Friends in the Garden

I've spent a good deal of time this week/weekend in the garden. While there isn't much growing (yet) it's still quite a lovely place to be.

As I've spent more time sitting outside, I've noticed just how many different birds there are singing & dawdling around the garden. The one that's really caught by heart though is the hummingbird.  There are at least two (I've seen them together) and they are colored differently. Perhaps they are friends...or mates?

This little guy was enjoying my lavender topiary this morning. He only stayed around long enough for one quick shot.

My garden all started in early January with a Passion fruit vine (Passiflora edulis "Nancy Garrison").  I do not have much of a green thumb (although I am working hard to train it in that direction), so after being in the ground for a week or two it was starting to look kind of rough. 

I thought it was maybe the cold snap we had...or that something was attacking its roots. I was a worried plant mama.

One day, Emma (my business partner), came by the house and took a look at the vine. She said that all she thought that it needed was a long soak with the hose. We immediately turned on the faucet and let it get a nice long drink.

Ever since, I've been giving my vine lots of water. I also added a bit of fertilizer and organic mulch so that it would stay moist longer.

Overall, it still looks a bit scraggly but there are signs of new life on the vine. Little leaves are sprouting out in many places...promises of future growth!

I look forward to the day that this vine has so much growth that it covers our ugly fence. Until then, I will take the small victories and try to keep it alive.

The seeds that I ordered online (all but one) came this week in the mail!! I'm trying my hand at lots of varieties of poppies, as well as some other beautiful varieties. From my research, I learned that you want to scatter poppy seeds early in the season (or even the previous fall) in order for them to germinate. They don't like to be transplanted or grown in pots...so this seemed like the only option.

I prioritized my poppy plantings first so that I could get them off and running. My first batch was planted on 2/5/13, so 5 days ago. It will be interesting to see when & if they sprout. My worst fear is that nothing happens or that birds have eaten all of my seeds (since you don't sow them but on the surface, they are susceptible to that). Only time will tell.

So far, I've managed to plant up about 1/3 of my "little garden" (the one behind the garage). You can see above that I've staked off where I've sprinkled seeds so that I can keep track and not over plant (haha...as if--with my luck, nothing will grow). I like that there are a few plants anchoring the bed (so far 2 scented geranium and 1 current bush). 

The other project I took on this weekend was setting up a raised bed. I will be sure to share images as I have them. I really think that it helps define the space & will be good since there is a weird, huge root running through that side of the bed.

I am excited to also try experimenting with propagating in the future (geraniums, lavender, succulents, my current bush)! Who doesn't like free plants?

Speaking of free plants, I am very lucky to have inherited this Yellow Jessamine vine with the house. It really wasn't anything at all to look at a month or so ago but has recently bursted into color. It also smells divine, sort of like jasmine but different.

The hummingbirds love this bad boy too! The blooms are fairly small but there are so many on each branch, the whole thing looks canary yellow from a distance.

That's my snapshot of the progress so far here. I welcome any suggestions or tips that you may have for my little outdoor space.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

xo

Bailey