A few photos and late May garden activities

I took a few photos from the deck this morning. The first one shows the driveway berm with the ninebark and spirea starting to bloom and the rose garden getting ready to bloom.

This photo shows my two new arbors installed next to each other, my tomato plants in their pots, and some of the beds around the lawn. We set up the drip systems for my large containers - the one by the pool handles my tomato and Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet) plants. Another next to my upper driveway handles other pots that I have on top of a retaining wall.

We installed a new fountain near the Japanese garden. My Angel's Trumpet plants have flower buds already. This morning I discovered our "resident" rabbit has munched on some of the hosta leaves in my shade bed and some of my Scarlett runner beans. So far, I am not concerned, as there are lots of hosta leaves, and the beans should recover. The rabbit is getting quite large feasting on my plants.

 

May garden activities

Whew - What a lot to go in the garden in the spring! We spread 62 yards of bark in the last couple weeks. What an effort. Fortunately I didn't have to shovel and push wheelbarrows, but I sure did a lot of raking.
Doublefile Viburnum are one of my favorite shrubs.

 

My Gunnera are just getting going. They love their streamside location!

 This is the berm by the lower driveway.

We got two new arbors and placed them next to each other. I planted Thunbergia (Black-eyed Susan Vine) to grow up the sides.

Plants are growing like crazy, which is wonderful, but the conditions are also great for weeds. So I've been  after them regularly. I either pull by hand or hoe with my action hoe (also called hula hoe). Love this tool!

The Mason Bees filled nearly all the holes in the "house". I will need a bigger one next year. I might try to get my husband to help me build one.

 

 I planted my vegetables. Here is a photo of my peppers: Gypsy Sweet Peppers, Jalapeno, and Anaheim. I also planted Scarlett Runner Beans, Japanese and English Cucumbers. I planted tomatoes in pots: Sungold, Matina, Tommy Toe, Cherokee Purple.

 

The bumblebees are enjoying the Allium.