Neglected

Neglected, that's how a lot of things have gotten over this summer.  My garden being one and my blog has been getting more and more neglected too.
Family things going on, as well as kid activities have given me very little time to be out and take care of the garden.  What free time I've had has been spent on watering.  It has been an unusually dry and warm summer.  I'm not complaining and neither are the tomatoes though!
I thought I would give the blog a little attention today with some of what the garden looks like right now.  Luckily weeds are smaller than the plants, although there are many, many of them.  There are wilted things and crispy things, but luckily for the most part neglect hasn't bothered the garden too much.

 The pond was refilled yesterday so it looks nice right now.

 With the pine tree now gone the plants in the garden and on the deck have gone crazy!

 The arbor has filled out more, with three different types of Clematis and a climbing rose it should be!

 Lots more sunny perennials have been added to the backyard.  They have attracted more bees, butterflies and birds than ever.

 A new Aster.

 The sun is very bright which makes the colors very washed out, but believe me there is a lot of bright color.

 With full sun here now the window boxes are overflowing.

 Lots more sun has made everything explode (and I also credit all the chicken manure from the coop that I spread here last fall).

 Sadly the neglect and lack of water has caused my Flowering Currant to completely dry up.  It didn't seem to matter how much I tried to water, it's still crisp.  I do think I see a bit of green though where new leaves might be trying to grow.

 The blueberries, raspberries and figs are having a very productive summer.  They have really been neglected and luckily don't need too much water.

The chickens are doing great.  You can see the three new ones here that we got as chicks in April.  They all three are laying eggs now.

                           

 Containers on the back deck.

 There's a wagon under those flowers!

 We've seen so many more butterflies than usual this summer.

 Lots of pears getting ready to be picked.

 One of the raised vegetable beds.  We've had tomatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, garlic, chard and Kale already.

Spinach, squash, basil, blueberries and even eggplants!

 Lots of color!

 From the street.

The driveway bed.  It has gotten actually more attention than usual because it's getting some water.  I get very lazy dragging hoses around even in an uneventful summer, but this year I'm making sure that this part doesn't get ignored.

 This baby wren is from mid-July.  It's the first time we've ever seen the babies leave their next.  We had several birdhouses that hosted not one, but two different families this year which is very unusual.

Maybe once the girls start school in September the blog won't be so neglected?  Maybe I'll have more time to spend in the garden?  Well, one thing I've learned this summer is that the garden will go on despite the neglect it's gotten which has been something that makes me happy.  Nothing like a tough day when I can still look out the window and see flowers and birds and butterflies still going on without any help from me.  Another gift from the garden.  It doesn't need me, I need it.

All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress.

I'm still in the garden!

 I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted!  It has been so busy around here, I've barely had time to go on the computer let alone take pictures or blog.  Our weather has been just gorgeous, very summer like and it's hard not to be outdoors when it's like that.  After two awful springs in a row we are all celebrating all this sun and warm weather.  The Littlest Gardener has already been out playing in the sprinkler.  Last year I think it was July before that happened. 
I tried not to go overboard on the pictures, but it was hard not to.  There is just so much going on outside!

 We've been working on getting more planted around the picket fence out front.  I think it's going to look really pretty this year.  The Pink Dogwood ended up having a great bloom!  It's still covered in flowers.

 Deutzia 'Pink Minor' near the front door.  I moved it last year and it seems to love it's new spot.

 Some containers near the front door.

 Clematis 'Asao' is in the wine barrel planter in the previous picture.  The flowers are huge!

 The two raised beds out front are beginning to look like real veggie gardens!  Besides herbs there is spinach, beets, radishes and all kinds of squash plants in this one.

 The other bed is full of kale, chard, basil, peppers and hopefully carrots.

 The Lilac 'Ludwig Spaeth' is having it's best year ever.  The color is so bright and really grabs your attention.

 From the other side of the bed you can see how full it's gotten.

 The neighbor kitty found a nice shady spot under the pear tree.

 Alliums are coming up everywhere!

 Spanish poppies have a really pretty scent, bloom like crazy all spring and summer and I love their tissue paper appearance.

 Gracie found a warm spot on the gravel to plot her next escape.  Here Clematis, rose, Delphiums and phlox are filling in.

 A container I put together last year.  Lewisia is blooming.

 In a shady corner Clematis 'Miss Bateman' is covered in blooms.

 The shed garden is just packed with flowers!

 One of my favorite Columbines.

 The variegated Rhododendron has been here for three years and finally decided to bloom this year.

 We've had herons visiting and so the fish have been hiding a lot.  There is only one so far that I can't find.  After the last time we had heron problems I put an old plastic crate in the pond with plants on it.  It's a perfect hiding spot for the fish now, especially since it's covered in algae.

 The path garden has also taken off.  You can hardly walk down this part everything is so big.  I'm still hoping the Clematises will one day cover this arch.

 For now there are a few 'Nelly Moser' flowers blooming.

 A view of the path from the other direction.

 The raised beds on the side yard are full of Blueberry bushes.  I hope we get lots of berries this year!

 The chicks had their first night outside last night and did great.  I had been putting them out during the day and they loved it so much and hated being put back in their brooder.

 They are growing so quickly!  Now the house is empty of seedlings and chicks and it can get put back together again.  We are all enjoying the chicks.  They are so relaxing to watch.

Hope you lasted for the whole tour!  I realize I forgot to add the driveway garden.  I'll do a post on just that garden next time.  

How's your spring so far?

All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress.