After all these years...

So, maybe I'm not the most faithful at keeping you up to date. My apologies. This year, my garden has taken on a new look. I decided to recycle the raised boxes and make them into a pyramid. With a little bit of cutting down the boards, placing a pallet in the back to support the cucumbers and peas, my kitchen garden came together. I was able to recycle a lot of the dirt from the previous boxes, but with 30 bags of $1.14 topsoil from Menards and a mixture of previous years' compost, I was able to fill the pyramid.  As you can see, my neighbor's grapevines, hang ever so lusciously across our fence. Also, my thorn-less blackberries continue to thrive, year after year. Had I not cut them back, I would have been unable to get my boxes in. You can see that they only came back with a vengeance one month later.

Then comes the melon garden, planted with the squash.  This year, I have taken on a new love for roses. I planted three different types of roses.  The first is a White Tea rose next to the Hibiscus tree. After that is red rose and then a red and white variegated rose. Finally, stands the Gardenia tree, all protected under the shade of the grapevines.

On the other side of the yard, my wisteria has taken onto the trellis and is climbing right on up there.  The sage from two years ago, continues to thrive behind the mini patio and on the other side and luscious smelling spearmint permeates the atmosphere when the wind catches it. 

 

 

While driving down the road, one day, I saw an abandoned tire.  It was weathered but I could tell it needed someone to repurpose it. So, I stopped, hoisted it into the trunk of my car and made an nice mint garden in the middle of my rock garden.

 

Finally, comes the compost.  My motto concerning the earth is "waste not want not".  I learned somewhere that you can buy an inexpensive trashcan (which I think I got on sale at Menards some years ago), drill holes in the sides and bottom, put your vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee/tea grounds, egg shells, along with shredded paper, leaves, twigs, branchs, etc.  Roll the trash can around the yard once a week and add water every so often.  In a few short months, you'll find yourself with some rich, black compost.