I'm so sorry...

No doubt you have all been anxiously awaiting a garden update from the Eyre household...I had NO IDEA almost a year had passed since the last one. I will make it up to you here. Ask next time! ;)

This post will be all garden, so stop here if this holds no interest for you. Fair warning.

I didn't think I'd have anytime to garden this year. 'Just keep it simple', is what I said. Well, apparently gardening is the one thing that soothes my soul, whether things go as planned or not. So I garden on and take joy in every little bud and cry for all that is lost. Or is stagnant.  It's all okay.

This spring I finished my installing my hardscaping plan from last year (see post from Sept '16 if you want a refresher!) and then filled it in with a plethora of plants.  It's one of those things that you are glad you didn't realize how much work it would be from the start, or you never would have started. It's not crazy fancy, but it's mine. And considering how small my yard is, it feels good and happy and relaxing. I installed a large flat rock on one side so that I would have a place to sit and meditate or read. Which works really well until the neighbors let their little yippers out and they feel the need to make sure everyone is aware of my presence. Smile. 

THE LEFT

The left rock garden has some yarrow (red!), silky grass, salvia, manzanita, a fern bush, siberian pea shrub, key broom and evening primrose (oenethera macrocarpa--my new absolute favorite). For some reason my broom is the same 2" high as when I planted it in the spring, but everything else is filling in nicely.  The spot gets less sun that I realized, once the birch behind it leafed out, but I think the sun these plants DO get is pretty strong and is sufficient to keep most things here happy. 

Primrose. *love*

This yarrow looks even more red in person. 

THE MIDDLE

Here you can see where I terrace little steps in along the length and planted various types of thyme on the bottom step. I also through some wildflower seeds (that I got for my birthday) in front of each raised bed, which have grown like crazy. The little purple flowers close each night, but are delightful. The others seeds have grown huge, but I have yet to see a flower...I have no idea what they are supposed to be, but I assume something will bloom before our first freeze!  You can see my sitting rock at the end of the path.

My second raised bed with strawberries and asparagus is having a light year (although I have had a handful of strawberries and a batch of garlic harvested), but the first bed above is growing like mad. I tried a new soil mix and, what do you know, I CAN grow tomatoes. Who knew. Usually by now the snow peas are toast and I have to plant a second batch for the fall, but with the cooler weather and rain we've had the past few weeks, they just keep producing (left of the bed- they have outgrown their supports and have just fallen over to cover the whole width of the bed. Then in the middle are Sean's pole beans from mom and dad's bloomin' christmas. I just love looking out at the gorgeous orange flowers that the beans are now slowly replacing. I keep having to put a longer and longer stick in for them to climb. On the right back are my 2 tomato plants. They are LADEN with fruit. I have only harvested 3 so far, but I know as soon as the sun stays out for a few days I will be in over my head.

My purple variety!                                                            Pole beans

THE RIGHT

Grapes are huge this year. Also makes a nice shady spot, which Thomas, Henry and I took advantage of one day for a game and a picnic.

Our new neighbors, Riley and Carly

Prairie clover. This plant is just beginning to fill out but I love it's unique blooms

The bees are back! Just planted
 flowers and all of a sudden
 we have bees instead of wasps.

Sweet wildflowers with thyme below