I have done a lot of work in the garden this spring! I'm not the only one, nature sure did a lot of work also. Starting on the left side of my yard is the mint. The mint came back and then some. In fact, I think it will be work to keep in contained (not that this is a surprise)
There is apple mint and spearmint (I think). Oregano is in there somewhere, and before the mint grew so big I planted some dahlias, cosmos, and lobelia. Well, the lobelia never came up and the dahlias did but then something got them. The cosmos came up AND are still there. They are mixed in among the mint. I plan to trim back the mint so the cosmos can grow better.
The hydrangea is also doing very well. I wasn't sure how it would be after this winter, but it looks lush and healthy. I am proud of myself on this one. Surrounding the hydrangea I planted parsley (which the groundhog likes to eat), sage, rosemary, and english thyme.
They hydrangea is starting to bloom. I didn't add any soil acidifier this year, so I am not sure if they will be blue or lavender, but they should be pretty regardless.
I learned that geraniums don't make it through the winter, but I bought some more, they are white and salmon. In the middle is kale (decorative AND edible). There are also some tiny basil plants, which did well in that location last year.
The cat mint also came back. A neighborhood cat likes to hang out in my backyard and rub up into the cat mint. Very cute.
Then there is the new plot. Last year, this area was overrun with a horrible sticky vine. Now, I planted peppers (serrano, tobasco, holy mole), tomatillos, vietnamese coriander, and basil (sweet basil, asian basil, purple basil). There is also a zucchini plant, but this year I was smart and only planted ONE! Maybe I will just make fried sqaush blossoms and not deal with gigantic zucchinis! Along the back, I planted hollyhock and borage. I don't have much luck with seeds, so we'll see if they actually come up! The hollyhock is supposed to be a velvet brown color, so I really want them to come up!
Next is the fenced in area has some tomatoes (green zebra, black krim, and cherokee purple), swiss chard, and two collards. They are the huge, leaning plants with the yellow flowers. I will take those out soon, and give the tomatoes room to grow.
I put the pots in here to keep them out of reach of the groundhog. Apparently, he can climb enough to get to them on the bricks. On the left is french tarragon, parsley, and lovage. On the right is parsley.
Still in the fenced in area is a row of arugula, a tomato (Rutgers), two spinach (all that came up), two radishes (3 came up), and a row of turnip greens. Along the fence is where the row of sunflowers starts.
I planted some cauliflower (yellow ones called Cheddar - I think that is so funny!). However, the groundhog got to them before the fence was up. There is also a pack of brussel sprouts, not yet platned. Groundhog got them a bit too. They are recovering and growing more leaves, but I am curious to see if they actually grow cauliflowers and brussel sprouts. I might try to plant butternut squash in this area also. Not sure if that is too much in a small area. The sunflowers continue along the fence.
The sunflowers continue. There is nothing in the rest of this area yet. I will plant nasturtiums and maybe some more peppers. Not sure what else.
The lemon verbena is also here and, like the mint, came back with a vengeance!
To make the patio area look prettier, I planted some bright red geraniums and yellow calibrachoa.
My garden is doing well so far. I am so excited to see it grow! Now all I need is a pretty patio table. Unfortunately, my patio table morphed into new brakes ...
Today, I made dinner with tomatoes and basil from the garden. I boiled some mini potatoes. When they were done, I drained them and tossed with a lemon vinaigrette (1 clove garlic, grated; zest from 1/2 lemon; juice from 1 lemon; salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste). I let that marinate while I made the rest. For the basil sauce, ~3 cups packed basil blended with 1 clove garlic (I grated first), zest from 1 lemon, juice from 1-2 lemons, and a splash of olive oil. Then, I sauteed up some peppers in garlic and olive oil. The peppers were small sweet peppers, so I just cut them in half (very pretty!). Then, I arranged the sliced tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers on a plate, and drizzled with the sauce. It isn't in the picture, but we ate it with a wedge of goat brie. The only thing missing was a piece of good bread!
The garlic I used was from my parent's garden. My sister made us a garlic braid. The garlic is very delicious and also very strong.
