Mortgage Lifter Heart-Shaped Tomato

So thankful we haven't had a hard frost yet. My tomatoes are finally ripening. This beauty weighed it at more than 2 lbs.

Tenants Have Moved In

One of my experimental insect hotels has residents. Likely, babies, but I don't know what kind of babies....yet.

Garden Collage

Flowers, fruit and weeds.

Flower Tour: Sea Holly

It kinda looks like fireworks. Sea holly is a perennial that likes to be neglected. You can easily grow it from seed. They are available in a range of blue-purple tones. Even the stems are colored.

Flower Tour: Hollyhock

Another one of those "once you plant them, you have them for life" kinda flowers.

Flower Tour: Orange Lilies

These are so orange-y, I could eat them up. They're cutting-garden flowers. I got the plants from a neighbor who was tearing out some landscaping.

Flower Tour: Deep Purple Clematis

The clematis is blooming. In front of it is mallow, which will bloom just after the clematis is finished.

Flower Tour: Perennial and Annual Mix

Agastache, guara and petunias in the pot, with lavender on the side.

Flower Tour: Trio of Color

Penstemon, salvia and day lilies - all perennials.

Flower Tour: Clematis on the Arbor

This is a clematis planted last year, to replace one of the Blaze of Glory climbing roses that succumbed to rose cane blight. 

Flower Tour: Thyme in Bloom

Creeping thyme is a perennial, with a constant display of flowers until frost. The plant stays semi-green throughout the winter, so I'm able to clip it for the kitchen in any season.

Flower Tour: False Mallow

There are many types of false mallows. I don't know what kind this is. I purchased a plant about 10 years ago. It is not a perennial, but it seeds freely and has spread to several areas of the yard. It's not invasive, however. Pulling the plants up is easy if you don't want them. But the flowers are delicate and pretty, and popular with bees.

Fairies Live in My Garden

The fairies are settling in at the base of the maple tree.

Tiny Sweat Bee

The sweat bee is an itty-bitty native bee. Some are quite colorful. This one was hanging around a mother wort plant.

Bee in a Geranium

Bees are loving the hardy geraniums.

Fruit-Stripe Gum Flower

This sweet little "million bells" plant reminds me of Fruit-Stripe gum.

Caprese Salad Planter

Patio tomatoes and basil - half of what I need to make a caprese salad. Hopefully by the end of June?

Fairies Live in My Garden

Accidental garden home. This lantern fell from its hook last year. Kenilworth ivy has moved in...I know fairies will, too.

Lawn Mowing Service Damage

I wish I had been paying attention last year, when the guy who mowed my lawn added a single-wheel stand-up attachment to the new giant mower he purchased. It's a commercial mower and is not suitable for residential lawns. The wheel he stands on has killed the lawn in stripes and compacted the soil, especially along the fence and in areas where he turned. I fired him this week and will be working on repairing damaged areas, including some ruts. Arghh. And I am going to learn to mow my lawn, using a battery-operated mower. Details on that later. First step in repairing was to take a pitchfork and work it under the damaged areas and lift them up an inch or so. I will keep repeating this and avoid stepping on the areas for about a month. Just putting soil on top won't fix the problem of compaction. We have to be kind to our turf :)  He also bumped my trees with the new giant machine and that made me sad. Poor trees.

Strawberries Next Month

I don't grow enough for jam-making, only enough for eating immediately out of the garden.