June garden check-in
The slow start to the growing season up here never ceases to surprise me! The “knee-high by July” wisdom just does not hold for us.
Most things are coming along just fine, but it’s still far from Garden Green. I actually think the only June garden we have ever had up here that was really taking off in June was the very first one we planted. And that was a complete fluke! Not knowing any better (and coming from the South) we planted everything at the end of March! When I came to work that Monday my coworkers informed me that I had made a terrible mistake - Spokane weather requires waiting until mid-May at the earliest. It just so happened that THAT year we had amazingly mild spring weather and no frosts at all. Since then I can see why they were so shocked - it really takes a long time to warm up in the Inland Northwest. And add a little more for our additional Green Bluff elevation!
The herbs in Montana’s beautiful herb circle (spiral actually) came back in full force. That purple thyme is particularly lovely. The dill to the left is particularly ugly.
View from the other side. Hello there, Garden Goose!
Two random wooden barrels with several more perennial herbs. These guys don’t even get watered regularly!
Yarrow takes center stage on this miscellaneous flower bed. I planted coreopsis in here this year (the bright green smaller plants), but they apparently won’t flower until NEXT year.
This bed has zinnias and LOTS of overplanted morning glories along the trellis so that it grows nice and thick (by September!) The zinnia germination has been really hit or miss this year. That’s why they are so many different sizes, subsequently replantings.
Our own little strawberry bed. We need to eat those red ones before the birds do it for us.
This is a bed of beets, some red, some golden. Like the zinnias, spotty germination led to some late plantings in spots that did not sprout.
These will be bachelor buttons, a really neat strawflower-type of plant. The randome wide-leaf plants along the edges are self-seeded borage, my favorite plant. It is ALL OVER the garden. Montana is kind and tries to leave as many of them as possible, but they are ferocious. She was not happy when I told her I actually ordered borage seeds and planted some in the in-ground beds.
Grapes are still alive! Almost ready to be attached to the guide fence.
Purchased a new (old) metal garden table at an antiques show in Idaho with Montana last weekend. Haven’t decided what color to spray paint it just yet. The prior (wooden) table was lovely and rustic and absolutely falling apart in the weather. So we relegated it to the chicken run! Sammy the goat was mad we didn’t let him eat it.
Just a few little miscellaneous lettuce plants in a small space between beds. The red plants along the right are a plant Montana has been trying to grow for years, its name slips my mind. She is pretty excited it finally sprouted in this spot this year!
Baby tomatoes, cucs, miscellaneous flowers. At the far end is Elijah’s pepper garden.
Pole beans and marigolds on this side. Marigolds were seeds saved from last year with the same spotty germination. I replanted a bunch about a week ago, so we will see.
I hope you like potatoes!
Asparagus ferns all gone to seed. Next year the crop should be pretty good (it’ll be Year 3).
Greenhouse is really a potting shed, but it’s so cute. It’s also about 150 degrees in here!
