Bumblebee Blog

July 13th, 2008

The flowers and veggies here at Bumblebee continue to grow, as do the weeds. In fact, I’m still trying to get back on top of the weeds that sought world domination while I had the nerve to go on a week-long family vacation.

In the Colonial theme garden, where I do my most intensive gardening, I decided to experiment with some new veggies this year, including tomatillos, blackeyed peas and a wider variety of heirloom tomatoes, including Paul Robeson, Black Sara, Goose Creek and Cherokee Purple. I’m also growing pattypan and crookneck squash, malabar spinach, strawberries, all kinds of peppers and herbs.

I’m happy with the decision to add more flowers in containers in the theme garden. They add more color than I can squeeze into the beds and it also forces me to head out with the water hose every day since container plants dry out so quickly.

I have started another garden area that we are currently calling the North Garden. It used to be the Poop Garden because that’s where our old dog Winifred used to, well, you know. Winifred has been gone for a few years now, so I figure it’s safe to expand our vegetable growing in a spot that she used for her own production.

Frankly, I’m still struggling with the organization and plant content of the North Garden, so I’m not really ready to post photos. But I will before the end of summer, if only so you can shake your heads and feel sad for how miserably I’ve failed.

Thanks for visiting. Drop me a line or comment and let me know how your garden is doing.

Ciao!

Bzzzz June 20th, 2008

When I was a (more) novice gardener, I made the mistake…

…of thinking that the tiny butterfly bush I dragged home from my local garden center couldn’t possibly grow to be 12 feet high as the tag described. I though that perhaps other people’s butterfly bushes might get that big, but mine surely wouldn’t. The hardpan Maryland clay, my relative inexperience or a host of potential perils would surely prevent 12 feet of unfettered growth.

Five years have proven me quite wrong.

I have spent three years staring at amazement as the bush that I religiously hack to about three feet of sticks in the fall burst back to life and grow to nearly 12 feet by June. The butterfly bush has been threatening to overtake the two Nikko Blue Hydrangeas planted on either side.

In fact, the butterfly bush has grown so unwieldy that I planned on having Walter, my sometimes handyman, dig up the beast and move it to a more suitable location. Unfortunately, Walter was a little late in arriving this year and the bush was already in full leaf–not a good time for a major move.

We’ll be living with the monster butterfly bush again this year. The beauty of it, though, is that with all the blooms, the bush attracts dozens of butterflies at any time. The don’t call it a butterfly bush without a good reason. I can look out my kitchen window and see butterflies any time of the day.