The last month and a half just sped by and although I haven’t posted, I did document. Most things have been a success so far but a few casualties did occur. I’m still in awe of how quickly everything’s grown and that the seeds I started actually became plants. It’s just so cool!
April
The seedlings just needed to go outside; there was no place to really support their healthy growth, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.
Zucchini & melon seedlings still stretching.
Chard & sweet pepper seedlings
New additions – Fuchsia (a hanging and an upright version).
Calla lily
Taking a risk popping the zucchini and melons out so early, but they need light! Hope the black plastic will keep them warm.
Bougainvillea coming back to life.
Crocus adding a little color to the garden
Peonies also making an appearance.
Chard seedings – two from last year and two new ones.
Last year’s spinach and rucola.
Newly planted radishes
Newly sprouted carrots.
Peas sprouting
Rhubarb spreading
New additions – bleeding heart and lemongrass
Fuchsia’s are out
Gift from my neighbor – Nelken
Bärlauch (Wild garlic) – love this thing!
Hibiscus…will it make it?
Early May
Between the quickly warming days and the generally warmer micro-climate of my garden, we got some early harvests. Honestly, the best we’ve ever had! I’m definitely going to overwinter our spinach and rucola again next year. I’ll attempt it again with the chard and artichoke (if they survive this summer) but with a nice bedding of mulch. Last year’s artichoke rotted due to excess moisture & freezing; while the chard went to seed.
Spinach harvest is ridic this year!
Apparently over-wintering them works pretty well.
First harvest of the radishes (I started slicing before I remembered to snap a photo.)
Rucola gone to seed – only got two harvests before it started shooting.
Things are filling out.
Bougianvillea
Yup, that’s the zucchini & melon plants; that black plastic really holds heat in!
After a trim, the lemongrass came back with a vengeance.
Chive flowers are delicious!
Peonies fill out in record time; they’re always in a race to flower first.
New addition – Lily-of-the-valley. Such an elegant and dangerous plant – I love it!
Peas
Chard
New additions – lettuce seedlings.
Gooseberries
New addition – Morning Glory
New addition – Artichoke. Last year’s did not make it; trying again.
Rhubarb
Wild garlic will not flower this year because those pesky, slimy snails ate them! 😦
Calla lily has bloomed already; crazy!
New attempt to use these clay pots that dry everything out.
Lavender (this one flowers pink)
Mittagsblume
Wild thyme (also flowers pink)
Irish moss, flowers white.
Mid May
There’s something about spring that makes me go a little crazy. As soon as things warm up and a little green shows, I’m off – tucking new plants in every cranny I can. Once again, I overcrowded (despite my SFG planning). Succumbing to desire & despair that my own wouldn’t sprout (old seeds), I bought lettuce seedlings. A pallet of what I assumed were 6, turned out to be 12 and without thought, I popped them all in one square foot – bad!! Oh well, we’ll have to eat them as they grow.
This zucchini flower greeted me early one morning when I went to turn on the drip system before work. I can’t believe that it’s flowering already! All signs seem go for a great harvest this year.
The rhubarb is turning into a monster; blocking all the sun from the artichoke. Something must be done.
Saturday’s harvest consisted of about 6 stalks; those things are bigger than my head! Yay!
Austria has a period just between spring and summer called Eisheilige where the temps will drop unexpectedly. This weekend was the end of that period, so the plastic came off and the plants are free to roam.
Zucchini sending out a second flower.
Cucumber preparing to climb.
Honeymelon looking for a little support.
Pattypan zucchini has been seperated from his twin and mulched; it’s also putting out buds.
Last year’s lavender has buds that are about to bloom.
Chives are still blooming and the lemongrass seems pretty content.
Bougainvillea still taking its time, once the temps climb, I’m anticipating that it will take off!
Peony blooms are ready to open.
Lily-of-the-valley are mulched and shaded by the peonies, just the way it likes it.
These lettuces have been through it all; overcrowded, moved into sun and nearly dried out, attacked by snails & slugs. Moving them to a shaded spot has worked wonders.
Jasmine turned red and all the spring flowers have gone to sleep.
Jasmine putting out new leaf and flower buds.
Peas
High-bed is mulched & watering system is in. Spinach is giving it’s last performance; got to figure out what I should put there.
This is why folks plant radishes and carrots together; the carrots take so long to sprout and are so small, you’d forget where they are and think they’re a weed.
The first carrots I planted are really pretty but nowhere near ready.
A totally overcrowded salad selection.
My newest experiment – micro-greens. Once the summer really gets here, the lettuces & spinach will bolt, radishes become corky. By harvesting them young (after the first true leaves appear), we can keep on enjoying them.
Three varieties of tomatoes – Green Zebra, German Gold, and Gelbe Dattelwein.
Snails/slugs ate 4 of my 6 Chrysantheums. I popped 4 more in hoping they’d grow quickly in the warmer weather we’re experiencing now.
The artichoke finally has room to breath.
Gooseberries galore!
Morning Glory coming along. That bug next to it is a scarab that has the most beautiful emerald green color and a horrible habit of flying directly at my face. Oh it also lays it’s eggs in the dirt, where the larvea eat (hopefully) decaying items – but most likely, the roots of plants. Just one more pest to contend with!
Can you believe this tree! The Japanese Variegated Willow is beautiful but man can this thing spread!
I have flowers! The hanging Fuchsia had alreay bloomed, just waiting on the upright to join the party.
Who knew snails/slugs ate Edelweiss; thankfully, they leave the Nelke in peace.
The Bleeding Heart has flowered three times already and it’s winter-hard: yay!
Calla lily on the left was grown in my office, while the one on the right grew in the garden; the difference in health and happiness of the plant is so obvious. Poor thing is paler, limper, and more dependent than his brother. Think I’ll keep him home with me.
Most exciting news ever: my Peace Lily (3 years old) is flowering! It now resides in the Hibiscus pot (it died) and seems very happy in it’s shaded location under the tree.
Micro-green attempt: Basil and Cress. In the small pots are Celery seeds and a Glockenpaprika attempt.
My pink Lavender got a mulch bed because it’s in a clay pot, in direct heat, and overshadowed by the roof (no dripping rain). I’m hoping these precautions will provide a happy environment for it to grow and bloom; but I’m thinking this pot be too small.
Mittagsblume blooming!
Wild thyme is wildin’ out! 😀
Sternmoos is so cute with it’s tiny white flowers.
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Your garden looks terrific! It looks like you’re using every inch of space you have to make your world a little more colorful.
Oh, thanks so very much! Yes, it is a small garden and folks keep saying they’re amazed at how much is growing in there. My problem is ensuring that I don’t crowd the plants but I do push them to their limit and take advantage of every possible opportunity.
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!