tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238989492012-02-16T08:33:57.268-08:00Petunia is the garter snake that moved into our vegetable garden in its early days. This space shares the ever-evolving garden along with some excursions beyond the fence.Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.comBlogger5961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-72697307520541790832012-02-10T07:30:00.000-08:002012-02-10T07:30:03.880-08:00

A rose in DH parents' Arizona garden on January 1, 2012.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-59649579693348501512012-02-08T19:00:00.000-08:002012-02-08T19:00:02.762-08:00

I see I'm not the first to find the blooming heather. 

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-48223012938329076682012-02-07T08:30:00.000-08:002012-02-07T08:30:00.535-08:00

Saturday's sky over Petunia's Garden.  The benefit of a garden blog is looking back at prior years.  After two years 'on-hold,' do I have this June garden to look forward to again?  And Sunflowers and pumpkins and green (or purple) beans. Thanks to Coffee Bag Mulch Magic  the main garden rows will be ready for spring with only a little preparation.  Those are iris leaves flopped on the

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-62686063604070641242012-02-05T16:48:00.000-08:002012-02-05T16:48:19.472-08:00

DH had a report that his geocache could not be found so we went to check on it.  There was so much debris in the area, even he couldn't find it at first.  Geocache containers in the NW have a constant battle with moisture problems.  You know he found it in a sad state when he decided to bring it home and dry it out. This is a side / horse trail we were on.  The main walking/biking path was

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-40616636516221525232012-02-04T16:50:00.000-08:002012-02-04T16:52:03.561-08:00

We had nice weather today to do some bad weather clean up.  The snow and ice in January did a lot of damage to the trees at our house and along our little road.  It will take years for the ornamental cherry trees to recover, but we don't think we'll have to remove any of them.  We do have a number of other trees that didn't survive. To see what they look like in the spring, go to this Link to

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-66137118331786617362011-10-09T21:25:00.000-07:002011-10-09T21:25:30.108-07:00

You know you are missing your fall garden, when your special treat (for doing stuff you don't like) is stopping at the fresh veggie market for a pumpkin to cook.  And a few other fall friends.  It took a lot of effort to resist many other items, at least for this trip. I did pick the largest tomato ever from the garden this week.  But that's partly because I had been traveling for 2 weeks and

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 Here we are with a feet meet-up shot in Matron's own London garden!   How could it be four years ago that we did this shot in my Washington state garden?   Thanks to Matron, her Mom and Leo the lab for hosting us.  We had a garden tour and tomato tastings, then fish and chips with mushy peas, followed by seed bin tour.   See her shot and more about Leo's gardening here.  Thanks for an enjoyable

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-4768152163143749962011-08-19T21:08:00.000-07:002011-08-21T20:15:00.880-07:00

I visited my friends in Kansas and enjoyed cantaloupe, watermelon and tomatoes from their garden.  Went to the Keith Urban and Jake Owen concert, Wichita, KS  August 16, 2011.  Front row seats we didn't know about until we got there (not that we did any sitting)!  Way to go on getting these tickets, you Keith fan. And met little kitties, Misty and Bandit.  Plus a sunny day at the water park

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I had a brave moment and visited my neglected garden.  Happily, I found it was a buzz of activity.  The bees are enjoying the borage (above) and anise hyssop (below).  I assume Petunia (the snake) and cousins are appreciating that I'm not disturbing them too much (see Petunia's Condo link here).  I haven't seen any snakes around the place this year, though.  I'm really looking forward to our

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I unboxed and washed my Grandma's tea set.   Washing the last piece, the teapot, I realized I was washing them in her old dish pan, too.  This immediately took me back to many hot Kansas summer days standing at her kitchen sink using the same dish pan.  And sitting out under the big shade tree for the afternoon.  She's been gone for 23 years.     Here is the rest of the tea set.  It has moved

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DH thinks I won't see his new place in the kitchen to keep his sunglasses.   At least he'll be able to find in them when we head out soon to enjoy this sunny 4th.  Wishing you a sunny day where ever you are too.  

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I found so many volunteer foxglove-like seedlings around the yard and garden, I was starting to wonder if they were really a weed.  I'm glad I didn't pull them all. 

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OK - Others have done it.  I can too - it's time to share the ugly truth.  Here is the state of two of the vegetable beds. They haven't had attention since last summer.   I had delayed doing anything as I didn't know where to start recovery, or when.   Finally, I thought about how we started our garden  - weed blocking/mulching.     1st - Shorten the weeds/grass.  I asked (bribed) DH to

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It was warm enough for the first of the actual gardening tonight.  Thanks for the tomatoes, Jeanne! Instead of a garden update, though, we have a critter update.  Not Petunia, but these little spiders.   And where are they living?  In the critter hotel that sits along the fence line by the garden.  The recycled planter boxes are my solution to a "green roof." Two other boxes form one of the 

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-73719071289549795432011-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:002011-01-24T11:00:01.899-08:00

This was the garden on Saturday, after no garden tending for months and months.  The wind blew down the climbing bean structure and I'd never trimmed up the flower and herb stalks or taken down the peas and tomato supports.   I didn't know when I'd have time to do what needed done, so hadn't started. But, then I decided I could put the greenhouse panels back in place while it wasn't raining. 

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Winter winds took out a number of the greenhouse panels. There hasn't been the time or the weather to get them back in place. With the interruptions last year, I'm more than ready for a fresh start to the garden. This is a good place to begin.Fortunately, the panels were not destroyed. I collected them, and all the little clips that hold them in place (most of the time), and they are in my part

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-52301785382515113082010-12-23T18:51:00.000-08:002010-12-23T18:56:06.610-08:00

With the 2010 garden-lite season, I'm down to my last pumpkin. DH doesn't eat pumpkin, but my Mother and her neighbor have already been clear about pumpkin pie expectations for Christmas. Cooking this one... and planning for the full garden / pumpkin patch experience for the 2011 garden.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-15616796137773441142010-12-21T18:46:00.000-08:002010-12-23T18:50:26.332-08:00

No, not today. This is to remind me of the Nov 22/23, 2010 weather event. Still had the patio table out, as you can see. I liked the way the snow collected on the chair arms. Hope that's it for the winter, though!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-10570577780554683012010-11-21T17:09:00.000-08:002010-11-21T17:15:19.210-08:00

Earlier today, the only place accumulating the light snow was the catnip growing behind the garage. Now, however, I see the patio table is collecting it. Hope it isn't too scary by morning.This is after the wind came through on Monday evening and removed leaves and limbs from trees and panels from greenhouses.

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Along with the rest of the garden, the pumpkin patch was on its own this year. No weeding, no watering. Two pie pumpkins make it through. We have been having some frosts, so tonight, these guys where harvested just in time to do their duty on the front steps...even if it is just us who will see them! Our sweet neighbors already "treated" us with goodies, before the pumpkins make it out.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-86319327162440758642010-10-16T09:02:00.000-07:002010-10-16T09:14:47.969-07:00

Looked out the window this morning to see frost out on the grass. And in the garden. Guess the trees will really start showing their fall colors now.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-12306435856612646232010-10-05T11:08:00.000-07:002010-10-05T12:07:40.805-07:00

Nothing quite like that first cup of coffee at home after a vacation... here, in a cup found at Memento Park in Budapest.We've had lots of moving history, beautiful sights, good food and drink in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.Now a beautiful day here at home. Me and my cup of coffee will now go tour the jungle formerly known as Petunia's Garden.

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What a nice surprise to finally slink out to the garden and find a little dinner (some weeks ago). Without watering (or rain) the beans are not so prolific, especially the runner beans. These purple climbing beans have produced just enough for dinner now and then. The tomatoes probably had too much shade from giant hyssop plants and not enough water for a bumper crop.I cannot complain. I've

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-22521298738618853972010-07-27T20:24:00.000-07:002010-07-27T20:28:45.433-07:00

Yeah! The beans are climbing out of the garden chaos. Now for the race to the top!And we have had a Petunia (snake) sighting in the garden. I just hope she doesn't venture to the pond where the little frogs are sometimes venturing out of the water.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-73549870083465918382010-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:002010-07-05T18:34:11.901-07:00

The new residents have been in the garden with me. It didn't take old Missouri long to find the catnip in the garden. He is around 17 years and doesn't seem to see well. Try to keep him in sight, though, and he is gone in a flash! He seems to remember how to find the garage door, at least. The beans are starting to reach the bean climber. Really, this is the last year for the now wobbly bean

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-78325275824448472062010-07-01T16:46:00.000-07:002010-07-01T17:01:04.058-07:00

One of the things I brought back from Kansas is this lightweight, but sturdy, dolly/hand truck. Pretty sure my dad had made it about 40 years ago (but not for a garden). As you can see, it is just the thing for moving the window cloches I like. They are heavy and awkward to carry but now I'm set!It was time to move the cloches from the tomatoes and thin out the borage. All four tomatoes had

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-82453317400925139042010-06-28T19:27:00.000-07:002010-06-28T19:43:16.426-07:00

I'm back in Washington after two plus weeks. And I've returned with possible new garden assistants! My Mom, her three pets and I just drove the 1,800+ miles from Kansas to Washington. Her household stuff for her apartment won't arrive until later this week.I suggested some garden work until then, but she isn't convinced it is warm enough outside (I'm happy about that after enduring days of near

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-59878836360195979212010-05-25T20:13:00.000-07:002010-05-25T21:02:37.483-07:00

Things are moving along even if I'm not keeping up with them:Many, many tadpoles in the pondTomato plants are in the garden, under window frame clochesPeas are growingBroccoli seedlings sproutedLettuce seedlings sproutedChard seedlings sproutedPumpkin & squash seeds plantedReally need to plant the beans, carrots and beetsHedgerow plantings are growing, although hard to visualize it as a

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-16074985194406267972010-05-09T09:10:00.000-07:002010-05-09T09:15:03.555-07:00

I'm back from another Kansas family excursion.Anyone looking for a house just east of Wichita on an acre of fine Kansas soil?

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-73901782454147144672010-04-18T19:00:00.000-07:002010-04-18T19:06:31.191-07:00

All the singing going on every night as paid off. Pacific tree frog eggs are in the pond. There are several clusters along plant stems just underwater. The darker green area, in the photo, is the reflection of the leaf above the water. There are five or maybe six frogs in the little garden pond. I was starting to worry that they were all males, by the amount of singing going on!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-80598930637700457502010-04-11T20:54:00.000-07:002010-04-11T21:17:28.245-07:00

I had an audience today while I did a refresh to the garden bed around the pond. I think they are both Pacific Tree Frogs. But check out their differences, below... We've been able to see the big guy on the right from the house window...Especially when he starts croaking like he is here in the photo. He's usually on the log floating in the pond.Here is the link to their baby pictures.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-43692927903698149892010-04-05T20:17:00.000-07:002010-04-05T20:31:24.306-07:00

Here's the only baby tomato that sprouted so far. I think I need to move to round two with the seeds. The peas were also being stubborn. Brought them in to the house, from the garage and now several more have sprouted. I hope to keep them safe from my indoor garden pest... and then get the peas in the garden very soon.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-21074411317085504752010-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:34:49.161-07:00

I was near North Bend this weekend and spotted this Salmonberry in bloom. Until I looked up the flower, I thought it was one of shrubs from our tree & shrub seedling order (from King Co. Conservation District sale). It's not, but I'll have other flowers from the seedlings I planted. Yeah! They are all planted now. They've gone into a hedgerow in the making and other spots around the place.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-2792207768552704972010-03-07T19:55:00.000-08:002010-04-11T21:19:56.777-07:00

The 2010 gardening plan is starting to take shape. Here's the list in progress. I'll be adding notes and making changes as needed. Some new seeds, some old seeds.In an effort to have a rotation plan, I've assigned numbers to groups of plants that will rotate together (roughly). We will see...Vegetables:tbd ~ Okra-Star of David ( first time I'll try it here in WA!)1a~Cucumbers-Marketmore 97,

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Wow - I've been out of touch. I just realized there is a Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk (and Eat) event tomorrow at 11 am !See Karen's SAGBUTT post for the details.And see the SAGBUTT Group link for my prior posts about our adventures.Yeah! Welcome to the 2010 garden season!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-56889831273752950232010-02-14T22:02:00.000-08:002010-02-14T22:03:35.939-08:00

It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day Feb. 15th. You can find links to blooms around the world at Carol's Bloom Day post at her blog May Dreams Gardens. Here is what I found at Petunia's Garden:We've had some mild weather and blooms are running a little early. Above, the neighbor's old wild or ornamental plum tree is starting to bloom. Forsythia. Some snowdrops survived in the area where we had a

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-52108800524993092132010-02-14T13:47:00.001-08:002010-02-14T13:55:29.489-08:00

Both me, and some sprouts: I was out of town Jan 30-Feb 7 and then had a visitor Feb 7 until today. The chives are loving the mild weather. The visitor wasn't so crazy about the rain (even with the sun breaks). Above, are some lettuce seedlings from a greenhouse planting in late January.Is this a sunflower seedling? It is in the greenhouse, also. I got in the King County Conservation

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It's time to order seeds and seedlings and I don't have my list finalized, as usual. I'm going to have some busy weeks coming up and if I don't get it done now, it won't happen.In addition to Petunia's Garden vegetables, we are continuing to plant assorted tree and shrub seedlings on a hillside and have plans for a hedgerow effect in a few other places.For seedlings, there are some nice

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-18824768593951916542010-01-15T18:08:00.000-08:002010-01-15T19:04:44.413-08:00

I haven't made a pumpkin pie yet this winter. Must do something about that!I did bake this guy and made Honey Pumpkin Butter. It's all gone now. Time to bake another. This is a small sugar pumpkin who lost his stem during harvest.

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For trimming blackberry thickets, rather than picking them, a nice day in January is just the thing. The green canes are quite noticeable and there isn't so much growth to fight through. I leave some growing, but try to keep them from taking over everything in sight.In the photo, above, you can see a long green cane going up through the tree, well over my head. These canes can over take tree

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-43038214444951754342010-01-03T17:36:00.000-08:002010-01-03T17:57:17.576-08:00

Here is the garden, yesterday, after the shadows had set in. A lot of the flower seed heads are still in place and we've seen birds regularly passing through and picking seeds. Here is the bit tidier January 2009 photo. Click on the label, below, to see other monthly photos. I did find a few green spots as I toured around... Above, feverfew is sprouting. It moved into my garden as small

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Our annual New Year's Day geocaching excursion was rained out yesterday. We made it to one, and unsuccessfully searched for another. It was just too wet for our liking.That's okay. DH only had to look as far as his favorite geocaching bag to find several travel bugs he forgot about. (Guess this means I can start re-giving him presents and he won't notice...) So, he is getting them logged and

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Best wishes for 2010to you, your family and your garden! I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed (needed) that first cup of coffee in 2010! Even so, it was well worth it to see the old year out and the new year in with friends.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-8862751558470668842009-12-29T16:39:00.000-08:002010-01-01T16:50:47.995-08:00

We were in Arizona for Christmas and passed by this guy almost daily. Roses, blooming rosemary, bees, blue sky and almost no rain... we definitely knew we were not in Washington. Nice to see you in person, you family members who might be lurking here at Petunia's Garden!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-28922189735968955092009-12-24T20:04:00.000-08:002009-12-24T20:16:02.446-08:00

O little tree! O little tree!One day you'll be a Christmas tree...May your hopes and dreams come true!Merry Christmasfrom all of us at Petunia's Garden

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It has been a cold December, but at least also rather dry. Now, it is a little warmer.... and snowing!This photo is the little bubbler in the small garden pond today. It is still bubbling under the ice dome covering. As long it keeps a little area of water unfrozen, the birds are happy.

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The leaves have been beautiful this year. We had enough on the ground that we thought it was time to collect them and tuck them in for some garden composting. Finally, we thought Saturday was the day. We put the catchers on the lawn mover and gave it a shot. Unfortunately, they were too wet from the week of rain. The last couple days won't help, either. We'll try again. Meanwhile, we

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-73500865198695804662009-11-01T14:53:00.000-08:002009-11-01T15:31:43.542-08:00

It would have been a fine day for a little garden tending. It was only to the bench that I made it, though. A little viewing of the fall colors everywhere. No trimming or mulching. At least I'm on the better side of some little bug. How much I appreciate the views from the windows looking out now!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-49401840487987523872009-10-26T21:21:00.000-07:002009-10-26T21:35:55.990-07:00

There is evidence we've had some deer sized guests. I decided against posting the FIRST evidence I found (on the ground).Now they are just getting careless! There are hoof prints at the bottom of the photo, a partially eaten apple to the right, and oh, yes, the broken birdbath/planter! We're heard a doe & a buck have been sighted.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-8006253198580184452009-10-18T22:03:00.000-07:002009-10-18T22:14:58.148-07:00

Aerie-el arranged for quite the SAGBUTT tour today. Now just how far outside of Seattle did we go??The nursery cafe was closed today, but it must be the center of activity in season! I could see spending a summer afternoon sitting at the outdoor tables (it is a bring your own coffee & pie kind of place).... And after the world tour, we reached the Lake Wilderness Arboretum, in Maple Valley,

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While I was traveling, DH harvested these pumpkins. There are still some on what's left of the frosted vines. DH didn't want these to get frost bitten while I was off getting poison ivy bitten! In the greenhouse, the twigs of basil-past will be traded out for some lettuce plantings. The garden, as it was last night.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-50768038200415510532009-10-02T00:46:00.000-07:002009-10-02T00:55:41.693-07:00

This is a reminder of the beautiful weather we had last week. This week has been different! Here's Emily harvesting her catnip. This came from some mixed sunflower seeds. It is the first time I've had one like this. Under all that fluff is a full sunflower seedhead! I didn't expect that. I'll be away from the keyboard for some days. I'm looking forward to catching up with you then. And you know

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Today: Rattlesnake Ridge, DH & Visitor.It is a very nice hike through the forest. As it gets closer to the top, the trail does become more steep (or else we were more tired!). And a little geocache hunting. No, they didn't have to move anything. They are just looking from all angles!

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During our visit to Seattle yesterday, we saw that many downtown residents are quite the balcony gardeners. However, for this building in Belltown, this sunflower had the show to himself, at least as far as I could see from street level.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-11601665062098783002009-09-22T22:14:00.000-07:002009-09-22T22:29:16.392-07:00

We have a visitor this week. On her first day, she was introduced by DH to some local geocaches. Other than this one being a big bug, it seems to have been a successful first day out! I was fascinated with this slug munching clover along the trail. Guess he reminds me of seeing goats and sheep standing on their hind feet to reach the (apparently) more tasty treats overhead. I'll have some photos

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-624732737536060052009-09-15T12:55:00.001-07:002009-09-15T13:13:38.449-07:00

It is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. You can find links to many more blooms from her site. Nicotiana and calendula make a nice accidental combination, above.Here is one of the very, very tall sunflowers growing in the pumpkin patch. Cosmos, also in the pumpkin patch. You can see a little of a pumpkin in the background. This is Tip Top Alaska Nasturtium.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-75871648166582749372009-09-14T14:47:00.000-07:002009-09-14T16:07:35.575-07:00

The Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United To Talk is planning a trip to Seattle's Washington Park Arboretum this Sunday, Sept. 20th. We're meeting for the standard 11 am guided walk which starts from the Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Drive East, in Seattle. The tour may last 60 to 90 minutes. Then, we'll probably find a spot to chat about all things gardening & blogging.Here's the link

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There are 4 or 5 of these large, quite orange pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. I think they are a jack-o-lantern type. The small sugar pumpkins are still green. Yes, powdery mildew has arrived. Rouge Vif d'Etampes still working on their full color. Looking forward to pumpkin pie!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-1883930107224471402009-09-02T21:30:00.000-07:002009-09-02T22:34:17.492-07:00

So many of my sunflowers are red or partial red. This one in the pumpkin patch stands out for its yellowness. Several of them are over 6 feet (including this one), but none have large flowers this year. May just be the variety. Many are multi-branched, though. This is one from a sunflower seed mixture I purchased from a local grower.The flowers in the pumpkin patch are the tallest, probably

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-57247266362775850492009-08-31T10:24:00.000-07:002009-08-31T11:15:26.058-07:00

The foggy morning yesterday helped confirm we are working our way into fall. After not seeing any squirrels during those hot/dry days we had, we've been hearing them everyday now. In the garden, things have changed from watching the new growth, to managing the harvest. Like the squirrel, we'll want to have some tasty treats come January.Tomatoes: In the last week, the tomato harvests have become

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-9016910358129791072009-08-28T19:15:00.000-07:002009-08-28T19:51:31.224-07:00

DH & I had a little (geocaching) hike on a recent evening. I gave up trying to photograph the evening sunlight filtering through the trees or the colors in the forest. But, I liked this rather accidental shot. It was something else that caught my attention. Whatever it was, I'm glad it did.

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I couldn't put it off any longer. The beans further up the bean structure had to be picked. Can't say I put as much thought into it as I should have. Do you think the benefits of growing vegetables might decrease with each extra foot you have to climb to pick them?It was a good idea to use a S-hook to hang the basket on the trellis and to free up both hands. Not such a good idea was deciding to

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The blackberries are on full force now. I should try jam or something else, but I like to make blackberry sauce to serve with ice cream or angel food cake, etc. I've sometimes made blackberry cobblers, too. I did see a blackberry barbecue sauce recipe I'd like to try. As shown in the photos from this 2007 post, I love using an old ricer/fruit press to separate the seeds from the fruit (

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-66148772567054689682009-08-21T19:03:00.000-07:002009-08-22T08:41:58.226-07:00

Now updated with the answer, below. This striking plant is growing in our fence line. Can anyone explain it to me? At first, I thought it might be a rogue tomato, but now I'm wondering if it more like a pepper. It is near a neighbor's former garden. Do you think this is something native, or something escaped from the garden? You can see the leaf just above the wire on the right side of the photo.

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Yesterday, the Seattle area garden bloggers were invited to Molly's garden on Tiger Mountain to taste tomatoes. And, as it goes with SAGBUTT meetings, to talk and eat!This is just a portion of the vegetable garden. You'll have to check out the Weed Wackin' Wenches post to see more of the pumpkins. Molly already has greens planted for fall under the white fleece. Note: The fleece is being held in

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-59868084769338237202009-08-15T10:11:00.000-07:002009-08-15T11:26:47.174-07:00

It's the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day gathering over at May Dreams Gardens. I'm bringing some flowers (& a few friends) I haven't posted yet this summer. Above, fragrant nicotiana with calandula and blue borage in the background. Nicotiana came home with me from the July SAGBUTT gathering! Above, this fee found the blooming basil in the greenhouse. The door is always open right now, but he had the

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-13411357039411639422009-08-13T19:18:00.000-07:002009-08-13T19:49:48.884-07:00

When the cat sleeps like this, we call it hanging 10 (or 20 if she found a really good spot). You can bet this photo will be showing up whenever I'm feeling tuckered!I have very odd bee behavior in my garden this year, but no leads on interesting tomatoes for the SAGBUTT Tomato Show going on Saturday at Molly's. My tiny almost ripe tomato split in the rain this week. Tomatoes or not, I'll be

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-8506334022704774302009-08-10T20:44:00.000-07:002009-08-10T21:05:00.404-07:00

Rain! Yes, I went out and made sure it was raining in every part of the garden. No pictures. The outside seems to be holding its breath so as to not scare away the rain. Enjoy!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-54093882553585764882009-08-09T19:04:00.001-07:002009-08-09T19:35:02.578-07:00

Really... you've been warned! These photos are really bad quality and they might even be a little scary. But if you make it through the first two, the third will leave you with a more pleasant sight.DH called me out to the garden (I was in the barn hanging a curtain, but more about that later). We saw a sight we've never seen before. Petunia (the snake) at work! She had captured a large slug and

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-41541122549348371882009-08-08T15:16:00.000-07:002009-08-08T15:41:46.684-07:00

A nice cool, gray day for a little garden clean up. I actually hoped these plans would bring on the rain, but no luck. I removed the peas after last week's heat ended any remaining harvest. Also removed many huge borage plants that were just too darn big &/or finished blooming. The other side of the blue trellis (photo left) has a cucumber plant that reached the top. The one on this side isn't

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-86428710639156413762009-08-06T21:44:00.000-07:002009-08-06T22:06:47.781-07:00

A few years ago I found this plate at my favorite charity shop. I put it in the garden to water birds or critters who happened to find it (maybe even Petunia). I could tell how much rain was still in the garden by the water in the plate. In the heat of this summer, though, it frequently dried out. Now I've scooted it under one of the soaker hoses. Based on how it fills up and dries

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-5205438071549804802009-08-04T19:35:00.000-07:002009-08-04T19:44:09.174-07:00

Pattypan squash are the perfect size for dinner... and so darn cute! There are lots of blossoms, so hopefully more patties are not far behind.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-24556531918598639842009-08-02T08:10:00.000-07:002009-08-02T08:39:43.115-07:00

The bees were in a frenzy yesterday, especially around the echinacea. There were often 2, 3 or even 4 bees on a flower at a time.You might not be able to tell, but there are two bumble bees and a honeybee (I think) in that squash blossom.Later in the evening, I noticed many bees crashing out for the night on the flowers. Maybe the hot weather has made the echinacea especially intoxicating to

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-43572158959572694202009-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:002009-07-29T22:26:50.064-07:00

"We are blessed with memories so we may have jolly snowmen dancing in August and sweet roses with winter snow." And when it is really hot, revisit those December (18 degrees) & January & March snow photos!Surely, these hot temps will put an end to some of the slugs. Be safe!

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The Cascara tree berries are ripening and no sight or sound of the Cedar Waxwings yet. I watched another bird family educating the youngsters on these berries. They were very small birds, but not chickadees. I'll try to identify them when I see them again. Once the Waxwings arrive, the berries will disappear quickly. Above, more to ripen. Looking back at prior year posts, they may be ripening a

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-36675183932507762812009-07-25T21:59:00.000-07:002009-07-25T22:39:21.680-07:00

Some of the beans have climbed to the top of the bean structure (aka 10 feet tall). They still have some filling out to do. Lower on the structure, every vertical wire has 1 or more vines so many are still working their way up.I like to check on them each day when they are growing so much. Some catch on quickly to the whole climbing thing. Others need a little guidance.These are the first beans

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-87591112515790832812009-07-24T22:08:00.000-07:002009-07-24T23:37:04.309-07:00

Do you have a scratch & sniff gadget on your computer? If so, you'll want to use it for this plant. Wonderful curry aroma! I couldn't resist it when I found it on the mid summer sale herb rack.Apparently, it isn't for eating, though. Websites say it doesn't taste like curry, and I haven't tried it. I just simply pet it and inhale every time I'm near it. A nice, soft texture to the plant's gray

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In the peaceful garden of Daniel and Michael. Sadie takes a break while showing the visitors around. What a perfect Sunday afternoon visiting the farm with others SAGBUTTees (Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk ... eating and exchanging seems to go along with these gatherings also). Or as Jean put it, Bloggers in Paradise! Check out the photos she posted. (More posts are now up. See Liisa

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Green is the common color theme in my photos. Here is a little blue from our excursion on Thursday evening. Friends took us out on their sailboat. What a fine evening it was, too. Above, we started near Ballard, along the ship canal and went under the Fremont bridge. The waterways and connected lakes in Seattle include all sorts of working vessels along with recreational vessels. Through locks,

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-6199741049146146492009-07-14T20:34:00.001-07:002009-07-14T20:47:50.846-07:00

Here's the young pacific tree frog after his successful climb out of the pond an up to this leaf! I think he looks a little tired and/or nervous. There is no stopping him now, though. Here is his tadpole picture a month ago (or one of his many siblings). I just happened to see him heading up this stalk. Others were on lily pads, the side of the pond, and on the floating ornamental frog.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-38163976701040857922009-07-13T08:24:00.000-07:002009-07-13T09:41:28.648-07:00

It doesn't take long to realize vegetables aren't just good to eat; they are also quite lovely. These are the crimson flowered broad beans Matron (from the UK) brought to our SAGBUTT swap (in Seattle). Here the group at the swap, also. She says she doesn't do flowers, but now we know why she doesn't need to! And this is the other lovely broad bean that sprouted from the crimson flowered

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The peas had outgrown the gate "trellis." We expanded it by attaching the tops of three bamboo poles our neighbor gave us. The peas were very pleased and grabbed on to the bamboo before we could complete the installation. The pea trellis expansion is still a little lower than the A-frame bean structure. As of tonight, the lead bean has entered the top quarter of the structure. Other beans are

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In spite of the overcast days this week, the first sunflower has blossomed. He has quite a lead on the other sunflowers in the garden. I did plan seeds from a new mixture so I'm looking forward to the sunflower surprises.Link to his young sprout days.

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How's this for a cool way to spend a hot Friday afternoon! A shed clean out uncovered many pots needing a wash. These old washtubs were needing a bath before their next assignment. We found a shady spot and got busy (& cool).Next step: Getting the keepers back in the shed.Nope, the computer isn't really sorted out yet, so I uploaded the photo directly from the camera this time.Hope everyone had

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-70533258964825121962009-07-01T18:08:00.000-07:002009-07-01T18:15:01.421-07:00

The tomatoes have still been under the "covered wagon" cloche. It's coming off tonight! That will give them a chance to work on their tan before the holiday. And a little more room for those green tomatoes to fill out. (this would be the picture of the crowded cloche, if I wasn't computer deficient at the moment)Hope to be back, with photos, soon.

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-50866990695879670862009-06-26T18:26:00.000-07:002009-06-26T18:32:59.931-07:00

I''ll be getting in some good ol' weed pulling / garden time tonight. We think the motherboard on the computer has died. I may not have photos to post until we sort out the situation. At least the hard drive seems to still be kicking. And who needs a computer on such a beautiful night!

Petunia's Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02294826235747207917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23898949.post-24070245151243504682009-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:002009-06-19T21:15:48.738-07:00

Matron asked where Petunia (aka the garter snake) lives in the garden. She has taken up residence under this board at the end of one of the garden rows. I suspect is it warmed by the afternoon sun and nicely compensates for the cool evenings. She'll let me look in on her maybe once an evening, but otherwise likes her beauty sleep after a busy day of slug eating. I even delayed planting squash

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The garden on Tuesday night. Tomatoes & peppers are under the white cloche. Originally, we kept it closed, but for some time now we just leave both ends open. (see 2005 here!)In this bed: broccoli (thanks-Karen!), Brussels sprouts (thanks-Molly!), lettuce and volunteer borage, calendula and dill. Once we slowed down the cabbage worm crop, the broccoli & BS plants are more content. The harvesting

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A previous neighbor had quite the plant collection, I understand, especially in the earlier years at the property. Two roses continue on quite happily in the fence line. This year, they are making a strong showing. Check out the extra prickly flower buds and stems.Do you know what type they might be? Do you think they will grow from cuttings? This second rose is very bright and dainty in

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Here are some of the bloomers in progress today in my garden. Find out what's blooming around the world by visiting the Gardeners' Bloom Day post at Carol's May Dreams Gardens.(Please stop by here on Tuesday, though, for some special roses I found blooming this evening and still need to photograph. They are self-caring roses beautifully growing in a fence line!)Where is the scratch & sniff button

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While trimming a tree and pulling weeds around our little garden pond, I noticed movement every time I reached over the pond.Sure enough - tadpoles! And many of them! The pacific tree frogs started singing in the pond early this spring. They must be so proud (and they are still singing).See Frog here. He is sitting on a floating ornamental frog in this photo. In addition to this brown version

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The peas have reached the top of their gate and the blossoms are just starting. I think a gate extension will be in order. On other critter fronts, Petunia helped me with a little garden weeding tonight! DH has had lots of help from Petunias, but not me (& he doesn't want this help). After a quick appearance, she headed into a patch of lamb's ear at the end of a row. I hope she makes

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Self-seeded borage plants are now blooming. They are some of the happiest plants. And they make the bees very happy. Slugs don't seem interested in the prickly leaves. They have a cucumber flavor, but I don't care for the prickly leaves in my salad, either. The Sweet Million tomato I purchased is also blooming. Can you see the similarities to the borage flowers? This tomato is under a window

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Memorial weekend garden photo. The nice weekend did give us a chance to catch up on some spring projects and gardening. Plus lots of nice time outside. The "covered wagon" cloche has been moved to a different bed this year. It has recovered from the December snow & ice. Tomatoes and sweet peppers are planted inside.Planted assorted pole beans and one row of bush beans (more to plant later).

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Thanks to my neighbor, I have a starter block with nested mason bees! She saw my post about the Garden Tour and the bee attraction. They have been housing bees for years and placed out some starter blocks for the nesting bees. A good way to share them with others.I realized it was just the right size to fit in a bird box we had that was really the wrong size for any birds we're likely to get. DH

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With nice weekend weather, we've been busy bees, indeed. Really shouldn't try to catch up the whole spring in a weekend or two, though! Some fun, some progress and any reason to be outside is a good one. Above, the bees must be able to get what they want from the outside of the columbine also. Some went inside, others went for the outside crown.The columbine shapes are amazing as they go from

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Look closely and you can see some little bits of green on the newly installed shelves! It's from a few types of basil and sweet peppers from a growers sale yesterday. The other pots contain some seeds I came across while sorting out a box stashed in the shed. Does that make it a greenhouse now? The other purchases from the sale are planted or are okay waiting outside until planted.The shelving

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My neighbor spotted this volunteer sunflower in my garden last night. To me, this signals the time for planting more sunflower seeds as needed. Last year, we found the first ones in late April. I think this will be a red & yellow petaled flower, like this one.It could be all red, like this one. I can tell because the stalk and leaves have darker shades than all yellow sunflowers.

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Thanks to the three Tukwila gardeners who invited visitors during the Backyard Wildlife Festival. A park with a nice winter garden was also on the tour. Hopefully, my wildlife won't see this and decide to move! This garden had varied and interesting views and habitats in every direction. This photo captures a pond area to the left, sunny gardens and the blue fence in the background that made the

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...just think how much fun we'll have once we actually have plants in it! The last panel went in just as the raindrops started.

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