The Kitchen Garden {an update}

I have been wanting to do a kitchen garden update for some time. Instead of waiting any longer for me to pull out the good camera I decided to just snap some iPhone pics. With wedding season in full swing the last thing I want to do is edit personal pics. Ha. I am sure if you happen to follow me on instagram you can easily tell how much I LOVE having a garden. It's been a fun project for both the kiddos and I. It relaxes me to no end. It's even better since things actually came to life. In the back of my head I was afraid that it simply would not work. Our garden is organic and gmo free. I have had to battle bunnies and bugs. Sometimes they win and sometimes I do.

These are either zucchini or cumber. I am still learning along the way needless to say. The lettuce flowered and became bitter. Had no idea that would happen. Again learning as I go. Will most definitely try lettuce again when it cools off. Apparently it's more of a cool weather plant not an Alabama heat kind of one.

I added zinnias for cutting and to draw bee's for pollination and to help keep bad bugs at bay. I had no idea they would do so well! The more you cut the more they come back.

The okra came in with abundance. The kiddos absolutely adore picking new finds and even trying everything that they have grown.

These were a surprise to me. I never planted sunflowers, but yet here they are!

The watermelon may be what I am most excited about. One now has a big old black spot on it. Heart breaking really. Any of you know of a good way to keep pests at bay organically?

This is from yesterdays bounty. Yum! It makes me want to add more beds, but alas we have a small yard and it's filling quickly.

You can see the start of the garden here.

It's Growing!

After years and years of fighting our yard and how poorly done it was in the beginning I finally am seeing hope! We got rid of everything that was planted in the wrong spots and have been slowly but surely adding back in. I thought I would miss the big spruces that sat in front of the house, but I must say that I love how much it opened up the house. I planted hydrangeas in their place and hope to have them be more prominent next year.

In the back the climbing iceburg roses are doing quite nicely. My sweet papa and mama are building me a pergola for my birthday and I hope to have the roses cascade on top too. Back vinyl siding I will be rid of you yet!

We also have become quite fancy with our blow up pool. ha. It really is the best $30.00 we have spent. You can also see the new limelights are starting to fill in. They are just beginning to bloom now. Can't wait till next year when this will become a solid hydrangea wall.

The veggie beds are doing even better than I expected! They are becoming full and have produced a good deal. I also added zinnias for cutting and for pollinating. I just adore them.

This was the first tomato of the season. It's of the heirloom variety and tasted amazing. Even the kiddos who aren't too partial to tomatoes gobbled it up.

The lettuce is also supplying me with plenty of greens. I am not much of a salad person, but these are rather good. A simply drizzle of olive oil and balsamic is all they really need.

Although this has nothing to with my yard I wanted to share. The kiddos and I went to a nearby lake with one of my besties and her girls. We had the best time! It was a quick trip, but it re-energized me greatly. If you know me well I am not one to enjoy swimming all that much. I know enough to save a child, but that's about it. On this trip however I realized I needed to be "fun" so I climbed in. It was invigorating. Maybe I do enjoy the water more now that I am older. I love learning new things about myself. Even the Mr was proud when he saw my bravery.

How does my Garden Grow {an update}

As the kiddos played outdoors the other day and as the storms rolled in I grabbed a few iPhone pics of the progress that has been made in our yard. May not look like much, but it has made leaps and bounds! Ha. The veggie beds are doing great. They are completely organic and GMO free. Most started from seed minus the center tomato plants and the strawberries hence why they aren't huge as of yet. I am sure a healthy dose of Miracle Grow would do wonders, but alas that would defeat the purpose. To the left of the patio I planted more limelight hydrangeas to make a full hedge. They grow so quickly I know next year this will make such an impact. A few things left on my list to do is to stain the play set a dark black/green, add sod to all the missing places, and make a grilling station for the Mr. My sweet papa is also going to head up making a pergola over the patio for some shade. Can't wait to cover it in vines. My initial thought is Jasmine for it's evergreen tendancy's, but wisteria could be quite a show-stopper too.

TIDBIT: I bought the coil hoses at Target, but have this one on my radar. With so much everyday use the ends have already started to kink and this one has GREAT reviews. The coil has been a life changer this season. Not sure why it took me so long to convert.