Mon Petit Potager

Here's a look at mon petit potager,

 or as we call it here in the South  - my little kitchen garden! 

It sounds so much fancier in French, doesn't it?

Anyway, it is a VERY little - teeny tiny kitchen garden. Despite its small stature - there is quite a bit packed into it. I'm getting pretty good at maximizing my space.

The old umbrella stand frame which has been re-purposed as a trellis is still holding up. A Georgia collard green is parked right behind it, and a few broccoli plants grow in an Earth box in front of it. There's also a dill plant tucked behind it.

Saturday was the first day we began eating our cucumbers. Love that fresh crisp flavor!

Big African Blue basil along with fennel can be seen in the background, while blueberries frame the side of this garden area. We have finished eating the tomatoes that made it through the winter and a Black Cherry tomato is working on setting fruit.

At the far right end of this space we are growing Sugar Snap peas, garlic chives, two green pepper plants and some Dinosaur kale among the salvia and roses. 

Between the two sides of the kitchen garden grows a dwarf mulberry which is in full production right now. Each  morning I pick around 10 to 12 tasty little berries. The nice benefit of the dwarf tree is that it will produce 1 to 2 more crops this year.

 On the opposite side of the pathway I have Swiss chard growing on my patio area, as well as parsley and some bush beans tucked in among the perennial plants that border the patio. I am working on new ideas for growing more veggies vertically this coming autumn. Might even purchase one of those hydroponic grow towers. I've got to get creative in this small space.

And, lastly, I'm delighted to report that the pumpkin vine is making a comeback (from this past autumn's pumpkin harvest) again this year. I've already attached it to the top of the fence, and now it is free to grow to its hearts content. Not too bad for a petit potager!!!

One Last Look at Spring

Since summer is coming in like a lion this week, I figured I better post the last of my spring pics. It was a good spring for amaryllis, and I really do love their bold and beautiful flowers.

These two (1st and 2nd photo) are from the garden of Rosemary, who was my babysitter when I was 2 years old.

This one from my Aunt Erna's garden.

 And, this unusual one is from an old neighbor when I lived in Lakeland. All of them are very pretty and carry special memories of the gardeners from which they came. 

Gerbera Daisies have such a sweet little look about them, don't you think? I picked this one up on the sale rack of a local store and am enjoying the last of the blooms on it before I plant it in the garden. And, speaking of planting it in the garden - the garden is getting amazingly quite full these days. I'll save more on that for another day!!!

Lastly, two of my FAVORITE plant combinations in the garden, and it only happens in spring. The Knock-out rose and the English Dogwood make a great looking couple! These two plants were made for each other. The rose will continue to bloom but will have to do so without the exceptional background of the English Dogwood since it only blooms in spring.

The blooms on the English Dogwood are stunning. I can't quit looking at them. Every time I'm outside, I just stand there and stare. They're so simple, yet dazzling. They look like they would be fragrant, but they're not. It's a great plant that my neighbor in Lakeland also shared with me. Thank you Nancy!!!!

But alas, spring is slipping away and summer is roaring in like it always does around this time of year. The wonderfully cool mornings are beginning to feel a little more humid, and the afternoon sun is roasting tree-less yards while we wait and pray for June rains.

Odd Couples in the Garden

As I sat on the back porch one morning, a familiar loud bird call caught my attention. I searched the trees in anticipation of a chance to see a magnificent prehistoric looking bird. Aww, there he was! Clinging to the side of an old dead tree snag in the vacant lot next to me. I never tire of seeing a Pileated Woodpecker.

He was busy chopping away at the tree bark with that large beak of his. Big chips of wood were flying through the air left and right as he worked to find a few tasty bugs.

 I saw another bird swoop in and was surprised to see that it was a Red-bellied woodpecker and not his mate. How cool it is to capture this odd couple in a photo together. 

The next 'odd couple' I discovered in the garden is REALLY odd! I moved my blue bottles (my version of a Southern blue bottle tree) to a new location right outside the breakfast nook window. 

Soon after relocating them, I would look out the window and see this dark brown lizard sitting on top of the bottle. The bottles catch my eye when I walk between the nook and kitchen, and sure enough, every time I walk by, this little guy is sunning himself. After a while it got to be hilarious! He even refused to leave when I went outside and took a photo of him. I guess he's taken a fancy to this pretty blue bottle and has claimed it as his own.

Wildlife in the garden can be very entertaining except for the two black Racer snakes that I saw chasing each other. I hope they're not planning on making a nest in my garden!!! 

Heavenly Scents

Not only is the garden filled with beautiful spring flowers, it's also filled with the scent of subtle and strong fragrance these days. As I walk through the garden I can pick up varying degrees of scents - some earthy, some subtle and others filling the night air with heavy fragrance.

The Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant is one of the more subtle scents which is a good thing because it emits a low, earthy musk scent that is not appealing to everyone. You have to be near this plant to pick up the scent. It's not one of my favorite scents, but I like it because it is different.

The roses bloom beautifully and with ease in the perfect spring weather. Angel Face is one that I collected from my Aunt Erna's garden when she passed away.

The Red Knock-outs are a no-fail, easy to grow, unfussy rose that rewards its owner year round.

One of my favorites is Confederate Jasmine. I have this vine growing on all 4 sides of my home and I love being surrounded by this wonderfully intoxicating scent. I wish it bloomed year round.

  A close cousin, the Night Blooming Jasmine is also blooming, and it has a wonderful scent, too.

Sweet Almond scents the garden throughout the year. 

Don Juan, another one of my aunt's roses, has a fruity scent.

The Pink Knock-out is another sweet smelling winner. 

I saved the most fragrant plant in the garden for last. This one single apricot Angel Trumpet turned into

a choir of heavenly scent! 

You can almost get drunk on the heavy evening scent of these blooms. It is a distinctive scent that is very recognizable. These days I stroll through my garden several times a day - enjoying the last remaining weeks of pleasant spring weather and breathing deeply the scents that surround me. In the evening I sit on the patio until dark, enjoy the heavy fragrance from the Angel Trumpet that dominates the garden. 

I don't want spring to end!!!

This Week in the Garden

This morning I saw a wonderful thing! Daddy Cardinal brought one of his young uns' to my garden to show him where the food is. After feeding him a safflower seed, the little one followed him to the feeder where they ate breakfast. Dad then flew to the fountain to show him where to get a drink of water. That's the first time I've ever seen that, and I was so in awe of it all that by the time I got my camera they were gone. You can bet that I'll have my camera ready tomorrow!!!!

A new bloom in my garden. This little red hummingbird plant (can't remember the  name) is a shade specimen. It grows to about 3' tall with a loose habit. It very much reminds me of the Firespike plant. What do you think of my purple and red combo? I love using bold colors together that you wouldn't expect. Another favorite color combo is burgundy and apricot.

Finally, caterpillars are taking advantage of two large parsley plants in the garden.

 While I do love having fresh parsley available, I really planted them for the caterpillars to devour.

This red epidendrum orchid is really showing off in the garden these days. They are so easy to grow and once they start blooming, it's non-stop for at least 9 months. They delight in our full summer sun and humidity. 

Here's a close-up view of one of the red balls of fire!

The weatherman promises rain this week. We shall see! Hoping that a healthy dose of it falls on your garden this week!

It's All About the Roses

While there are many Spring blooms happening in my garden this week, it's becoming very apparent that the next 2 weeks are going to be "all about the roses!"

Everyone who grows roses in Florida knows they are prolific bloomers and they produce the largest blooms in Spring and Autumn due to the warm but mild temperatures. Unfortunately, the summer heat puts a damper on the whole bloom process. But not to complain, because they make up for it in spring, autumn and winter, which all together is as long as summer.

 Don Juan pictured above

 In the front yard the Double Pink Knock-out is the first to get the show started. By autumn she will be 5' tall and covered in roses.

In the backyard her cousin the Double Red Knock-out is not far behind her. She, too, will be coming in around 5' tall by autumn. I have 3 of these (2 new and very small ones) planted near each other and can't wait to see their autumn display (there I go being impatient again). 

One of my old time favorites is Sombreuil. She's a bit behind due to a more radical spring trimming. This French beauty is loaded with buds!

Every garden in Florida should have this Louis Philippe a/k/a Cracker Rose. He's easy to grow and is the most carefree, large growing and practically thornless rose around. He sits below the patio wall but by Summer I'll be enjoying his blooms from inside the house.

Not to be left out by the show-stealing big roses, the "little but mighty" Drift roses are making their own statement.

I was able to find a place for the 9 roses bushes that I brought from my previous garden, PLUS find room for 3 full-size roses and 12 Drift roses in my petit' space. Happy? Yes, I am !!!!

Oh, How I Love Spring!

Oh, I dearly do love spring. 

Let me count the ways . . .

How about you?

What's blooming in your spring garden?