Springtime Color & Butterfly Garden Re-Do

We had such lovely weather over the weekend, the boys cut the lawn, we had a BBQ dinner, enjoyed being outside and wandered around our garden paths.

Here was a nice surprise. An Airplant nestled in between two pine trees decided to put out a flower. A splash of color among a lot of greenery.

The little raised brick garden I put in about a month ago is coming along nicely with its red Salvias and white Pentas.

Looking South

But the butterfly garden is yet again sadly neglected and completely overgrown with Spanish Needle (which we all know the butterflies love). Also a pretty creeping plant Beach Sunflower (or something similar), has become rather invasive and crowded out the Milkweed and Coleus. Nothing will grow under Beach Sunflower. It's completely drought resistant and thrives in our sandy soils. So after pulling out two wheelbarrow loads of weeds............I was left with a whole lot of nothing butterflies like, except for the Dill.

Looking North

So a trip to the big box store was in order. Verbena, Lantana, Trailing Petunias and Kangaroo's Paw, Begonias, Pentas and Mona Lavender "Plectranthus."

Kangaroo's Paw

Verbena

Lantana

I have a rather shabby little fountain which I set up and got running. Maybe in a month or two I'll treat myself to a new one. The splashing of the water is very relaxing.

In order to define the space, I added some bricks around the revamped area and included a few pots of different colors and textures to add some height - Dianthus, Catmint, Mums. I'm fairly happy with the result. It just needs to fill in a little bit. Perhaps some Moss Rose/Portulaca would do the trick.

Tip: I added half a teaspoon of water crystals to each plant hole I dug and then I watered the area thoroughly with a soaker hose. 

This area is outside our patio so we can enjoy the view. Now I think I need a couple of pieces of garden art, but a gnome or plastic flamingo isn't on the short list. Something more rustic perhaps. I'll work on that and get back to you with an update in a week or two.

April is off to a Good Start!

Welcome To My Garden!

Thank goodness it rained Monday!

Everything perked right up after that downpour.

 
The Sunflower enjoyed the rain so much, it decided to open!

Cantaloupe Seedling

On 7th March, I planted 6 cantaloupe seeds. Only one came up, so I planted another 6 seeds. I recycle paper cups to get my seedlings going.

Tabasco Pepper and Radishes

The radish seeds (Cherry Belle) - that I planted around the Tabasco Pepper - popped up in 5 days, and should be ready 22 days from planting.

I gleaned this "circling" planting tip from the book I recommended in my blog "Another Water Saving Idea." The radishes shouldn't interfere with the Tabasco's root system, because they will mature before the pepper shades them out. I also have some "insurance" radishes on the patio in case my nocturnal visitors eat the outside ones before us.

The Banana Peppers have gone, well hmm... bananas! I have two bushes. Very tasty in a salad or home-made salsa dip. The banana peppers need additional nutrients. Producing all those peppers has caused a little stress.

Banana Peppers

"Juliet" Roma Tomato

The Roma Tomats are plentiful, I need a good sauce recipe folks!

Jack and his beanstalk might have some competition here.

Sugar Snap Peas

The Sugar Snap Peastalk has decided the weeping bottlebrush is as good a support as any, and consequently has soared into the branches - a good 8 feet high. Those edible pods are scrumptious, we had some in a stir fry last night.

As a very amateur photographer wielding a rather complicated camera, I like the way this photo turned out with the lantana in the background sharper than the salvia upfront. Butterflies love both these plants. The plant growth has really accelerated since the weather warmed up a bit. They were not doing so well while the temperatures were in the 40's at night.

Now we have had a good rain, everything needs to be fed some fish emulsion especially those veggies grown in the soil. 

Oh wait, darn it....that means I will have to take a ride out to the big garden center to pick up emulsion and, while I am there, I guess I had better check out some more vegetables for the summer garden. Now I don't want to waste gas at these pump prices do I?