Can't believe it is July already!


silk road lilies leaned forward to bloom instead of upright as the usually are.



the driveway



the slope



the front


the terraces


eyes a blue



tikal maid


sweet isabela

very nice. your photos are always beautiful

Everytime I look at your garden I think I need to get out of the south and tour the north, beautiful place Rita.

LOVELY!

Thank you both. It took me years and years and years to get the garden to where it is now. And of course a garden is never finished.

aaron brown


always applique


antique rose


arnolds daughter


flamenco christmas



forever rosemary



cheddar cheeze and forty carots



lotus position


lunar empire ffo

Lotus position is very pretty!!!

I really like Aaron Brown. Do you mind sharing where you got him from???

Oh yes, your Silk Lilies are stunning. With that many, even me and my really weak nose could probably smell them. To me, lilies have the most awesome aroma. Of course, I'm sure my memory of the aroma is probably better than real, but that's all I have. Sometimes the lack of the sense of smell really sucks!

Thanks guys!

Mona, I got AARON BROWN direcxtly from Don Herr the hybidizer. But I have seen it on the Lily Auction. As to the lilies that entire side of the yard smells really nice!

First tomato testing reports are in!!!

I just had my first tomato taste testings. 2 fully ripe tomatoes from plant just marked "grape". The tomatoes were fully round so look like typical cherry tomatoes so I am wondering if the plant was mismarked. Tasted like typical supermarket cherry tomatoes that you buy in the winter. Bland. Will not be getting that again next year.

Meanwhile I also had three SUNGOLD that I purposfully left on the vine longer so as to be sure they are ripe. Never had golden tomatoes so wanted to be sure thay were ripe. OH MY!!!!! Taste just explodes in your mouth. WOW. Could have eaten lots more of those and I only have the one SUNGOLD plant.

Also ate the first two FOURTH OF JULY tomatoes. Small tomatoes the size of golf balls. Flavor very bland, nothing special. Other tomatoes from these plants better impress me more than this or FORTH OF JULY will not be back next year.

I have lots of green tomatoes set on my other plants. So far just by looking, the MORTGSAGE LIFTER that I tried again this year has hardly any fruit and I had better show me something. I doubt I will ever have that one in the garden again. My other heirloom type, CHEROKEE PURPLE is doing very well. Nice plant and good fruit set. This is the first time for CHEROKEE PURPLE for me but I wish I had planted more than one. Will plant more next year!

JULIET GRAPE tomatoes setting fruit but not heavily like SUNGOLD. I think this is problably because the four Juliet plants are not in the best location. Not a big deal as I figgure they should still be able to produce plenty.

Other tomatoes all with green fruits. One plant called SUPER FANTASTIC (new to me this year) is really looking good with lots of fruit set. I hope these taste great because I am very impressed by the plant and fruit set.

New to me PATIO tomato in a container this year. Plant about three feet tall loaded with fruit. Also in a container is BETTER BUSH a short plant about 20 inches tall. Again heavy fruit set. I hope both of these taste good as I like the plants and fruit set with the perfect looking fruit.

I like Antique Rose best of this group.

Awright, Rita! I have heard Sungold is right tasty. Good to have an independent report confirmation.

The usual pictures this time of the backyard.









I have read lots of rave reviews about Sungold so I wasn't surprised!

This morning first thing I did in the garden was water my tomatoes with an Epson Salt solution. Don't want blossom end rot. Don't have it but don't want it. The porch tomatoes are like trees. I have to look UP at the tops of them. I did the follier feeding by going up on the porch, leaning over the railing and dousing the tomato leaves with the sprinkle from the watering can. Even so they are up as far as the porch railing and you have to go up five steps from ground level to the porch.

Epsom Salt also greens up leaves. This is the first time I have tried it but I know it gets rave reviews from the veggie gardening forums.

I found your tomato report very interesting. I'll put the Sungold tomatoes on my list for next year.

I doubt there are very many people that wouldn't like SUNGOLD. .

I have lots of green fruits and not small ones either. I mean I do have small ones but also nice sized fruit already. I am anxious to see how big the BEEFMASTER will actually get. A big beefsteak type, I have never had them before. I have 6 BEEFMASTER, 2 BETTER BOY and 1 MORTGAGE LIFTER there in front of the porch railings were those tomatoes are big as trees. There will be more tomato reports as things progress.

Long beans here are looking good but no blooms yet. Growing well though.

I did eat a few of my SALAD BUSH Cucumbers already but after the inground cukes start to poduce I will probably have to accost people walking down the street to give them away, I have so many planted this year.

I've got Sun Gold this year for the first time and I'll get forever if I can find one somewhere. They are fantastic. I also have a red, more oblong than SG that's covered also. It is one that comes up all over the compost piles for the last 3 years and I always pot up some until time to put them out. this year I had 4 plants in a 3 gallon pot and put them in the ground the first of May. It's covered with bright red little tomatos. I don't remember the name, but they are great and free!!

I bought another Cheorkee Purple but it died again this year just like last year. It gets about 3 foot tall and covered with tomatos and starts dieing branch by branch and I never get a ripe tomato. I guess it's just not suited for my garden.

I guess I just need to stick with the little ones, I love them and they grow great!

Rita, if there is a food bank or other community non-profit that you like in your area, I bet those cukes would find a good home.

Mona, this is the first year I am growing CHERPKEE PURPLE. But so far so good.

Debra, I will have to look into that.

Gorgeous blooms, Rita. Really love your SWEET ISABELLA, ANTIQUE ROSE, LOTUS POSITION and LUNAR EMPIRE!

doc webster


david arthur


count it all joy


cherrystone


asgards cover girl


arrikis sunset


olallie all summer


westbourne milk k orange



westbourne whipperwhill call


westbourne bubbling over


watermelon luminosity

Thanks Betty! Things are blooming like crazy here now.