Blue Moon Wisteria

I forgot to post about my Blue Moon wisteria!  This is the first year I have ever had a flower on my wisteria vine (bush? tree?).

It's been growing for 4 years.  It is VERY hardy.  I don't protect it at all in the winter and it's in a fairly exposed area.  So Blue Moon wisteria really is hardy in Minnesota zone 4!

This is what it looked like to start out.

I wasn't sure what it was going to look like when it bloomed, because I've never seen a wisteria bloom.

It was more purple than blue, but it shows up very blue in pictures.  I bought this vine at Menard's, of all places, for about $25.  I go back every year and ask them if they have any more.  Every year they look at me like I'm crazy - "Wisteria?  What's that?"

Signs Of Spring

Pond and A Few Blooms

My water lilies that over wintered in the pond.  They are blooming a lot earlier this year.

So this is what the pond looks like now.  I am NEVER moving it again!

Foxglove.  One of my favorite flowers.

Delphinium.

Garden 2011 - Spring

A lot has changed in the backyard since last year.  I planted grass, for one thing.  This is the first time I have ever planted grass in my entire life.  I have killed a lot of grass over the years, but NEVER planted it.  Turns out it is kind of difficult to grow.  Well, if you have a puppy that insists on running across it and trying to dig it up :)

The pond.  The white trellis fell over a couple days ago.  Well, actually it was picked up and twisted around by the wind.  It was a strong wind, because that is not a light trellis. 

The water lilies over wintered with the fish in the pond.  They seem to be fine.  I replanted them and there are many leaves already floating on the water.  Soon water lilies!  I also added some water lettuce, water hyacinth and parrot feather.  I also added 40 Japanese trapdoor snails.  There is a toad that lives in the rocks around the pond.  So lots of wildlife in/around the pond.  I wonder what happened to all the salamanders and frogs I added to the pond last fall?

Only 6 garden beds.  I took out 7 beds.  I wanted to cut back, because it seems like - yes I can grow a ton of food in my backyard - but why am I doing it?  A lot of stuff went to waste last year, because I didn't have enough time to care for everything.  I want to have a garden that is productive and looks good too. 

View from the porch of the grass.

I'm really happy with the changes that I made.  It's pretty and now I have more time to enjoy it, instead of only having time to take care of it.

Can't remember what the garden looked like last year?  Neither could I :)

Click on the links below if you want to see the yard last year.

Garden Sept 2010

July 2010

June Garden Update 2010

May 2010 - easiest on this post to see the difference between this year and last year

Birds, Bees and Blooms

Yesterday, I stalked a hummingbird in the garden.

I tried and tried to get a good picture of him (or her?), but he was so fast.

He also didn't like it when I got too close to him, so I had to sneakily zoom in from a distance.

I'm not sure if it is the same pair, or their children, but a pair of hummingbirds nest in the lilac bush on the edge of my yard. They have been raising their tiny little babies in the same spot for at least 5 years.

This was the best pic I took of him.

Here is his pretty green back.

He really likes every painted lady (flower).

He is so tiny!

Some water lilies in my pond.

Summer sunflower.

Doesn't that just look like pure Summer?

Why July Is Depressing

I find July very depressing.

Why?

Well, the growing season is almost over. The only thing a gardener has to look forward to at this time of the year is the maintenance work of weeding and harvesting and the inevitable death of their garden.

There isn't any fun planning or planting. Even January is less depressing, because there is Spring to look forward to and the frantic picking of seeds/plants and indoor starting of seedlings.

July is also a big let down, because when you see some of your January garden daydreams in the unforgiving July sunshine, they don't look as wonderful and amazing as you imagined.

Don't even get me started on the mosquitoes!

or

quack grass!

*sigh*

Maybe you have a longer growing season, but for me, living in Minnesota, July is a depressing month.

Garden Closeups

These are pictures I took before I left on vacation.

The lettuce is eaten, the birds are already out of the nest and the flowers have dropped their petals. That's the nice thing about photography - it holds a moment forever.

pansy

robins
They are now eating my strawberries.

iris

columbine

Catty

bee

columbine

Garden Update: June