Easy Peasy Trellises

With a small property but a big desire to grow a large variety of plants, I need to be creative with my space. Growing plants vertically, especially the vining type is a great way to utilize space. Trellises get plants up off of the ground preventing rot as well as being nibbled on by insects and creatures plus you’ll get help from bug-eating birds that use trellises as hunting perches.

Disease problems are minimized because plants receive better air circulation. Harvesting is easy and crops stay cleaner because they are suspended above the soil surface.

This year I am growing as many cucumbers as possible since it is a favorite in our home. Not only do I love the look of edibles growing in harmony with my ornamentals but I love how the trellises create height, texture and a sculptural presence in the garden.

The trellises shown above are very simple to make and affordable too. With just a few pieces of lattice found at your local garden or hardware store and some wire you can have a handmade trellis in a matter of minutes.

My pieces of trellis were cut to 40"X20" and wired together at the top to create an A-frame structure.

I placed one in the back garden in part shade and one up front in full afternoon sun. It's a race to see who will win and produce the first cucumber of the season!

Embracing My Front Garden

 You may remember when I first introduced my front garden space and how it had been neglected for some time. Well, I am happy to report that I have been spending most of my time up front this season and giving the space some overdue TLC! Although there is still much more to do (including building the retaining rock wall), I am quite pleased with how things have filled in.

I spent most of the spring improving the soil conditions with a heavy dose of compost which has made a huge improvement in productivity. Like the rest of my garden spaces, I have planted a mixture of ornamental perennials such as Coreopsis, Echinacea, Black Eyed Susans and Spiderwort along with an array of herbs including Sage, Thyme, Comfrey, Borage and Santolina. I made sure to leave room for the annual edibles that thrive in sunny conditions and that we love to eat such as Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Basil, Swiss Chard, Lacianato Kale and a few Watermelon plants. Everything is peeking up through a lush ground cover of Vinca Vine and Creeping Jenny.

 In the past I would look the other way when I walked past the front of my house and only use my back door just to avoid the eye sore of a space. But now the first thing I do in the morning is open my front door to say good morning to my garden.  I greet it with a smile and pull some weeds. I water it's roots and then nibble on some herbs. And sometimes i just sit on my front steps and admire.

late june blooms

after the long winter, practically non-existent spring, and incredible amount of rain and storms we've been having i feel like i can safely say that summer has finally arrived. and my garden knows it. things are blooming all over the place and today i thought i'd share with you some of my favorite blooms from the gardens at my house...

very pink roses

valerian, kept getting knocked over by my dog, so it's now in a protective tomato cage. it is resilient!

yarrow

clematis and window boxes of pansies, allysum, and dusty miller

mystery cherry tomatoes (from my csa)

borage, on their last blooms already!

chamomile, growing in the cracks of my brick pavers. i planted a LOT of chamomile this year. can't wait for tea!

 

 

what's blooming in your garden these days?

June

Vermont in June. You can't beat it.

Delicate pink peonies open.
The thimbleberry shrubs are in bloom
Wild strawberries are growing in the field.
Garlic scapes begin to form.
Lettuce is abundant as are the weeds.
Beets are thinned and added to the latest salad creation.
Our sage plant is in flower.
The hops are growing up their string supports.
The dahlias and glads are poking up from the soil.
The lady's mantle has a spray of golden flowers.
The lemon balm and oregano are ready to be trimmed and used in the kitchen.
Tomatoes need to have their suckers pinched.


So much to do, but I love every minute of it.

I'll be back next week with a new book I think you'll enjoy.

thanks to the spring rains

it poured rain all day and night on friday. so much that we got nearly 4 inches! the next morning i walked around the garden to see how everything had fared and i swear my garden had doubled in size! it has been a lovely spring here where i have not had to water much at all and everything is growing so lush and beautifully.
the strawberry begonias are flowering and spreading like wild fire. i love their dainty little blooms and variegated leaves. they make for a beautiful shade loving ground cover.
the strawberries are finally ripening and don't really make it into the kitchen these days but rather straight into our  mouths
 
the garden in front of the house is filling in nicely with a mixture of edibles and herbs such as rhubarb, zucchini, cherry tomatoes,cucumbers, kale, swiss chard, radish, sage, thyme, santolina and comfrey. they are growing amongst an array of ornamental perennial flowers.

we picked up a japanese cucumber and luffah plant in chinatown this weekend to add to the mix.

the peaches are growing fast and tempting. each day i cross my fingers that those walking or even driving by will be patient until they are full grown and ripe. hopefully there will be some left for us!
the gooseberries are plumping up and i plan to make some rhubarb gooseberry jam. what's faring well in your garden these days?

the mojito

we are up to our ears in mint over here. it's growing along the side walk and on top of the bunny hutch. and there is lots of it! i have plans to dry a bunch of it soon for tea to give away as a christmas gift this year. but for now we are enjoying it fresh on top of fruit and ice cream, in popsicles and with the heat that has just hit us, in ice cold drinks.



we are having a porch party tomorrow night and i think mojitos are in order.
the perfect summertime drink.
i even like them without the rum. you can't go wrong with fresh mint, lime and sugar.
and muddling is so fun.

the mojito

12 mint leaves
1 lime
2 teaspoons sugar
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda or seltzer
crushed ice

put mint leaves in tall glass and squeeze lime juice over them.
add the sugar and muddle the mint, lime juice and sugar together.
add crushed ice.
stir in the rum and top off with club soda or seltzer.
add mint garnish.
sip!

happy summertime friends!

gardening tools and essentials

i thought it might be fun to share with you a few of my favorite gardening tools and essentials that i can't live without.

 i don't have many but i like it that way.
 just a few simple pieces that i use almost every day. 


:: when gardening i like my feet to stay clean and dry. 
my gardening clogs are durable and super comfortable.
i've had these for many years and although they are a bit dirty they still seem brand new.

:: the basket scoop is one i found while thrifting. it's perfect for cleaning up piles of yard debris.



:: i admit, i'm not a fan of sunscreen but i do love a good sunhat.
this one is comfortable with a rim that gives just the right coverage.
and the chin strap is perfect for windy days.



:: twine is my favorite thing to stock up on at the hardware store. i can never have enough.
 i use it for so many things but especially in the garden for trellising and tying up plants.

:: i love my little brass sprinkler that's easy to screw on to the end of a hose. for something so small it does a good job in watering the garden.

:: i think my most used gardening tool is my wooden nail brush. it lives at my kitchen sink and gets used several times a day. 

:: my felco pruners are always at hand for snipping and pruning.

:: and my potting trowel  lives in my back pocket.


:: the edger gives a nice clean garden bed edge.

:: the pointed spade that i scored at a garage sale is the perfect size for digging up and transplanting.

:: and my favorite tool of all time is the stirrup hoe.
i used this tool every day when i was farming and completely fell in love.
i recommend that if you were to buy only one tool this would be the one.

what are some of your favorites?
i'd love to hear what you use in your garden.