I’m a little behind. We have been having wonderful weather and I have been busy at work. This update is actually from last Sunday.

The vegetable garden is doing very well this year. We have harvested 2 heads lettuce – in fact – it has been a week of salad at our house. And lots more to come on. The Swiss Chard and Kale are also ready.

G planted the corn, the squash and the beans. We did not get good germination on our Goldmarie broad beans so he is seeding them direct. He is seeding some more carrots and beets. The tomatoes were also moved out to the front years just after Memorial Day. I actually found a little tomato on our Stupice.

In the flower beds, the iris, alliums, peonies are in bloom. Everything has leafed out and the tender plants have been brought out of the cold greenhouse and planted for the season.

We also visited two gardens on Kitsap Peninsula on Sunday – Celestial Dream Gardens in Kingston and Far Reaches Farm. We really enjoyed talking with the owners of Celestial Dream Gardens and walking around their property. They have a great selection of interesting plants for a warm sunny location. We discussed the challenges of growing borderline plants in the region. Far Reaches is amazing. They have the most wonderful shade garden with lots of exotic plants that they have collected on plant trips especially in Asia. We picked up several plants at both locations mainly for shade. G wants to plant a dark shade area under the trees. More later in the season.

Lettuce ready to harvest

Green beans planted

We’re trying corn again – last time years ago, the racoons ate it. But we haven’t seen any racoons recently so we have our fingers crossed.

Beds are looking good

Tomatoes are out!

First tomato – a Stupice

Eryngium agavifolium and Euphorbia wallichii

Iris pallida ‘Variegata’ – These bloom for such a long time and have a lovely scent

Echium pininan – we got a bunch of these from our friends at Langley Garden and we’re trying them outside – this is near the deck – it may be too shaded

The shade area that will be planted – Hosta “Sum and Substance”, Epimedium, and Weigela

We’ll be planting this area soon

Another shade area on the east side of the house – Dicentra spectabilis Gold Heart which is greening up in the shade, Fothergilla “Blue Mist”, Aconitum ‘Stainless Steel’, Astrantia “Hadspen Blood’ and Rhododendron sinogrande in the back.

Our new grill and bistro set – the deck may be another project.

Neo out on his leash.