Blanket Flower
(Click on the image for a larger photo)

I have grown blanket flowers in my garden for the last several years. However, my luck with them has not been that great so when I built the new bed around the flowering almond, I decided to see how they would do in that bed as it gets more sunlight. Blanket flowers require full sine and a well drain soil.

Blanket flowers are perennials and there are both tall and short varieties; the tall variety can reach a height of up to a meter (3 feet) while the dwarf will only grow to 30 cm (1 foot) in height. Gaillardias are hardy zones 4-10. Blanket flowers are from the sunflower family and are tolerant to drought conditions, making them a good choice in areas with limited rainfall.

Red Plum

In my little orchard I have a red plum tree. I am not exactly sure of the cultivar; these are the same plums that grandfather had on his farm. My searches on the internet to try and identify the cultivar have been hampered by poor quality images. When we use to go and visit grandfather, a visit to his plum trees when they were bearing fruit was always on the agenda for us. When grandfather become unable to maintain the trees, it would be a chore to get to the fruit. I would have to push my way through the branches; getting many scratches along the way. However, the reward of sweet ripe plums were worth the effort.

I have been processing my red plums as they ripen. I only have one mature tree and not enough of the fruit ripens at one time for me to make my plum preserves. If not cleared away, the dropped fruit will eventually lead to small trees under the main one. I have already relocated one of them to the edge of the back garden as I have no room in the little orchard. I am considering clearing some trees below the garden in the little valley and transplant some of the small plum trees there to see if I can increase the amount of plums I get each year.

The Back Veggie Garden

Back Veggie Garden in July

The first photo shows the back veggie garden when I prepared it for planting in the spring. Compare that shot with the second photo showing the garden with all the vegetables growing. It took a while with the crazy spring weather we had for the garden to start growing, but it is now looking great and producing fresh vegetables for the table. There are yellow squash, courgettes (zucchini), green peppers, red peppers, banana peppers, jalapeños, cayenne, roma tomatoes, big boy tomatoes, pear tomatoes, okra, egg plant, butternut squash, cantaloupes, cucumbers, watermelons,and beets. Down in the little valley are green beans, white potatoes, and pie pumpkins.