Renaissance Reflection II

We discovered that one of the three birch trees that we planted last year had a decent amount of dead wood when the others started to leaf out.  It was in a key screening spot by the hot tub so we decided to get another one.  We moved the one that wasn't doing as well and pruned it up with the hopes it will make a come back.  We then planted one more Renaissance Reflection Paper Birch tree.  Every tree planted is a big job- especially because we have to clear space in the jungle that is our property line to access the planting hole.  Our birch grove is growing though, and in the future we can continue thinning out the norway maples as the birch get bigger.

What Grows

This year we discovered that we have a Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)!  We knew there was a mystery tree getting swallowed by the enormity of the beautybush (light pink flowers on the right), but realized it is a Fringetree when it started blooming this spring.  I'm not sure what we are going to do with it.  Ideally it would be transplanted but the root system is probably pretty entwined with the beautybush and the small dogwood tree to it's left.  We may leave that project for next spring...
 

The veggie garden getting going...

we had an abundance of strawberries this year from our spreading patch.

hens checking out the blooming Clematis and photographer.

We have a few pears on each of our new pear trees this year so fingers crossed they won't get the black spot that killed off the fruit last summer.

Our annual snapdragons didn't die this past winter and the white ones just kept on growing!  I've never seen them this tall!

Garden beds and our new car!  A generous gift from my grandmother.  We still have the Volvo to match so now we are a 2 maroon station wagon family.

Siberian Iris

Gas plant

the St Johnswort  keeps getting bigger-

As do the woodland sunflowers...

Early Spring Blooms

Everything seems to be blooming earlier than last year, around 1-3 weeks earlier, starting from the first crocus blooms...

and Quince-

Cardinal in the Quince

Trout Lilies

Solomon's Seal coming up between the Trout Lilies

Pear Trees

Fothergilla and lungwort

Flowering Dogwood

flowers and veggies

The veggie garden got off to a slow start with alot of rain and new mystery pests that chopped all new growth back. But as the season went on, the garden starting growing faster and the insects and mice couldn't catch up. (or the caterpillars all turned into moths.)

The veggies and some flowers started their lives as seeds inside at 49 ocean-

they finally made the big move outdoors before and around mother's day.

garlic- in the front is garlic from drumlin farm compared to a couple of local farmer's markets- it is much bigger! not sure what variety they are...

snap peas, peppers and various onions

tomatoes, basil, onions and hops growing up the back fence.

cucumbers, broccoli and a beer trap for slugs

beans!

cucumber flower

buttercups by the compost

sage

beautybush

some agastache that was grown from seed

the "meadow" is coming along- gaura, baptisia and grasses...

lupine

gas plant

columbine

thread-lead bluestar

miss kim lilac

chives and purple fennel

later in the season....blueberries!