Two Years In...

It's hard to believe we've lived in our 'new' house for almost two years now.  The garden has come a long ways in two years!  A quick tour around to see how things are growing...

The July garden is looking nice and colorful.  The trusty Purple Coneflowers, some of our earliest additions, are blooming away along the front entrance.

The decorative fence and new beds we put in this year are coming along and slowly being filled.

I am especially proud of the new 'hellstrip' between the sidewalk and the street.  Filled with extra plants taken from other generous gardener friends' thinnings, as well as with plants grown from seed, it looks quite impressive for the pittance I paid!

On the other side of the driveway is the strip that is in its second year, slowly filling in its way to the brim.

My goal is to grow so many flowers that there is no space for weeds and I never have to weed again.

Wish me luck.

Daylily 'Stephanie Returns' and Coreopsis Big Bang growing in the hellstrip

On either side of the driveway are my whiskey barrel planters.  This year I chose to grow an old favorite - Petunias.

There are a couple of other types of plants in there, too, but the Petunias decided to grow right over them.  As it turns out, Petunias are downright opinionated plants.  I'm honestly just happy they finally made up their minds to start blooming after starting them from seed several months ago!

Moving further into the front yard, we come to my Blue-and-Gold Garden alongside the driveway.

I'm afraid to report that my Blue-and-Gold garden isn't looking so blue and gold - and that's not just because of all the weeds that I haven't gotten to yet.  I tend to, um, just plant things on a whim sometimes when I don't know exactly where I want something to go.  Last year I plopped about ten Rose Milkweed plants in this bed.  I'm loathe to move them, though, as they are so happy in that spot, and then when they bloom this happens:

Fritillary butterflies on Rose Milkweed

The flowers are just covered in bees, butterflies, and other pollinators!  I have not seen any Monarch butterflies yet (for whom I planted all this milkweed), but I am on the lookout.

On to the backyard...

my baby

Inside, safe and warm, are all my tomatoes and peppers.

Outside, in the other corner of the yard, is the veggie garden, filled with tomatillos, ground cherries, snow peas, green beans, carrots, and zucchini.  We've worked hard on it this year, and it's paying off.  The new raised beds are making quite the difference.

Actually weeding it helps, too.

gratuitous Daylily picture

After a strangely warm, dry spell in Spring, temperatures have cooled off, and it's been a fairly nice Summer so far.  July has been getting a bit hotter and muggier, but after living in North Carolina, I can't really complain.  The plants have been enjoying the weather.  I think weeds enjoy all weather.

A garden always needs daisies.

I wish you all a happy and enjoyable, bloom-filled summer!

my heart shaped yarrow bloom

And Happy Weeding Gardening!

To see what else is growing in gardens of bloggers around the world, visit Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day over at May Dreams Gardens blog!