Sharing some of our summer flowers and what's growing in our vegetable garden along with some sad news today.
I had a reader to ask what we had growing this year so I thought I'd do a post showing the summer flowers and garden. In the baskets that are mounted on wooden posts in the yard, there is a mixture of some coral petunias, pink verbena, and white bacopa.
I have been smitten with the gorgeous color of the petunias ever since I potted up these baskets back in early May.
There are 5 of these baskets mounted on wooden posts in front of my mom's apartment in our backyard.
The petunias have been so pretty for several months but have required daily watering and deadheading to keep them looking their best.
The posts need painting but they, along with some other outdoor painting projects, will have to wait until it cools down this fall.
If you want to see how we mounted the baskets on posts originally, you can read about that here: HOW TO MOUNT FLOWER BASKETS ONTO WOODEN POSTS
A new addition to the yard is this stock tank filled with a cedar tree, 2 double hibiscus plants, a sweet potato vine, and calibrachoa.
We bought it in early spring to go in this area beside the new laundry/mudroom.
We happened to catch it on sale at Tractor Supply. The stock tank makes a great planter but the plants in it must be watered daily.
I started aging the bright shiny metal but didn't get around to a second treatment. I have plans for dressing up this stock tank when it gets cooler.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying the peach colored double hibiscus flowers in it.
On our new shady covered deck, I have some peachy orange impatiens growing. Are you seeing a color theme here with the summer flowers?
We scaled down our vegetable garden significantly this year. Instead of seventy tomato plants, we have only 8 this year, some of which we put in the raised beds.
There are 6 cucumber vines growing on the garden fence. They almost look like Jack-in-the-Beanstalk vines, don't you think?
The vines have given us so many cucumbers that I have already put up 10 pints of sweet cucumber relish, 9 pints of traditional bread and butter pickles, and 7 pints of zesty bread and butter pickles.
Whew! Not to mention that I've frozen 48 quarts of butter beans and peas purchased from the farmers' market.
In the garden zinnias are growing in one of the raised beds. They are bee and butterfly magnets and bring me a lot of joy as well.
Now for the sad news.
We lost our cat Henry last week. He was 19 years old, and we had been seeing him decline for several months. For the past few weeks, we held and comforted him as much as we could because we knew the end was near.
Our hearts are broken.
Jean
Well I am in love with the coral petunias in the baskets. What a beautiful color next to the white posts. Great combination Jane. Jean
Jean
Jane I love the new large pot in your backyard! The plantings are really pretty. I especially like the potato vine as it shows very nicely next to the cedar bush. The lime green really stands out. Jean
Pam
Every project you share with us is always a joy to see. Questions: What is the black planter you have in your new area? Did you make the tin can man? I’m sorry to hear about Henry.
Jane Windham
Pam, the black planter was actually an old magazine rack that my mother was no longer using. I spray painted it black and placed two terracotta pots down inside.
Cookie eddings
Henry will live on in your hearts. Pets are such a joy; however, when they leave it is heartbreaking. Bless Henry & you too. I've never seen people with such "green thumbs". I wish that I had a garden & flowers like yours. We used to have wonderful gardens, but my husband isn't able to do the work anymore. Be careful in this heat--stay cool.
Stacey
First let me say that I'm so very sorry about Henry. How blessed you were to have a sweet cat for 19 years. I sure hope our Sophie lives that long.
Your flowers and veggies look fantastic! Especially considering that heat index you mentioned to me. I love the look of plants in a stock tank and your baskets on the posts have been a favorite of mine since you first shared that project. It's still on my list. 🙂
I'm going to backtrack and see if I can find your house projects that you were working on. I'm behind...
Karen
So sorry for your loss. I know exactly what you are going thru. Please know it will get easier with time.
Janis Hill
I am deeply sorry for your loss. I know the place your precious boy held in your heart and will be praying for you both as you grieve your beloved Henry.
Debbie
Its so hard to loose a pet. They are such a part of our hearts! I pray Jesus brings ya'll peace and comfort. I also live in SC and its been extremely HOT here, we have lost several chickens this year and 3 cats. But I do know our cats like yours were at the end of life. They brought us joy and we gave them a wonderful, loved filled life. Your yard is beautiful, but take it easy. Happy Summer!
Sandy
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of Henry. The picture of him you posted brought years to my eyes. Your flowers are beautiful - love the baskets on the posts!
Barb Hartline
Your flowers are beautiful! I have also cut back on my flower planting this year. Just trying to keep the ones I did plant healthy. My hanging baskets are nearly toast, so I may have to replenish. So sorry to hear about your precious kitty Henry. May he Rest in Heaven. I lost my white kitty Nikki to cancer at the end of June, and my Golden Retriever Tote one week later, also due to cancer. It is heart wrenching.
Terri
All the flowers and your gardens - yard are just beautiful !! thank you for sharing !! And ... so sorry to hear about your beloved Henry ........... Our animals truly are like one of the family !!
Paulette
All your flowers are beautiful. I love seeing zinnias planted in a vegetable garden. We cut back on planting tomatoes this year as well(from 75 to 35). So sorry about Henry’s passing and hope your mother is doing well. Love your blog!!
Rita
Such beautiful flowers. I especially love the black basket of peach impatience on the porch. How is your mother doing? It is to her advantage that you have her close. Hugs! So much wonderful canning you have done. I am not sure I know how to can the beans. Scaling back is smart. I took myself down to a fourth the flowers and having trouble keeping crab grass out of them. Love them though. We are cat lovers. So love ours and have lost several over the years. Sorry for the loss of Henry. What a sweet precious one.
Robyn Henningsen
Your flowers and veggies are beautiful ........ as always! So sad to hear about Henry. Keeping you in my prayers. It is so hard to lose our fur babies.
Francis Moore
Sorry about your pet. Lovely flowers without any sign of blight, fungus, or all the other things that happen to plants. I have watered faithfully, but my flowers are struggling with the hot weather in Indiana.
Sandy
I know it is sad without Henry. Our pets are family and how is your mom doing these days? The flowers and garden are lovely as always even scaled back. I am scaling back as well in my flowers. It is hard to keep them all watered and cared for.