The garden and what's growing up.

The storm was rolling in and this was our sunset.  

The yellow yarrow driveway transplant to one of our new front beds.  

The one and only lonely dianthus that came back this year.

The front path that I'm putting in.  Once the grass takes root in the in-betweens and locks the stones down (and the mud washes from the face), it'll be jammin'.  For now, my path is cut in a little over half way.  It's a lot of work, but in the end, it will be delightful.

The lime green nicotiana that reseeds itself in the very same spot at the corner of the house every single year.  

My very first pepper this year!  I tell you, using Epsom Salts with the peppers really did make all the difference this year.

Lavender.

The topsy turvy tomato seems to be happy enough.

For the first part of "Keepin' it Real" we present the trash cart that I broke with far too much lawn debris.  Hubs thinks it weighed at least 800 pounds (with no exaggeration) and the trip down the limestone drive did the wheel in.

See?  The good news is that the city has a "mobile repair unit" that will come and replace my wheels for no charge.  Good thing.  I was going to fashion my own since a city cart costs $50.

I tucked the hanging baskets in for the night.  We were having the big and bad storms arrive and I didn't want the baskets to launch.  Besides, I'm foster planting that million bells there and nearly killed it when it went dry.  I'm glad to report that it rehydrated nicely and my MIL won't have a dried carcass returned to her.

The top planting depression in my water barrel is working out nicely.  K gave the snaps to me for Mother's Day and Hubs gave me the marigolds for the same thing.  I grew the cilantro from seed and put that in as fluff and seeded the alyssum around it.  That should bloom shortly.  The portulaca?  That was a volunteer find!  I love volunteers!

One of the two perennial geraniums I purchased last year.  One didn't come back, but this one is doing very well.

The field yarrow I snitched from a friend's property years and years ago.  I have since split it and have another spot of the same lovely stuff.

The potentilla that the neighbor gave me.

Yellow squash coming up and I've had to place guards on them to keep the bunny rabbit gentle person or the chipmunkerson from eating them.

Part 2 of "Keepin' it Real" is the critter fence Hubs and I installed around the garden.  The pile of dirt there is from where I've been cutting the stones in up front.  I dumped it there where I planted organic soy beans that didn't come up.  I have green beans that were being beheaded and collards that are on their third planting since the tender shoots seem to be the preferred meal of some bunny in the backyard. 

Lambs ear that my sister gave me last year.  She gave me a few sprouts and in last year's heat, they didn't look so good.  Turns out, they came around and have done just fine.  I didn't know that they bloomed!

Part 3 of "Keepin' it Real" is that Earthbound Farms makes wonderful guard containers for sunflowers.  

The clematis that after a few years has decided to be HAPPY!

Milkweed thinking about blooming.

I mean, look at that.  Yum!

Last up, these are lilies that Hubs didn't take out while mulching.  His mulch job is wonderful.  Too bad 3 of my lilies met their death as a result.  

So, how's your garden growing?

Have a great day!