Author: Steve

Second wave of strawberries

Our “everbearing” strawberries are now producing their second wave of berries! Just in time as the raspberries have finished their production for the year. It’s nice to have these waves of sweet harvest first from strawberries, then cherries, then raspberries, then the strawberries again. It makes for some good ice cream eating! I also like […]

I’m cracking up about tree faces!

I think this is hilarious! What a funny idea — I just read about these tree faces in a post on GardenWeb.com. Check them out here.

Maple seedlings I’ve potted from my yard

I’ve found a few maple seedlings in my yard, especially lately, and I’ve put them in pots so I can raise them in a protected place until they’re big enough to plant in the yard. This one I’ve had since last summer or fall. I’m not even 100% sure it’s a maple, but I’d like […]

Need help with one Hibiscus shrub

I have this small row of five Hibiscus syriacus shrubs, and one of them has been growing funny the past two years. It doesn’t grow much, and its leaves and flowers are unusually small. It looks a little pale compared to its neighbors, too. Here are some photos: See how short it is compared to […]

Fourth of July color

I’m really enjoying these Ruby Meidiland roses — they seem brighter and heavier blooming this year than they’ve ever been. Maybe it’s the lingering effects of the horse manure I fed them two years ago? Anyway, aren’t they a perfect Fourth of July rose? This photo was taken on the Fourth of July, and they […]

New flowers this year and other good things

The photos above are flowers I planted this year. On the left is Verbena x hybrida ‘Imagination’ with some Delosperma iceplant foliage in the background. These Verbenas are doing pretty well, and I hope they produce good amounts of seed so I can grow them again next year. On the right, you can see some […]

Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea)

My purple and white coneflowers are blooming very well now. They’ve been going for a few weeks and are probably peaking now. The white ones were started last year from seeds gathered from a plant I raised a few years ago from seeds off my mother-in-law’s plant. I think it’s ‘White Swan’ but I can’t […]

My shade garden

My hostas are blooming right now, and the groundcover, Lamium maculatum, still has scattered blooms, but not as well as when it first bloomed in May. I’m quite happy to see my Rocky Mountain Maple doing so well, too. This was grown from seed in 2006 and it’s just leaping in height this year!