September Garden Party

Welcome to our September Garden Party!

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. I hope you had a great one! And although it's getting pretty dry and crunchy around here, the gardens are still full of life. We're harvesting veggies every day and those hardy perennials just never seem to quit.

This is our last garden party of the year, but first let's check out some highlights of our August party .....

Head over to Pricillas for a lovely walk through her garden!

Kathi from Oak Hill Homestead has all the details on growing Walking Onions!

Check out Garden Up Green to learn how to harvest zinnia seeds.
I definitely need to do this!

And I love these Concrete Orbs! Diana from Adirondack Girl @ Heart has a step-by-step tutorial.

How cute is this Vintage Bucket and Spigot Planter from Sadie Seasongoods!

These Delphiniums caught my eye over at Thelma's Days!

And The Freckled Rose had a bounty of flowers and vegetables this summer!

A Toile Tale planned a romantic Blue Moon Dinner for Two in the garden. I love her pretty blue table setting and what an adorable potting shed!

Cynthia from Clockwork Interiors turned trash to treasure with this grill cart transformation!

Cecilia from My Thrift Store Addiction finds gardening to be therapeutic and I totally agree!

Thanks so much to everyone who shared their garden inspiration!

Now on to this month's party.....

*Link up any outdoor or garden related project you'd like to share - what's growing in your yard or garden, patio gardens, landscaping ideas, outdoor craft projects, garden furniture, bringing the outdoors in, garden fresh recipes and of course we love pretty porches and patios too!

*A link back would be appreciated, especially if you'd like to be considered for a feature.

*It's our last party of the summer. Feel free to link up as often as you like throughout the month!

Can't wait to see what's happening in your outdoor world!

July Garden Happenings

Wow, I can't believe the month of July is almost over already! 

It's time to check in and see what's been happening in the garden this month! 

After a cool wet month of June, we had a very hot and dry month of July. That's when things usually start to wilt a bit here in Maryland. But the heat of the summer is when the perennials really shine! Once well-established, most perennials are heat tolerant and require very little attention.

The hydrangeas have been blooming for weeks and show no signs of stopping. 

Don't they just make you smile?

The Limelights are especially big and beautiful this year!

And you don't necessarily need flowers for great garden color. Chartreuse and lime green foliage really pop against the darker shades of green. 

Our front walk is lined with spirea and I love the foliage just as much as the flowers.

Creeping Jenny is a beautiful perennial with great color and texture, but it can become invasive. Planting it in pots is the perfect solution!

Bright green coleus are a wonderful addition to pots of annuals.

And don't you love the silvery soft texture of Lamb's Ear in the garden? 

I dare you to walk by them and not want to touch!

So now let's talk about the vegetable garden. A few years ago we built raised beds with irrigation and we just love them.  First of all, they are just really pretty. The little seats around the edges make it easy to work in the beds and the rich soil makes everything grow like crazy. Here's what the beds looked like in early June.

And here's what the beds looked like in early July. 

Notice the gourds and pumpkins creeping out of the beds.

Well guess what, we've now lost all control and the gourds are EVERYWHERE!

Yes, gourds are now hanging from the tomato cages!

You really can't even see the raised beds anymore!

They are now making their way into my shade garden!

But aren't they the cutest little things! 

 And they are still blooming, so there are many more to come!

 The only way to access the garden now is from the back side. Fortunately we've already harvested the peas and most of the beans. And we've somehow managed to keep the gourds out of the last raised bed where the carrots and red beets are still growing.

We've decided that next year we need a whole garden dedicated to the gourds and pumpkins. We can even try growing some big pumpkins. They can just grow like crazy and we can reclaim our raised beds again and add more vegetables. You'll have to stay tuned for details on that project!

Now here is some of the garden goodness we've been enjoying so far!

And last time, I shared a photo of our little fish feeder. Well she and her Grandpa have been bonding over their love of the pond and everyone's favorite fish - Bubba. He is full of personality and the friendliest fish you'll ever meet. And of course he's hard to miss because he is gigantic! ... Bubba was one of Clare's first words!

Bubba practically jumps out of the water when Clare comes to visit. 

One of these days, he's going to end up in her lap ... or vice versa!

I'll be back in a few days with our August Garden Party.

Can't wait to see what's been happening in your garden!


I'm sharing with ...
An Oregon Cottage