Out in the Garden

The taming of the weeds never ends, as does the need to renovate the old garden. Some of you will remember how last spring, in an ambitious decision, we tore down part of the adjoining wall between the front yard and the old garden on the other side.

A few short months later, the scenery hasn't changed much. Except, of course, for the final victory over the honeysuckle plants which effectively buried our grape arbors from sight.

The grape row has been mulched with cedar shavings to deter weeds ... the vines are due to be "trimmed back" after this season, in case you're noticing the scraggly branches trying to crawl away from the hedge.

The muscadine arbor has also been mulched and partially pruned. A few ambitious limbs last year seized hold of the privet hedge on the other side of the path and pulled it over into the yard, but we managed to curb its enthusiasm this year and keep it in one spot.

A glimpse inside the overhead muscadine arbor ...

The raised beds are new additions (the first of a large-scale container gardening plan). They house vegetables, flowers, herbs, and even potatoes ... hopefully, we'll be posting links to a few articles on container gardening in the coming months.

The garden in progress: the first raised beds by the arbors

The free-range bed beneath the twin mini-elms is home to herbs and a few heirloom wildflowers, like these rose mullions and flowering wild ivy known as passion fruit.

A passion flower vine sprouts beside the caged cherub. Behind it, a mix of mullion blossoms, black-eyed susans, herbs, and wild garlic blossoms ....