The flowers are growing well too

a light pink clematis

purple columbine  - I love the white centers against the dark purple

English daisy

 No idea what this ground cover is but it's cool

This bit of flox blooms later than my other flox and it's a richer pink too.

fringed parrot tulips out front 

I can't remember what this is called but I once knew the name

the last of my lavender flox 

My deep red parrot tulips are still in bloom out back - the benefit of living on a hillside

snow drop anemone 

something from the wildflower seed mix.  

wine and roses wigela - this is a bush and it is filling in a little better this year.

yellow columbine - this one is a little out of control now - arg

Out in the garden my vegetables are growing like crazy

It's amazing what a little heat will do.  I'm certain it's going to be a hot summer.

The jade bush beans are growing well.  One row this year verses 5.  I still have plenty canned.  This year I am trying to grow corn again.  It's been 3 years. We'll see if the wind blows them over this year or blows away the pollen before it has a chance to fall on the silks.

I LOVE the view from my garden.  Can you see the lake?  I'm enjoying it right now until someone builds.

Squash and lemon cucumbers.

My heirloom tomatoes look great for this early in the season! I usually don't take the walls of water off yet but they'd burn up this year if I didn't.

my trees

This is a photo of a peach in the teeny tiny baby stage.  It's just wonderful to see peaches actually growing again this year. It's an Early Elberta peach since I know some of you will ask.

These are baby apples from my gala apple tree.  I haven't thinned them yet.  They haven't been sprayed  so I don't know if I will expend the effort. Growing apples is new to me.  I would like to try some organic methods.  After having had cancer, traditional pesticides worry me.

Braeburn apple tree - no apples this year.

 A few more gala apples

 And one of 2 crab apples out front.

Alliums

My Alliums are just starting to lose their petals but they are still really pretty.  Those on the west side of the house are the largest.  Maybe it's the fertilizer I added for the burning bushes or maybe its the heat.

Red Seedless Grape vines - progress

This is the first year we've ever had baby grapes show up on our vines.  Well, let me rephrase that - VINE.  One vine in three has some baby grapes on it.  I love that the centers are red.  I really don't expect to eat any of these - I doubt the hoppers will let us.  Maybe when the vines are larger, we'll get to eat a few.  We are using the cordon system to trellis these.  I had to buy the vices online.  The wire is 9 guage maybe - don't quote me on that.  We'll add a second wire if they ever get tall enough.  It's ready for it - holes drilled and vices in place.  

Some more baby grapes on the same vine. 

After 5 years it's about time we saw some progress.  Our soil is terrible.  It's like a chalky cream color clay.  Any dark soil you see has been seriously amended.

And we are adding another cement pad.  I will not be supporting the actual tank but we tried just putting gravel here and all sorts of things grew in it.  So we'll be putting the cement down - moving the tank over it but the feet of the tank and the weight will be on the original cement pad.  We actually have 10 bags of cement mix but only a few are in the photo. Everything to the right is a lot that is unimproved and for sale.  

Oranges and a Shotgun...

This is from a recent weekend.  Most of the oranges didn't split like this but it was fun when this one did.  We had to get rid of them so we decided to have fun with them.

My vegetable garden in early spring 2013

My vegetable garden is doing well due to the early summer weather we are experiencing here.  The last few years it's been the 3rd week in June before I uncovered my tomatoes.  I do have the walls of water nearby just in case. But for now, we don't want to burn up the poor plants. The sun was just about to go behind the mountains and so I set my camera at f22 using aperture priority mode to get the sun flare.  Isn't it gorgeous! And it's real - no photoshop work here.

This is facing east of course and the peas are growing really well.  The kale is starting to take off.


The Optimum corn has sprouted and we'll see how it does. I've never grown it before.

 The green beans are looking good and soon to be thinned.

 

I still need to plant the peppers but they are enjoying a stay under the covered porch for now.

And I really need to thin the Little Finger Carrots.  They are so delicious. I don't think I will ever grow another variety of carrot - EVER!

 

Cherokee Purple, Pink Brandywine, Early Girl tomatoes

 

The vine crops all get to grow up and over these.  Lemon Cucumber. Jack Be little Pumpkins, zucchini, and squash.  If you've ever grown your own squash and then had to buy some in the grocery store, you know it just doesn't compare in taste or texture.


 The radishes are about done.  One at a time are being pulled and Kiwi and Mambo get to enjoy a fresh healthy treat just seconds after being picked.

 

I love the mountains and the view from my backyard.  It's just beautiful.

 

I called this craters of the moon flower bed.  Really though, my pumpkins are going to be sprouting in these hills in no time at all.

More sun flair.  What can I say?

Facing south - my garden and the alfalfa field.  Enjoy it while you can. They will be cutting it soon. whahhhhhh

My walls of water on stand by. The warm and protect my tomatoes until the weather cooperates enough to let them out.

 

Kiwi was trying out the kale while it was still attached to the plant.  You can see he is molting and he is getting some new feathers to fill in the damaged area.  He has chewed 2 of the new feathers but nothing like before.  Hopefully he'll let them all grow in and be done with chewing his feathers.

My herb garden progress

My chives are blossoming and they are much bigger and the colors are gorgeous this year.  I hear there are all sorts of things you can do with chive blossoms but I would rather just stare at them in delight!

Even the buds are beautiful!

The plant is much bigger this year.  This will be its third summer in my yard and what a difference! I love it.  I'm starting to think of other places where I could plant it.  Even when the blooms die back, it makes a great filler plant.

My oregano is doing well.  It's a perennial here in Utah and so I don't have to worry about it.  Every spring it just sprouts right out of the ground.  I'm about ready to cut off a few sprigs to dry and then grind up - I think it has a stronger flavor dried. 

Does garlic count as an herb?  I have no idea but I'm adding it to this post anyway because I use it to flavor my food.  The hard neck garlic is already waist high.  Pretty soon we'll be collecting the garlic scapes and roasting them with yukon gold potatoes. yum!

I really have two rows of garlic which is total overkill but I am going to use most of one row to replant for next year - and hopefully I can make myself stick to one row!