Scarlet Runner Beans

I planted these scarlet runner beans only a few weeks ago, and they are quickly coming up in response to the warm, damp days. If they have another month of similar conditions, they can grow up to 12 feet tall!

They are making their way up the trellis on the north side of the solar woodshed.

They are beautiful plants, with bright red blossoms and purple-colored spatter-print beans.

Gladiolas are Here!

The glads are a little earlier than I expected this year, even with the cooler weather and less sun. They are getting so heavy that I had to prop them up with bamboo last evening. They are a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family. They are named for the Latin word for sword, gladius.

In the background of this picture, you can see that the rhubarb is back--that is one hardy herbaceous perennial!

Progress in the August Garden

I have multiple posts this week to update progress in my summer garden. Here is my Three Sisters Garden over the weekend. The corn is growing slowly, but the beans and squash are doing very well. The three plants cross-fertilize, shade, and nurture each other. It's an old Indian custom to combine these three species.

Ideally, the corn would support the beans, and the beans would shelter the squash.

Swiss Chard and its Origins

I thought this solitary Swiss Chard was a perfect example of this leafy vegetable, with it's bright green color and scarlet veins. It's a variety from my heirloom seed company Baker Creek Seed Company.

The word Swiss was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalog publishers. The chard is very popular with Mediterranean cooks. The first varieties have been traced back to Sicily.

The Tenacious Cucumber

I managed to save two very small cucumber plants from the slugs before their onslaught a few months ago, and placed them in individual planters on a bench off the ground. I watered them, and didn't pay too much attention to them until this weekend.

Both tiny plants have one large cucumber each on their stems!

A New Apple Tree

We lost an apple tree during the harsh, cold winter this last year, and I finally found something to take its place. This little apple tree was picked up a few weeks ago at Home Depot, and I chose a setting that gets mixed sun and shade against the west fence of the pasture. It's next to a new flower garden that I'm currently putting in this week, so it will have lots of company once everything is planted and makes itself at home.

An Idea for a Large Tree and Flower Arrangement

I've been looking at possible tree/flower solutions for the entrance to my home in Maltby, and I found a great arrangement with an arbor vitae and impatiens at Redmond Towne Center over the weekend. This would be beautiful at the entrance to the gravel driveway that leads to our home, and would grace the front panels of the white picket fence.

I'll start looking for an appropriate set of matched pots, and I'll have no problem finding the arbor vitae at Flower World! Another project coming up!