A Summer of Change

After weeks of wet cool weather, summer is here.  It has been gorgeous, even with the humidity.  Everything is playing catchup and time will tell if it can.  Things to note on this first day of July;  I haven't seen many butterflies-one yellow swallow tail and a few small pale blue ones.  I have not seen one monarch in our yard.  We've had a few dragonflies, or the same ones returning.  Bees are rare, except for the very tiny ones which were all over the sedum flowers.  Only a couple of large bumble bee sightings, and very few other bees.  I'm hoping with more blooms the bees will increase.  We've only had infrequent visits by a hummingbird, probably the same one.  I have not heard our toad.  Our wrens are back, we have several goldfinches, and chickadees, and robins.  The nuthatch and woodpecker visit once in a while.  I have a bird I haven't been able to identify for sure, maybe a cat bird, and we've had a thrush visit, and the Cooper's Hawk!

lupine with tiger's eye sumac

bush clematis

trumpet vine on patio

cooper's hawk

Today is July 2, and I am starting to see more bees on the milkweed and pincushion flowers.  I'm still seeing hundreds of tiny bees but still no butterflies.  Here are more pictures of the garden!

bunny tails

delphinium

new plant with orange trumpet flowers in front of gallardia-no blooms yet.

red lilies just opening

pincushion bonanza

two new spurge plants and apricot coreopsis

small pond with new rocks- good spot for the fish!

snowsweet apple!

boom or bust again?

potatoes



rutabegas and beets




milkweed




a handful of strawberries a day-better next year?




large pond with water plants



start of new drawing using my cooper's hawk photos.

This gardening is great fun, but some days I feel like I have another full time job!  It is a great inspiration for my work, but I may be re-evaluating all of the vegetable gardening for next year.  I had quite a few perennials that didn't make it so I spent alot of time replacing plants.  Now the back of the house garden area needs to be redone, but the milkweed is staying in hopes of the Monarch's survival, and for the bees.

Greenie

It Popped and Fizzled

Up until today it's been a challenge to call this summer, and half of today was overcast, but we had a full half day of sun, the most we've seen in weeks!  Plus it actually got above 70 degrees, briefly, but a definite improvement.
It will be an interesting summer for the vegetable garden.  I'm going to keep close track of progress, or lack of progress since this summer may be a beginning to a continued climate change in this area.  I may have to rethink my plan of attack for seed starting and general planting for next year.  I'm definitely going to pick up a few garden center vegetables because mine look so sad I'm not sure they will ever recover. 
The peas, beans, and onions look good.  The rutabega and beets are just coming up and are now covered with lightweight fabric to keep out bugs and rabbits.  The tomatoes and peppers look very sad, just not enough warmth- they should perk up this week with warmer temps.
Some of the strawberries are looking good, but I think they need help to get big full berries, so have to look into that.
The cherry tree looks great, and we have quite a few apples on our new snowsweet dwarf apple tree, very excited about that.
I'm contemplating a retaining wall at the bottom of our small hill, and another new tree along the east fence.  I've thought about pear trees, but I'm not sure we have the space for two trees.

new robin fledgling-looking for mom?

I can always count on the columbine and the bachelors button.

bachelor's button

naughty squirrel- could be an issue.

Dazed and Infused

I feel like I'm a month behind so many changes have happened in just a couple of weeks.  We had a couple more big snow falls, then it warmed up quickly and perennials popped, and the birds descended!


april 14th, two days after snow.



another snow fall, april 19th, aagghh!



 



MORE SNOW APRIL 23, AAAGGGHHHH!



Then Spring came to Minnesota in a week!  Ahhh...

duck pair deciding on nesting area?

little nuthatch outside porch window



red breasted grosbeak- a first I've seen in our yard.

white crowned sparrow?  These guys do not stop moving!

What a difference a day/year makes! Is it Spring yet?

We had sunshine yesterday, April 16th, after 11 days of no sun,  and looks like we may not see the sun again for a few days.  The moisture is good because we need it, but because of the temps, not a speck of green, except for a strawberry plant(photo right)

 April 14-snow-yikes!

 

Last Year 2012- April 11th!!!



April 14th!! 2013, I think I'm going to cry now.



  

 Variety of seedlings: marigolds, greens, swiss chard, perennials.


Lots and lots of tomatoes and peppers



Bunny Tails Grasses



Super Sweet melon from last year's plant that sprouted on its own- don't know what kind it is, but it was very good.  Hope this one produces!



Had a surprise visit today, April 17th, hundreds of robins in our cul de sac and nearby park.  It felt like a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds", but a more pleasant sight and song.

These are just a few that landed in and under our crab apple.  They were all gone in a few hours.  We've had a couple here since two weeks ago, so I hope they stick around.
So, I'm just hanging in there until the sun/spring returns!

A Dry Goodbye

It seems to be this season's theme is disappearing months.  September was a busy month -planting trees, grasses, a few additional perennials, and harvesting!  Made it to the north shore for a quick trip of hiking, beer tasting and tree color, a nice getaway. 

So the tomatoes and peppers made it to October but the garden has been put to bed for the winter.  The few rutabegas we saved from the rabbits got very large and tasty!
I'm rebuilding the vegetable gardens with compost, putting in some new rubber edging that looks nice and fairly easy to install, just have to wrestle with it a bit, but better than digging! I don't need any more rocks this season.  I still have to drain and clean the ponds, and I don't think I'll over winter the lilies unless I try keeping them in a cooler in the garage. 
Next is finishing up the rubber edging and getting loads of mulch in there- still in a bit of indecision as far as the edging and the "look" of the trails in the garden.  I'll prepare the area on the patio by the fence for planting next Spring, either the hyacinth vine or maybe a perennial vine, and hope to figure out a system for the raised bed so less watering is necessary.
We added a total of eight trees this summer, a grape vine, various perennials including the runaway trumpet vine on the pergola.  Next summer will be interesting!

It's still dry, a bit of rain today finally, but way behind what is needed so we will keep watering and rain dancing.  Here's the photo finale!

new asters and mums(below)for more Fall color

  

vanderwolf-hope this color is normal for autumn!  

quaking aspen, junipers in back.  Leaf composter over veg. garden!

 dwarf apple- snowcrisp!

remember the color!