Around The Yard
Around the yard update.
We have 2 evergreen dogwoods called the Empress of China. These young trees are flowering. A very good sign that they are happy.
Gorgeous Asiatic Lilies came and went. These darlings leave behind a lush green plant that stands tall.
Our mature, fragrant gardenia has been covered in blooms.
Our newly planted Kleim's Hardy Gardenia is flowering for us too. These smaller flowers are really sweet and quite different from our other shrub.
Of course I have to show a lizard strutting his stuff.
This pretty plant, jewel of the desert, started from a tiny cutting a couple of months ago. It needs to be planted soon to continue thriving.
Our young fig trees are doing really well. These grow like crazy down here so we wanted to keep them in a pot for control. However they started to dislike the constriction so in the ground they have gone.
We have been harvesting bell peppers.
Perfect for homemade pizza along with our deck basil.
We have also been harvesting potatoes.
This was not a plan but we had some potatoes that were budding. Jim cut off the buds, put in water and they began to sprout very quickly.
The larger potatoes grew in a pot. The ground produced tiny ones so we will continue with the container method.
These were the best roasted potatoes we have ever tasted! I suppose this is all in our head just because we grew them.
Our carnivores plant collection gets a lot of visitors due to the sitting water. Below is a camouflaged tree frog (top left corner of pot). This Venus Fly Trap was a clearance score for $1. It was once sad but since they are native to the Carolinas, the plant is now quite content.
Our lantana is doing really well.
Some flowers I enjoy in all phases, including past, like these daisies. It is neat how the yellow center dissipates.
Our ornamental peach tree transitioned from purple to green.
The sturdy banana tree stalk.
That is it for now. It is looking like we will have lots of tomatoes this year. Fingers crossed!
Thank you for stopping by! ~Val
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ReplyDeleteWow, the banana is growing so well.
ReplyDeleteThe colors of Asiatic lilies are fantastic, Miss Val.
Thank you Evi! We are looking forward to seeing our summer blooms!
DeleteHomemade pizza is the best ever! Those lilies are stunning☺☺
ReplyDeleteWe make pizza at least once a week. Always a favorite!
DeleteI love homemade pizza :)
ReplyDeleteBeing able to control the toppings makes it better than any restaurant!
DeleteYour garden really seems quite wonderful with a wide range of plants, both decorative and utilitarian. There is a huge sense of satisfaction to be gained from eating food you have grown yourself, and if you imagine that it tastes better it does! We use our basil for a variety of dishes, but I think our favourite is a Caprese salad, always a big hit with guests. Fresh basil picked mere minutes before it is added makes a huge difference to the flavour.
ReplyDeleteWe love our basil too. Caprese is so easy and so delicious with fresh basil. I even put a little on garden salads. It livens it up!
DeleteWhat a glorious garden! That's a lot of work! And boy, do those potatoes ever look good. I'm impressed. We've never grown potatoes. Rick has tomatoes, spinach, cilantro, radishes and peas and I do all herbs and strawberries (a few). But we love potatoes -- I bet they were fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYou guys should give potatoes a try. If you have an empty pot and some good soil, that is enough to get started. There are articles and videos online about growing potatoes in containers. We were very impressed ourselves! We were not sure when the pull them up but apparently you just wait for the plant to die and that means the potatoes are just about ready.
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden! Homemade pizza is the best!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Deletewow... beautiful gardens.... a lot of thing, include flowers, bell peppers and potatoes.
ReplyDeleteBell peppers and roast potatoes are among my favorite foods.
Have a wonderful day
Thank you Tanza. It is wonderful having all these pretty and edible plants growing around us.
Deleteyes, indeed.....
DeleteI'm fascinated by the potatoes grown in a container. Is it really that easy?
ReplyDeleteIt is fairly easy. We started the potato budding inside in water. Once it started to grow roots and a plant we put them in soil. They need to be covered to the tip of the plant and watered regularly. The plant does need to keep being reburied to grow properly. Otherwise not hard at all!
DeletePretty nature<3
ReplyDeleteThank you Kinga!
DeleteSo great you grow your own bell peppers. I have a big balcony and I plan to do some pot planting there, maybe next week I can get around to it. It's wonderful having home grown veggies.
ReplyDeleteWishing you lots of luck with growing edibles. It is such a treat to eat something you have grown.
Deleteit really is, isn't it?
DeleteThe flowers, trees and plants in your garden all look wonderful. Empress of China is a beauty. I never thought about different stages of flower blossoms, but I do agree that daisies look neat in all stages. I sometimes like to dry flowers, I think dry flowers can be quite beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteI adore dried flowers too. Nature is so beautiful.
DeleteYour garden is beautiful and inviting. Yay to your homegrown veges. Isn't just lovely to pick them from the backyard or pot as with your potatoes! And yum, the pizza looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThank you Khaya. There is so much satisfaction from having edibles growing in your own yard! It always tastes better too.
DeleteLoving your beautiful flowers. Cool that you are growing some of your own food also. Most I usually do is tomatoes in a pot however this yr I did not even do that. And you have chickens also if I remember correctly. Everything looks great. On your comment on my blog about bidding on a tall skinny house, I have one, sort of, I live in a a zero lot line home, you know basically at townhome duplex. Only I own my side. Don't look as tall and skinny as the ones they are building now cause I am attached to the other half. The ones going up now are pretty...and new but getting older with the steep stairs, I so need to look for a one level.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam. I wish we had chickens for fresh eggs, but we don't. The skinny homes are really cute. However in the neighborhoods they are building today the homes are so close together! It looks like your area is flourishing like where we are. We are also just outside a big city. I hope you find a perfect 1 level living home for you and your furbabies.
Deleteso adorable flowers!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathy!
DeleteYou have such green fingers! The Asiatic Lily is amazing - and I am sure those potatoes were the best ever ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt is actually Jim's doing. I am a lucky lady!
DeleteI did enjoy seeing the variety of plants and flowers in your garden.
ReplyDeleteLoved the green lizard too!
How nice to have home grown bell peppers.
All the best Jan
Thank you Jan. I love seeing the cute lizards. They help us too by eating the insects that want to eat our plants.
Deletethese all look so good and the flowers - wow. Makes me want a yard I can plant in ...besides dirt and seasonal weather - others plant here on the mountain but I'm kind of clueless about it all.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know a thing about mountain plants either. Very different environment.
Delete