Garden Tour

 Today Bob and I power sprayed our deck in preparation for staining it.  Tomorrow we will see if I will do it.  Depends on how hot it gets.

 I could not believe how different it looks and how much dirt comes out of the wood.

 Bob has a few Bonsai's out on the deck.  Here is his Japanese Maple and my herons.  Then I also have my studious grumpy frog.

As you leave the deck you pass a fountain and our old brick pathway to the garage.  I have a weeping larch in this bed and hostas of course.

 On the brick pathway is my planter of chicks and hens.  One has shot up a huge bloom.  I am waiting anxiously for this to open.  Very strange looking.

 At the bottom of the step you are looking at what I call the "Nude Boy" Garden due to the nude boy bird bath that sits in it.  It is doing so well this year and it is one of my favorite beds.

 When we put up the privacy fence last year I planted hostas way back in that corner under the cedar trees.  It looks really shady and woodsy in there now.

 On the one side of the deck is a japanese maple and what I call a Grandpa tree.  It is really a weeping cedar but it looks to me like an old man bent and gnarly.

 I had to plant a mulberry tree in the garden.  When I was young there was a mulberry tree that I would crawl under since the branches grow to the ground.  Ours is just like it and here is a  peak into its interior.  My Grandson Max, loves to go inside this tree.

 Besides hosta and huchera I have a lot of astilbe in my garden since it is mostly shade.  The white one is looking beautiful right now.

 The daylilies are almost finished blooming but still add a pop of orange in the far back of the garden.
Do you see my Christmas present from my grandson, Max hanging in the tree?  It is a colorful bird house he painted by himself when he was still 3!

 I have three birdbaths in the garden.  Here is the smallest one yet the one the Blue Jays enjoy the most.  Maybe because it is furthest from the house.

 We have an arbor separating the area behind the garage from the rest of the yard.  This is where we have our garden shed and garden.

 Peppers are still producing great peppers.  Hot ones too!

 The squash is blooming so we should have some delicious squash closer to fall.

Tomatoes everywhere.  We always end up with way too many tomato plants.  There will be lots of salsa and sauce made this year.

 It is not a huge garden but we get a lot out of it and it is managable for us.  Have to keep the hose and sprinkler ready to go each day right now since it is so dry and hot.

 Had to bring a little bit of color back here in my antique watering can.

 If you sit a while with me I may bring you an ice tea to drink.   You will be looking back at this....

The humble house I call home.  I just love it.  This photo was taken around 7pm tonite.   Now I suppose you want to know what is my favorite thing in my garden.  That is easy.

 It is our Paperbark Maple.  It is still young but the bark is getting really good now and peeling like it should.  I just love this tree.  In fall it will be one of the last to loose its leaves and they will be a bright orange-red. 

What is not to love about this texture and colors!!!!!  This will end up in a quilt one of these days.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.  I have enjoyed sharing my back yard with you.  Next I will show you the front yard.