Pretty Purple Poppy

The first of another group of breadseed poppies (papaver somniferum), surrounded here by Sunshine blueberry leaves and the new foliage of peacock orchids.

 

Ladybird Poppy

The first of the Ladybird poppies now starting to bloom...

Summer Flower Bouquets

Shasta daisies and clustered bellflowers

Shasta daisies, lavender, and sweet peas

Perennial Garden Growth

'Becky' Shasta daisies, Helenium autumnal, pink garden phlox, and calendula

Zucchini Growth!

This zucchini plant is finally leafing out given the good summer heat we've enjoyed this week.

This Week in the Garden

Summer vegetable beds in July!

What we're harvesting this week:

Dinosaur kale

Divina butterhead lettuce

Oakleaf butterhead lettuce

Cascadia snap peas

Maestro shelling peas

Red new potatoes
Cauliflower

Savoy cabbage

Walla Walla sweet onions

Radish seed pods

Kale shoots and flowers

Nasturtiums

Chives

Sage

Oregano

Italian parsley

Mint

Lemon Balm

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Red and yellow raspberries

What we're planting now for fall:

Tonda di Parigi carrots

Nelson hybrid carrots

Sora radishes

French breakfast radishes

Divina lettuce

Umpqua broccoli

Cascadia snap peas

Summer Square Foot Garden Bed

Summertime square foot garden bed in July

Everything has grown a tremendous amount in this square foot bed during the past couple months.  This is our original vegetable bed that we keep expanding each year.  It's big enough now that we need stepping stones to walk through the middle of it.  We've got lots of other garden beds now, so this one has become a good kitchen potager full of herbs, flowers, and vegetables.  Here's a list of what's growing here this summer:

Snapdragons

Poppies

Sweet peas

Alyssum

Kale flowers

Lavender

Calendula

Strawberries

Oregano

Sage

Chervil

Italian Parsley

Garden sorrel

Chinese chives

Basil

Thyme

Bronze fennel

Walla Walla sweet onions

Lettuce

Sungold cherry tomatoes

 

Just to give a comparison, here's a photo of the same garden bed in spring.

Springtime square foot garden bed in April

In this spring photo, it's easier to see the onions (many of which have been thinned out by now), as well as the stepping stones!  You can also see a good amount of spinach, a small row of shelling peas, some mustard greens, and the very beginnings of the kale plants. 

A Riot of Color!

It's a riot of color in this expanding square foot garden bed right now.  I'm not sure this is what Mel Bartholomew had in mind, but it's beautiful and bountiful!

Flowers & Herbs in Patio Pots

A  few kinds of mint, sweet peas, alyssum, and soon-to-be-blooming peacock orchids, along with poppies, calendula, and strawberries in the background

Raspberries and Strawberries!

Today's raspberry and strawberry harvest

Pretty New Deck Chairs!

We found these lovely hand-built deck chairs and table from Laughing Creek Productions at the Edmonds Summer Market this week.  Now I have a nice place to put this pretty pot of sweet peas!

Bouquet in a Basket

Big clusters of oregano and lemon balm harvested today!

Papaver Somniferum - Hungarian Breadseed Poppies

Papaver Somniferum, commonly known as Hungarian breadseed poppies

Breadseed poppy with Delicata squash, lettuce, and herbs

Hungarian breadseed poppies

Sunlight and Strawberries

We've been picking strawberries every day this week.  So delicious!

Potato Patch!

July Bouquets

Sweet Peas

Love in a Mist

Two pretty bouquets in one day!

Early Summer Flowers

Shasta Daisies

California Poppies

Yellow Lilies with Euphorbia

Feverfew

Snapdragons and Poppies

Sweet William

Poppies and Bellflowers

Rozanne Hardy Geraniums

Sweet Peas

Lupines with Daylilies

Love in a Mist with Blueberries and Grapes

Acidanthera, aka Peacock Orchids

Calendula with Crocosmia Lucifer

Bolting Kale Flowers

Summer Lunch!

Strawberries, snow peas, and the first of the red potatoes

Dinosaur Kale & Egyptian Walking Onions

Dinosaur Kale and Lettuces with Egyptian Walking Onion

Egyptian Walking Onions

Cabbage Patch!

Savoy cabbage

Savoy cabbage patch plus nasturtiums