Garden Link Up

This Garden Link up is so up my Alley . Stop over & visit Cari and the Clan, for more gardens.

I definitely think you'll be inspired. By all the gardens at Cari's. 

This is my cherry tree & hostas underneath. I plant some blue lobelia for contrasting color. ( backyard) 

  

Dwarf lilac in my front yard garden. 

Here was is my veggie garden, before planting. 

My back woodline.  The stuff growing ( invasive) is called Japanese knotweed is a member of the buckwheat family but its cane-like stems -- which can grow taller than 10 feet -- make it look and feel like bamboo, so it's often called that.

It used to overtake about 30' of our backyard, we spent 2 summers cutting back, but it just grows back, we rototilled & pulled root systems out. It still acts as a hedge, we try to keep it very contained. it's about 10 feet out of the comfort zone that I like it to be in, but I'm limited to what I can do, so a little at a time, & then I dry it & burn it in our fire pit. It sounds like firecrackers when it burns, because it is hollow. Without the leaves, it looks like bamboo.

Veggie garden planted, tomatoes , basil, cilantro, red pepper, and marigolds. 

My front garden, burning bushes, upright Japanese maple, a couple of hostas, Stella d'oro day lilies that got huge. There are pink moss roses in the corner for some annual color. 

Another from garden,  dwarf lilacs, boxwoods, and a dwarf Japanese maple.

Side of my house. Various day lilies. This gets full sun. 

These were all saved from a church that was slated for demo.

North side of my house. Full shade. All hostas. These were saved from my neighbor, when she built a new deck & the hostas were all going to be torn out.

Planter on my front porch. ( from the moss rose family)

My herb garden. Chives, thyme, mint, there are a couple of peonies ( that never bloom) mixed in there. 

Another view of the herb jungle.  ( I cut back the mint every year, but it just gets bigger & bigger )

Veggie Garden.

I have a 10 x 10 garden ( semi raised bed ) that I plant my veggies in.

I think it is very cool to be able to plant from seeds, but I just don't have the time for that, so when I'm at the plant nursery buying flowers for the business, I pick up a flat of "veggies" and they sit, and sit, until a weekend  like this past one comes & I finally have time to prepare the garden and plant. Also in my colder climate, you have to be on the ball, to plant from from seeds and actually produce something from it.  A lot of people who do grow their own seeds here, start them indoors. This girl ain't got time for that.

I hadn't been out to that corner of the yard in a few weeks. It looked like a jungle. We have this stuff that is from the bamboo family that grows out of control!! It was about 10 feet high  today. When 3 weeks ago, this stuff was only a foot tall. So I had to get that cut back, and dig it out. ( the pile that I cut out of the garden ( below).

Then I cut back the "chocolate mint" I thought would be cool to plant a couple of years ago( stay away from mint ) it overruns anything very quickly.  I  then cut back the ornamental grass that is out of control too.  (this part of the yard gets neglected).

Hubs started the rototiller for me & I went to town, mixing it all up. I don't worry about weeding it too well before rototilling, because green stuff is good for soil composition, and I'll be careful to watch out for anything unwanted in the next week that may resurface & knock it out then.

So planted in my 10x10 plot.  1 - san marzano tomato plant ( I bought it about 1 1/2' tall.)
2 - Roma Tomatoes ( about 9" tall when purchased )   3 Cilantro plants   ( salsa anyone)
2 - pots of italian basil, which turned out to be about  8 plants ( hmm pesto )
4 cell pack of red bell peppers    , 1- lemon thyme   1- rosemary plant.

My yard is frequented by deer, bunnies, groundhogs, squirrels, and ?? lots of wildlife.  I put a 2 ' metal fence around the garden, to deter any of the little guys.I have metal stakes in 4 corners, and  I also put fruit tree netting on top of my plot, I can easily slide it on using the metal corner stakes.  This helps deter the tall guys that might be able to lean over the 2' fence. My plot is on the west side of our property & receives full morning sun, I usally water in the evening, when it's cooler. ( not everyday) but usually every 3rd- or 4th day.

If the bunnies are really bothering, & trying to dig under the fence, I may put hair out ( they think a human is around then) or the other trick is "mens" urine. ( helps deter deer too ). I don't spend money on any fancy tonics, or $25 a bottle spray tricks. If they eat my tomato plant, It'll cost me $2 to go replace it.   Once or 2twice a year, I may splurge and treat the plants to some organic fertilizer, it's made from beet juice.