Tuesday, June 25, 2013

When the Showers Stop



It's rainy and cool. Not good weather for puttering in the garden. But today, the rain stopped, the sun shone and I ventured out to survey the estate. As soon as we have a dry day I'll be harvesting lavender. Some plants I'll leave for decorative effect.
 

The blueberry bushes are loaded with fruit this year, and are just beginning to ripen. 



There's lots to anticipate. I was surprised to see this big clump of tomatoes. I'd been looking down at the plants and was a little disheartened, but when I squatted and looked up, there they were! I guess looking up is always best :)
 

Here's one of my hydrangea bushes, blooming with both pink and blue flowers. Now why is that? It's a starter from another bush that has always bloomed blue. I know that the soil has something to do with the color, but I'm puzzled by this. I'm not so worried that I don't just enjoy the blossoms. 

How is your garden? Blooming? Producing? Showing signs of progress?

18 comments:

  1. Hydrangeas are still tightly budded here but showing some colour. Tomatoes - lots of blossoms but no fruit setting yet. Garlic shoots are up and strawberries doing good. I am about ready to harvest some lavender as well. Your blueberries look nice and plump . . . soon you will be enjoying them.

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  2. Our garden is nowhere near as advanced as yours yet. We too have blue hydrangeas which never bloom the same colour as they used to be in spite of feeding them with whatever it is they are supposed to prefer! But they are still lovely.

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  3. Your hydrangeas are a combination similar to mine. Someone said to put a nail in the ground to bring the darker blues. Your photos are just beautiful! And your garden looks promising with those green tomatoes getting ready to change colors! What a cute idea for a road --- I will have to do that with my grandson and his matchbox cars!

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  4. You are much further ahead of us in chilly Cornwall! My hydrangeas are only just showing signs of the blooms to be. Lavender is just beginning too, I wait with anticipation, as this is the first year of planting them.

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  5. You are further ahead of us here despite our heat and humidity. I am getting a bit depressed with all the rain. It's annoying me and preventing me from doing what I really want to do. It's so hard to bend the will to some new chore when the mind is already set. I will be really happy to learn that the sun has come out there for then I might hope for sun here.

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  6. Oh the lovely blueberries and tomatoes and hydrangeas. I mostly garden flowers on the deck - though the honeysuckle along the bottom edge of the deck is doing quite well without my help and is beginning th flower. My petunias are a bit tired and ragged from all this rain - they are predicting heavy thunderstorms today - then clearing tomorrow afternoon and some sunshine and maybe up to 80 on the weekend - I sure hope so. I keep pinching off the soggy petunias - I'd like the rain to stop long enough for a few pretty pictures.

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  7. Beautiful photos! Lucky you! The only plant in our garden that is as advanced is our hydrangea (Endless Summer) with blue and pink blooms (our lime soil always produces pink unless amended). Tomatoes only at blooming stage, can't overwinter lavender here, no blueberries....but we do have lots of mosquitos this year!

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  8. Lovely glimpses after that storm that passed through. My hydrangea was pink when I planted it from a pot into the soil in our yard. It's always bloomed a purplish blue since it went into the ground. My lavender is ready to snip and enjoy, too. We have a nice blueberry yield this year, too, but all are still green.

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  9. Your lavender is so far ahead of mine. The spikes have the gorgeous flowers still hidden away and I can't wait for them to burst into life. The only thing that really is making a show at the moment are the roses. Take care. Chel x

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  10. My son-in-law (a master gardner) says that the hydrangea turn pink because the soil is so acidic. He says that to make them a darker blue, I have to add powdered lime around the roots.

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  11. O, everything looks sooo pretty in your garden..the tomatoes made me hungry for fried green tomatoes..:))

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  12. We're still eating lots of strawberries and starting to get a few raspberries and blueberries. But where is the sun to ripen everything?

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  13. Beautiful photos! I'm not getting hardly any tomatoes - it's just been so very hot already that they don't want to set any fruit!

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  14. Pretty plants & I'm jealous of your blueberries! I don't think my sister will be able to pick her bushes this year, due to her knee replacement & she was my main source of them. Horrors...I may have to break down & BUY them! LOL

    Love your multi-color hydrangea bushes! Mine are both pink & blueish/purple, too. It IS due to the acid/alkaline balance in the soil. You can change it by adding different chemicals but I like the double colors!

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  15. Stunning picture of the lavender. I'm sooo jealous of yours and hate that it won't thrive where I live - too far south.

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  16. bonjour Lorrie
    merci de ta visite sur mon blog
    j'apprécie tellement les commentaires
    je suis handicapée , je ne marche pas très bien , et ce contact avec la blogo
    m'aide beaucoup à oublier mes douleurs
    il faudra un joli coup de soleil pour faire mûrir les tomates
    à très bientôt
    tendresse
    edith (iris)

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  17. ps: je reviendrais voir tous les tutos
    je me suis inscrite à votre blog
    alors à très vite
    bisous
    edith(iris) France

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  18. Your garden is doing great! I always love seeing your photos.

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Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

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