The last strawberry

This is mostly a new strawberry bed, although there were a few plants there from last year.  We have had several berries, but not enough to freeze, but I'm confident next year will be better.  I don't know what kind they are, I got them at Lowe's and they had 2-3 varieties and I got some of each.   There are runners galore and that is a pepper plant on the right planted at the edge. 

I'm thinking about moving them in the Fall to an area away from the main SFG boxes since I don't like devoting this much space to something that only bears in the Spring.  We'll see..........

They're everywhere, they're everywhere!!

It seems like that was a line from an old Ray Stevens song, but I'm not sure.

This is my 2 year old Triple Crown blackberry.  I can't believe there are so many baby berries & blooms on it.  I just hope nothing happens to them before they are ripe.  I have bird netting that I will be putting on them soon.  I am really excited about these.

I pruned it to about 4' late last summer & it really bushed out. 

Another beautiful day.

Today was a little cooler than the past few days, instead of around 90, today's high was only 73.  The skies were so clear and no smothering humidity, just a gorgeous day.  Vegetable gardening is boring right now since there are no weeds to pull in a square foot garden and everything is planted, I'm just waiting for more harvest.  In a few days I will need to re-tie my tomatoes since they are growing gangbusters, the pole beans are at the top of their trellis already.  I don't know what I will do about them, I may try trimming the tops of a few to see what happens.  They should begin to bloom soon.  I have a few lemon-sized tomatoes, but lots of blooms, plus some tomatoes that haven't started to bloom yet.   The pepper plants are slowly growing, the corn is close to knee-high.

This has been a crazy Spring and things are not as far along as last year:
May 17, 2010 corn: 

May 8, 2011 corn:

As you can see, quite a bit of difference, but this will come along fine & I expect a good harvest.

My new wind chimes!!!

I'm tickled pink with my new wind chimes from Dragon Wind Chimes that I received yesterday.  Karen is a stained glass artist and creates exquisite mosaic stained glass mirrors, birdhouse wind chimes and stained glass wind chimes.

My chimes have a wonderful tinkling sound, much nicer than the metal tube chimes, and are so soothing to listen to.

These are the ones I ordered:  

Here are some of her other designs:

Check out her web site at Dragon Wind Chimes and also and her store on Ebay.  I highly recommend her work, shipping was quick and the chimes were well packed.  Now, back out to the swing on the deck to enjoy.

May 8 update

Yesterday I tied my tomatoes & suckered them, planted a few more sweet potato slips.  I still have more to plant, but their roots aren't developed enough to go outside.  I planted two rose bushes, a deep lavender with a heavenly fragrance.  The label said "heritage rose", but I don't know what variety.  I'll have to do some research & compare pictures of blooms.  I also have a yellow one to plant, very pretty blooms, but absolutely no fragrance. 

I have been working quite a bit in my flower bed at the front of the house.  I have transplanted iris, day lilies, phlox, purple coneflower, pink pincushion flower, dahlias, physotegia and gladiolas.  I bought two pitiful clematis half price at Lowe's, but they do have signs of life, so hopefully they will take off & grow.

The strawberries have been ripening, but my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter has gotten most of those. 

Here are a few pictures I took this afternoon.

Overall view: 

 

POLE BEANS

 

CORN

TOMATOES

TOMATO BLOSSOMS

EGGPLANT THAT SURVIVED 34 DEGREES

Eggplants are supposed to be very tender, but I kept mine in the cold frame through the early spring & after I planted them into the garden we had temps down to 37 and 34 and it didn't seem to faze them at all.  This variety is Ping Tung.

The garden on May 3, 2011

Well, I'm still having fun.  I finally got around to taking some pictures this morning.  It was very overcast and I probably should have waited until the sun was out.

After the cabbage disaster last yea, DH constructed a screen cage for my cabbages and it is working much better.  It is a little too big at 8x4', should have been slightly less than 4x4 so it would fit inside the box instead of on top of the boards, but hey, it works.  The cabbage is just starting to head and no damage so far.