Purple Allium in the Bohemian Cottage Garden

The “Trouble Spot” in the Garden

Purple Allium in the Bohemian Cottage Garden

Allium are fun to watch as they make the slow progress of blooming

The Bohemian Cottage garden is ever changing come midsummer. Some of the blooms from early spring have made their stunning show, while others are just now making an appearance, like these purple alliums. These Allium are growing in a corner of the garden that has been particularly troublesome. I would say that in the 5 years here at Bohemian Cottage, this is the best for that spot. I have also planted a circus tent petunia, delphinium, blue asters and salvia. There are also several gladiolas coming up from bulbs I planted last year. I thought that gladiolas were annuals unless taken out of the ground and stored, but these have proven to be tough Colorado hearty gladiolas! (read more)

Stunning Iris Flower Rhiozome

Spring Flower Garden

Iris Spring Flower Garden

These mystery Iris were planted a couple of years ago. Surprise!

When these iris were planted in the front garden a couple of years ago, I was not sure what color they were. I can’t even remember where I got them. Was it the Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum plant swap? Maybe my friend Julie? Surprises in the garden are one of the joys of toiling in the dirt. Watching all of the fruits of your labor burst into bloom in the spring, summer and fall makes it all worth it. I love the process of teaching the kids about the powerful lesson of cultivating a seed, nurturing it and watching it grow into a beautiful flower or food to eat. The value of delaying gratification and cultivating patience. I know many of the gardeners feel the same as I do, that gardening is a form of therapy. Cheap and effective therapy! (read more)

The Late Autumnal Garden 2013

Beautiful Fall Foliage from our Raspberry Bush

Our Raspberry in full fall color

With the gorgeous mild weather we have been having, I was inspired to work out in the garden for some fall clean up. Much to my surprise my raspberry bush is giving us quite the show with it’s beautiful rust and burgundy foliage. I still have some mums, sage, carrots and beets in the garden.

I was able to memorialize our vivid and robust Swiss Chard from my last harvest. Next year I will include some of the recipes I experimented with.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard Harvested from the Garden

Here are a few more shots of the last of our 2013 garden.

Fall Pink Mum (read more)

Midsummer Garden

The front yard garden midsummer

The front yard garden midsummer

Our garden this year is thriving! My neighbor generously gave us the tomato plants this spring. I was not sure what they were going to turn out like. They are all yellow this year! We have yellow cherry tomatoes, yellowish orange and huge yellow ones. We were also gifted some lemon basil from another friend that is so wonderful in asian style dishes.  Never before have I grown so much Genovese basil. The plants are so healthy and the flavor is so wonderful. Fresh pesto is a summer pleasure that if buying basil fresh it can get costly. Unfortunately I let my green beans get too tough, they matured it seemed overnight. They were tiny one minute then they suddenly, huge! (read more)

Our 2013 Garden

Early June Garden 2013Here is our potager vegetable and herb garden in early June. I will be updating with more recent pictures soon. It has taken off nicely with the addition of purple kale, swiss chard, romaine, spinach, purple leaf lettuce. We also have 2 kinds of basil, 2 kinds of tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, 3 kinds of peppers and eggplant. I have also been cutting the ends off the scallions and leeks and replanting them. they keep coming back! I am a fairly new gardener and discovering all kinds of things like that make it so fun! (read more)