My 2010 Spring Garden

Hey Guys! Wanna see what I've been up to lately? What on earth has kept me so busy that I have neglected my beloved blogging?

Welcome to my 2010 Spring Garden.

Pull up a patch of grass, and please don't mind the weeds! I am no gardening expert- and as with most things- I am pretty laid back. I garden for fun & relaxation (huh?!); as a way to beautify my home, an attempt to eat healthier; to have fun with my kids and to teach them about the cycles of nature first hand.

My garden is very modest, yet full of love and pride in the little bits that I can do.

This post was written in 2 parts (my apologies for any confusion.) The first part was written back in early March 2010- and the second part is my update from May 2010. Just think of it as the 'Before & After' tour of my Spring gardening endevors.

early MARCH 2010

Spring has sprung, and Mama Nature is in full force down here in So-Cal- it's all I can do to keep up with the yardwork, gardening & Spring Cleaning chores. (The above photo is the first ladybug visitor to our yard.)

(The garden in March- after I expanded it from the small flower & herb garden that it had been (on the far left); and dug new beds winding all the way down the side of my property.)

I have been trimming the trees, weeding the weeds & digging the flower and vegetable plots (both old & new) just as fast as I can. This is one of the main reasons that I have been staying off of the computer- I have been elbow deep in dirt instead!

So far, the front flower gardens are planted & the baby seedlings are starting to come up nicely, along with the usual & a few new friends for good measure. I'm going to have to replant a few that decided not to come up- I am just waiting to see if they are late starters, or just duds! This next pic is of the pink roses in the front- and the four legged is one of our cats, Gracie.Here's the laundry list of what I have planted, along with what I have growing already:

*red cluster geraniums*purple Martha Washington geraniums*white geraniums*

dusty miller*white irises**red & white varigated geraniums**blue & white morning glories*zinnias*cosmos*white jasmine* sunflowers*marigolds* sweet william*white alysum & gypsophila*red bottle brush bush...

the back has:

a ton of *red cluster geraniums* (my favorite year round color boosters!)*chocolate scented geraniums*lemon scented geraniums *red & white camellia bushes*

*yellow roses* ( 1st photo shows the first yellow rose of the season- March)

(bottom photo shows the same yellow rose bush in May)

*calla lillies* (may)

*lavender* (May) (I apologize for the sideways photos!)

*peppermint* (May)*chocolate mint*dark purple succulent rossettes* 2 types of thyme*garlic*

red and yellow onions*rosemary*basil* (May 2010)

regular russet & sweet potato vines*blue & white morning glories*white moonflowers*

*pink nakd lady lillies*a lemon tree start*a baby avacado tree* (photo taken May)

*various succulents- hens & chicks, aloe, etc.

*succlent bowl* ( top photo-before-March 2010)

*succulent bowl* (bottom photo- after- May 2010)

I am working on getting the rest of the vege seeds planted; which include:

*dark green zucchini squash* (seedling photo taken May)

* white & orange pumpkins* (seedling photo taken May) - & yes- I know he's wilting! I watered him right after this photo was taken.

table queen squash*little marvel & alaska peas*black beauty eggplant*lima beans*crimson giant radishes*danvers half long & chantenay carrots*bell peppers*

....and probably a few other additions by the time I'm thru! Lol.

So obviously, I have been a VERY busy Lady out in the yard lately.

May 2010...

Well... the gardens have gone through a whole 2 months of growth, as well as plenty of false starts, baby seedlings eaten by snails and other garden predators; and several rounds of replantings.

... the herb garden (on the right side) is begining to fill out; and the garlic & onions are fattening up. The flowers garden (on the left side) is going off. And I am still waiting for the vegetables that I planted to make an appearance. So far there are only a few seedlings.

Well Guys, that's about it for my little garden tour. Hopefully this month I can update you all with some more vegetable seedlings- and some photos of these veges as they mature.

Thanks for stopping by! ~Danae, aka Crafty