Nikki and the kids took a road trip with friends this week, so it's my turn to post something. Unfortunately for you, the reader, it's like getting a brick of cheddar cheese when you were expecting warm brie. Or getting a 150cc scooter when you were hoping for the new 1,300cc Honda Fury. You get the idea. Nikki is the one who researches, finds, plants, and feeds everything growing at our house. She's well versed on pH levels, hours of sunlight required, and zones. I mow the lawn. Occasionally I'll put some weed and feed out there, but that's about it. Here's my contribution to the picture gallery - the edge of the lawn along the front curb. Based on the detail, I apparently need to sharpen the edger blade.
My wife is very special and I'm not sure how I convinced her to marry me, but I'm glad she agreed. I think I can safely say we'll all be happy when she gets back home next week.
I intended to share a picture of my Mother's Day gift a while ago. Here it is in the middle of the garden -a beautiful new trellis for the Thompson Seedless grape! I've always loved these and I'm so pleased that I now have one of my own. I've been inspired to really plan out the garden next year, and it is going to be centered on this grape vine. I'll plant rows of veggies and herbs in a star burst pattern with the trellis at the center. I really want the garden to look like something next year...whether it is a pattern of boxes or circles or whatever. The tomatoes, as enormous as they get, won't be able to participate in the pattern, but I'm thinking I can use them in the corners to anchor the natural square shape of the garden. So many fun things to consider!
I'm rushing to get a few things read this morning and commented on because my darling son Noah asked me this morning if it is a cleaning day or a shopping day or a school day...all no. So he said, "Mommy, can it be a play with Noah day?" I'm limiting myself to all computer work and showering during Sesame Street and then the rest of the day will be with the kids. Hope you are having a great play with your kids day, too!
Pumpkin Blossoms
Daisy is a Buff Orpington.
Henrietta is a Rhode Island Red.
Oooh, chickens!
First is the Lavender Lady Passion Flower vine (Passiflora x Amethyst). The gorgeous flowers were totally irresistible. I knew my husband would love how unusual they are, so it was an easy choice. I will be planting this either in the veggie garden on a trellis or in a pot to grow on a trellis on the shed.
I've wanted Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) ever since reading about it in 
I bought a Thompson Seedless grape vine (Vitis vinifera), for which my sweet husband is going to build a trellis. I can't wait to be able to pick my own grapes from the backyard!
This new Petite Plum Dwarf Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii nanhoensis 'Monum') will probably go into the veggie garden. I have another possible location for it among some roses, but with our long growing season, I'm afraid it might get too large for that space, even though it is a dwarf variety.
I've been wanting to add scented geranium to the herb garden area and this one had such sweet little flowers. It is Peacock Scented (Pelargonium cv.). Things are starting to get pretty crowded in there, so I might have to keep it cut back, but I just couldn't resist.
This lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) may end up in the front yard planter as part of a bee and butterfly garden that I'm starting to create, but I haven't decided yet. It will be a big part of the tea-making process and I love to run my hands through it for the fabulous fragrance.
Lime Thyme will be heading into the veggie garden and is such a lovely color. I saw this plant first at 
Perhaps you know that I'm not exactly the most successful potted plant gardener. I am too lazy about watering to keep potted plants alive. However, I seem to fall prey to pots every year and this year I chose this beautiful Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) plant as my first victim. I really hope to keep it watered, especially since Bay can be cut into a topiary and I'm planning to make a short little ball out of it. The leaves can be picked in the morning and placed under a weight. By dinnertime, they leaves are dry and ready to be used in recipes!
And finally, the plant about which I am most excited. Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) is the tea plant! I had been planning to order a plant online, but there was a tea exhibit at the show and the Arboretum's booth was selling the plant. I was surprised to find out that the tea plant is in the camellia family, which makes it perfect for my partially shaded Heuchera garden where I already have three azaleas and a camellia japonica growing. The great thing about that mixture is that Camellias and Azaleas are both acid loving, so they should live together fairly harmoniously.
I started with our lovely chamomile plant that bloomed beautifully this year.
I cut it back to about 8 or 10 inches tall and then bundled the bouquet and hung it to dry.
After about a week, I clipped off the dried flowers from the stems.
I had to separate the stems out one by one, which leads me to think that it might be easier next time to bundle them more evenly so that I can cut straight across and have less stems to pick out. 
Ta da! Tea in a container. A teaspoon per cup is enough for a medium-strength tea. I'm sincerely hoping for another harvest this year, but with my love of chamomile tea, I think I'll need to plant a few more plants next year. Once I try the straight tea, I'm going to try adding some of the other dried herbs to create a fun blend. More on that another day!
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