Shadow Selfies in the Garden

SHARING MY GARDEN CHORES, PROJECTS and DOCUMENTING GROWTH AND BLOOMS

The garden is looking like Texas in August. 

In addition to the heat, we had some high winds that blew the Marigolds over so they even look frightful.

 The peppers are getting a beautiful red. 

Finally an eggplant but something (unknown to me) is eating on it.  

SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS

 I let the dill go to seed for volunteers next spring. 

Besides that, isn't it a beautiful!

Same for the basil. 

However, I'm pretty sure plenty of seeds have fallen and I'm about to cut it back now and let it continue growing into the fall. 

I am enjoying the basil so much and look forward to having it in the sidewalk herb bed next year too. 

seedlings
This was an experiment to see if the white zinnias seeds  (in the top pic) were viable. Yep, they are so I will continue saving the seeds.

CREATURES IN THE GARDEN

  Photo bombed by this garden creature

chasing green dragon fly

 I chased him around the corner.

(the last one was blue)

bullfrog

Dear Husband says this is a bullfrog.

He knows things like that.

Look at his eye and how the lines in his body follow through the eye.

Amazing!

Don't know why he was visiting the greenhouse.

 GARDEN PROJECTS

Check this project off the list. 

This makes me so happy.

Kitchen herbs will be planted here when the time is right. 

In the meantime, I love seeing this bed all ready to receive.

I stand and look through the kitchen door because I'm so thrilled to have accomplished this. 

Do you do that? 

I mean, keep going back to see something that you did that pleases you.  

You might also note that I did move the mint from the greenhouse patio.

bugsville under construction

 I still have a ways to go but I think I'm getting there. 

It's not that hard after all the components gathered.

A NEW PROJECT

Look look look!

at this amazing bamboo.

I am so excited about it. 

I needed just a little bamboo for the bugsville habitat.

That was my excuse to get DH to take me to the bamboo place. 

But in the back, dark corner of my mind, there was a project brewing that I knew I would want bamboo for .....

if I could get it. 

I took my battery powered pruning saw and away we went to the bamboo place. 

When we got there...

OH NO!

Poison ivy, knee high was surrounding the stand of bamboo. 

DH will not participate with any poison ivy in sight.

But, as you know, it doesn't stop me.

Anyway, I tromped through it and managed to get home with this much. 

It's not enough for my winter garden fence project.

But enough to get me going with the design.

Garden Palace Floor Cloth Update

 I haven't made much progress on the Garden Palace floor cloth. I only added two more flowers and started tweaking the first ones that I painted. 

My mornings in the heat of the gardens pretty much zaps me and I can't manage to leave the chair zone.

♥

Did you happen to notice the shadow selfies in last weeks post? 

I realized while editing those pics that I rather like them in the photo. 

It is the early morning sun that I'm working in and so...

there they are... 

my shadow selfies.

Another week in roundup

SHARING MY GARDEN CHORES, PROJECTS and DOCUMENTING GROWTH AND BLOOMS

 I have been busy this week outside and inside even though we have finally received 100ºF+ days.

I go out very early to beat the heat but still come in a hot sweaty mess. 

Creatures in my Garden

dragon fly

 This beautiful creature stopped by while I was working on the greenhouse project. 

He kept coming back until I got a decent picture. 

The wings are almost invisible....

and amazing!

 This creature follows me everywhere.

Old Garden Projects

Marlin Brick

 I finished the greenhouse patio project. 

It's not really a patio but I like to call it that. 

 It's time to move the mint to the shade.

the tree where the poison ivy and day lilies were

 Not quiet finished with this bed. 

Still need to replant the oxalis and add mulch.

more

 I never promised no more morning glory pics.

I knew you would want to see this.

I don't know how this happens.

Two New Garden Projects

This week's new project is a wildlife wall that I am adding to a corner of the compost area. 

This is just the beginning and the photo below is my inspiration.

photo source

I doubt that mine will be this elaborate. 

I love it even if the beneficial insects such as ladybugs, ground beetles and various solitary bees don't show up.

I see mason bees doing the pollinating in my garden and I want to give them a home.

If you want a more simple bee hotel, check out this link.

I have added a "Garden Stuff" board on my Pinterest where there are other examples.

New Project Number Two

Here is a "before". 

I confess, I used chemicals to kill this bind weed and bermuda grass.

There is just no other way to get control. 

This is the before view from the other end of this very narrow bed between wall and sidewalk.

I'm preparing this little spot for a kitchen herb garden.

Here is progress for Thursday morning's efforts.

Work in progress from this end. 

A bit of my design vision is shown here.

I should have this finished by the next garden update. 

My kitchen sink is just inside this corner.

Garden Palace Floor Cloth

I'm finally working on one of the Garden Palace floor cloths. 

Even though I started studying and experimenting here, I refrained from starting the real thing until now. 

The floor is still not ready to receive the cloth so I waited until the hot days of summer when I knew I would not want to be outside. 

This floor cloth is for the Morning Glory Room where my mustard yellow studio chairs will go home to.

Not until I added the black rectangles was I warming up to my design. 

My design vision includes the fact that the four yellow chairs will be sitting on this rug surrounding a beautiful (another project) table.

At one end is a beautiful blue morning glory stained glass window. 

The cloth is 5' X 9.5' and I can only work on it a section at a time. 

I work from end to end, moving it from and off of each side of the table. 

You may notice a stencil that I cut in one of the above photos.

However, I never intended to use stencils on the floors because I had stenciled the walls.

I always knew this but I kept hearing a voice that I would never be able to paint a border of morning glories to my own satisfaction.

Finally yesterday, I came to my senses and realized that I would use a charcoal stick to sketch and then paint. 

And 

After all, it's just paint. 

♥

Skeletons in my Garden

SHARING MY GARDEN CHORES, PROJECTS and DOCUMENTING GROWTH AND BLOOMS

Here is a month in the garden update.  

Even though we have had several unseasonably cool days, the Texas heat is now here. 

Well almost, we still haven't had any days over 100º. That killer is expected this week. 

I have had a great garden season with lots of blooms and produce. 

I tend to wilt myself starting in mid July and into August. 

Time to Soak  

This was the last of the day lilies and I still haven't cleaned this bed. 

 Morning Glories

 I can't help myself!

I am in awe of the Morning Glories that finally started blooming. 

Amazing!

Heart Shadows

These are finally starting to bloom but I'm taken with the shadows.

Purple Bindweed a wildflower

 Another Texas wildflower, the Purple Bindweed Ipomoea trichocarpa is a perennial that blooms from April to October. It is a thug in the garden and will vine over everything. But like I said, "I can't help myself".

Produce 

Waiting

feed the masses

I love these little white Zinnias that piggybacked in on a Marigold.

produce and seed collecting

 Gazpacho

 cucumber

lime

jalapeno pepper

bell pepper

basil

mint

onion

garlic

sour cream

 Delish!

The juicer is from the 1940s and belonged to my uncle Glen. He used it is his downtown Waco restaurant.

Seed Collecting

Yellow Bitterweed, another wildflower

I'm collecting these seeds that are growing in my driveway and bloom from April to November. 

I'm going to add them to flower beds. 

 harvesting seeds

 This Week's Projects

digging up poison ivy and trash trees under this oak tree

getting ready to add Autumn Fern 

laying a brick apron in front of greenhouse

I have a stack of old bricks that I'm using for the greenhouse apron project.

I found this when I picked up the brick that was stacked on top of it.

The eggs are about the size of the end of my little finger. 

I found the one on the bottom first and then raised another brick and found the nest.

Garden Palace Attic

Here is a little in progress shot of the attic. This end is ready for a paint application. You can see where I am experimenting with the technique. 

The technique is basically layers kinda like I approach a canvas. 

It is a "what'if" technique. 

Also, note the hand rail going up the stairs. 

I'm now waiting out the heat and expect to get back to the attic in September. 

♥