The Garden Late May

The garden is in transition.  Late May means that spring vegetables and flowering are coming out, and summer plants are going in.  It may seem a bit late, but the mountain's influence on the temps means that it takes until late May for night time temps consistently above 50 degrees.

The pool bed is filling out very fast.  The lettuce, escarole, cabbage and Swiss chard are growing like gang busters.  Self seeded 'Carpet of Snow' alyssum is blooming.  Peppers and dwarf tomatoes will be added soon.  I haven't decided yet what flowers I'll use as fillers.

Pool bed looking towards the house.

Pool bed, view from the opposite side.

Pool bed, view from the pool.

'Primero'cabbage in the pool bed.  They are extremely ornamental and the bugs have not bothered them at all.

'Wild Garden Mixed' lettuce, escarole and alyssum in the pool bed.

The pool bed on the opposite side is also coming along nicely.  The burning bush stump is just now starting to regrow.

Pol Bed #2, the lettuce  border is filling out very fast.

The Potager is also filling out quickly.  Due to all the rain last week I'm having some extreme bug problems, namely earwigs and slugs.  The slugs are attacking the lettuce and cabbage, and the earwigs are decimating the Swiss chard.  I mixed up my "witches brew" of ground mustard, ground cayenne and garlic powder.  This was applies as a drench, emphasis on the heart of the plants.  I'll reapply every days for the next week and see if the populations dwindle.

View of the Potager from the pad.

The back bed, tall peas with beets in the foreground.

As promised, close up of the purple podded 'Pretty' pea flowers.

The right bed next to the pad, lettuce, cabbage, escarole, Swiss chard and a few daylily seedlings.

The left bed, the greens are all gone.  Tomatoes and beans will be planted soon.

The 'Broadway' rose in the center of the bed next to the pad is amazing this year.  Last year it's spring flush was 15 blooms.  After the early growth was killed by frost it started to regrow like gangbusters.  There are 40 buds now which are just starting to open.  You may recall that when I first started this garden I left the rose here as it was just a "one cane wonder", and a pathetic one at to boot.  I expected it to die.  It's recovery has been astounding.

'Broadway' rose putting on a splendid performance.

Close up of Broadway's opening night. 

This year the driveway bed will be primarily flowers.  I put in the first few plants yesterday.