  He was right.  Maybe it was an evil smile.

New walk around house

Hens and Chicks

Home improvements never cease.  This is the photo of the gravel and stepping blocks we added around the entire house.

Soon, beautiful flowers will drape over the edge.

Before

We recently added a wall to build up the flower bed. I’ve planted several plants inside the openings on the concrete blocks.  It was a great improvement to our yard.

After

The swimming pool green and today bright and pretty behind the banana plant.