Seed Order 2013

Since doing my seed inventory last week, I decided I could fill in some holes to round out my garden this year. Here's the run-down of what I ordered.

1. Caballero Pepper - I've been wanting to try some chiles, and this is a variety of poblano.
2. Ancho 101 Pepper - more chilis...maybe I went a little overboard? This one is supposed to be sweeter.
3.  Watermelon (faerie hybrid) - This is a yellow-skinned, small watermelon meant for smaller gardens....hopefully that will hold true and I won't have a yard full of watermelon vines!!
4. Tomato (Lemon tree) - from the pictures, these actually do look like lemons. Supposedly they have a lemony flavor as well.
5. Tomato (Maskotka hybrid) - This one is a cherry tomato that is supposed to grow well in containers. These will go on the back deck.
6. Dwarf White Sugar Peas - a bush habit pea similar to the ones I grew last year
7. Pole Beans (Tionfo Violetto) - these guys are purple! I'm really interested to see how they taste.
8. Cayenne Pepper - because my husband REALLY likes spicy food.
9. Beet (Touchstone Gold hybrid) - a yellow beet.
10. Echinacea (Purpurea, Pow Wow Wildberry) - These I will sow in the next week or so (indoors) and hopefully will have some coneflowers in my near future!
11. Sage
12. Lavender (Munstead) - This one is an experiment. I've heard that lavender is difficult to grow from seed, so we'll see how this goes.
13. Feverfew - this herb is supposed to have medicinal properties regarding pain relief and fever reducing. It is also supposed to drive pests away when planted around roses. Guess where these are getting planted?
14. Zinnia mix - I didn't plant these last year, but two years ago, the flower beds were nearly taken over by the 6 foot tall zinnias! I had cut flowers all summer long, and the more I cut, the more they grew.
15. Marigold (Tiger Eye)

What are you planning to plant this year?

Latest Update and Pictures from the Flower Garden

Ok, so I've been a little MIA lately....things have been a tiny bit crazy in my neck of the woods and I hope I'll have some good news to share SOON!

In the mean time, here's some pictures from around the flower garden to tide you over. I'll cover the rest in another post!

 

Ok, here's a full shot of the right flower garden. Look how giant the hosta is getting! I think it's bigger than the boxwoods.

 Also, here's a closer look at the Roman Chamomile (it doesn't make blooms for tea, but it smells nice when you walk on it!) that's going gangbusters around the ornamental grass that has yet to show anything but dead straw. I'm not worried yet....it did this last year too.

Even though I didn't dig up my dahlia bulbs last year, they're still growing back...who knew? Maybe it was just the crazy mild winter. Also, you can see that the busyness of late has kept me from keeping my flower bed completely weed-free.

Said dahlias are in this left flower bed. There are lots of irises in here, but they haven't bloomed yet. I'm thinking they aren't getting enough sun.

However, the hydrangea and geraniums seem to be lovin' their spot on the side of the house. It's an east-facing wall, so they get plenty of sunshine.

And if you look closely, you can see that I'm starting to get some buds on the hydrangea! Hooray!!

This handsome fella decided he needed to get in on the picture taking...and I couldn't resist showing him off!

What's going on in your garden these days? Any fun happenings?

Some New Additions

I made it out to the local nursery yesterday hoping to find some strawberry plants. No such luck, but I did find a few new (plant) friends!

I went in with a budget (and a Groupon). Here's what I came out with:

I suppose it doesn't look like a whole lot when you put it in one picture, but on the left are two ivy geraniums. They should eventually trail a little bit, and I planted some marigold seeds around them that will (hopefully) fill out the picture and give some nice color contrast.

Also (and I'm really excited about this one), I found a pink hydrangea! I went back and forth about this one for a while, knowing how big hydrangeas can get and how much water they need. The guy at the nursery said I should be able to keep it in the pot for a couple years before it will get root bound. I also made sure to get a smaller variety (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Berner, or "Let's Dance" Big Easy, is only supposed to get 2-3 feet tall). Hopefully I'll have some pretty pink blooms this summer!

Since I didn't find my strawberries at the garden center, I made a stop at the Depot on my way home for some potting soil, a big pot (for my new hydrangea friend) and a couple of strawberry plants.

 

What about you....any new additions in your garden?

2012 Planting List

I just ordered my seeds for the year! Here is my planting list for this year:

Vegetables

1. Green Beans (Blue Lake, bush type)
2. Peas (Sugar Lace)
3. Tomato (Costoluto Genovese and a container hybrid)
4. Jalapenos
5. Bell Peppers
6. Yellow Squash (Enterprise Hybrid)
7. Lettuce
8. Mustard Greens

Herbs

1. Basil (Mrs. Burn's Lemon)
2. Red Leaved Perilla
3. Dill
4. Rosemary (this is last year's plant that I've - so far - successfully overwintered in the living room!)

I will probably also grow some type of mint and sage.

Flowers

1. Sunflowers (my mother-in-law gave me about half a pound of seeds last fall....I have plenty to share!!)
2. Nasturtium (Whirlybird Mix)
3. Daffodils (these are already in the ground and beginning to sprout)
4. Cleomi
5. Marigold (Inca II Hybrid Mix)

Lastly, I found a self-pollinating, dwarf blueberry bush that can be grown in a container called Sunshine Blue. My plan is to plant it in a large container and sink said container into the ground. That way, when my husband and I decide it's time to move, I can pull up the pot and go!

In other news, my landlord approved my request to put in an in-ground garden/more garden boxes! Hooray!!

What are you planting this year?