The Living is Easy?

It's been a busy couple of days. Last night my daughter Vanessa, her boyfriend Chris, and our son Casey came over for dinner. Kim and I decided to eat "en plein air." (Can you tell my French lessons continue?)

So we dragged the dining room table outside in the shade. Since the dinner was for Vanessa's birthday I made bruschetta (her favorite appetizer), Calabrese pork and fennel ragu with pasta, fruit salad, and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.





This morning after breakfast at Goldys we decided to ride our bikes to the Idaho Botanical Garden. The garden is about 4 miles from our house so it was a decent bike trip for us.

There is always something new to see at the Garden. This is the first time we've seen Amber Conger's metal sculptures. We were very impressed.






























There is some sculpture in the Garden I'm not fond of but I loved Amber's artwork.


Also at the Botanical Garden, wouldn't you have fun with this hollowed log? It's big but I'd find room somewhere for this.

























Cool plants...































































And what great use of a fountain - fill it with succulents.






















And what do you think? Would you put purple pillars in your garden?


I think I would.


















Back to our garden......

We have Monarda 'Pink Lace' blooming.







Florida Sieboldii is also looking great.
















Another clematis, Comtesse de Bouchard, is blooming in the Moongarden,





























along with our Heritage rose.











The Nicolas daylilies are blooming with lychnis coronaria. This photo shows just one Rose Campion, but you know, if you have one of these plants, you have ONE TON of these plants.





Kim harvested the first carrots from the cold frame, and they taste good! We're excited since this is the first time we've actually tried growing veggies in there. We've also harvested lots of lettuce and chard from the cold frame.



Also, our new kitten, Jessie, has been busy meeting the "girls." Here he is, nose to nose (nose to beak?) with Tootsie. (Jessie is hard to see, but he's in the lower right corner, just peaking out.)

So far, so good.



And finally, Tootsie looks like she's posing for the cover of Horticulture magazine.
(Don't think she'll make it, but she's giving it a good try.)





Summer has been great for us so far. How has yours been?

Garden Tour

Kim and I attended the Lunaria League Garden Tour for the Idaho Botanical Garden this past Sunday. As usual there were some great gardens to peruse. I'll share what I considered to be the highlights.


The first garden started us off well with a massive garden including a stream, an elk topiary, grand views and attractive flower beds. Here the owner, in red, chats up a visitor.





I love the way these columnar trees frame the sunken garden.





Various musical groups were performing throughout the tour. An opera singer was on stage here. Just lovely.






Veggie beds were extremely popular this year. And we saw all sorts, from raised wood-framed beds to rock framed beds to beds framed with "beds".
(Click on this pic to enlarge.)





Keeping with the veggie theme I thought these signs, hand painted by the garden owner, were adorable and practical, too.







A hatted man enjoying the tour.


















Beehives were evident at two of the gardens; obviously trending up.














There were lovely shady gardens,





gorgeous views,





ponds,





water features,




and great landscaping. (The pink tree is a Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki').








That hatted man again, enjoying the view. (Is he following me?)


















There were also too many details to share here. Such as this painting of a clematis, hanging within that same clematis. Great idea.





And look at the decor on this shed,




old watering cans. Clever.


























As usual we enjoyed the tour immensely. We appreciate home owners who allow the public to roam their private gardens just for the enjoyment it brings.
Can't wait for next year.

And that hatted man? It's Kim, of course.

Garden Tour 2010

As usual the Garden Tour by the Lunaria League had some fantastic gardens.

I just love nosing around in other people's back yards and the Garden Tour presents the perfect opportunity to do just that without being arrested!


Vanessa and Chris accompanied us this year and since they're having a house built they were particularly interested in the landscaping elements and use of trees and shrubs.
Here they are on the right perusing that nice spruce.




I thought this planter would look fantastic in our garden.

Isn't this nice?






This is one huge Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans). I wish you could see just how large that trunk is.





I loved the way this gardener tucked hens and chicks into crevices in the rocks around their stream.




When Vanessa saw this tranquil pond she asked why our rocks aren't covered with moss. Anyone know the trick to this? We've had no success with the yogurt painting method.






Great tour. Really enjoyed it.

And it seems as if summer has arrived in Boise!

More Fun in Idaho Bloggers' Gardens

On Sunday Kim and I were fortunate to attend three wonderful gardens. The Idaho Garden Bloggers met yet again. Included on the tour this time were the gardens of Mary Ann and Teresa. A bonus garden belonging to Elaine, a friend of Teresa's, was graciously included for our perusal.

The tour began at Elaine's. What a lovely garden. I felt so inspired. If only our shade garden resembled this;



Elaine even managed to grow castor bean plants in the shade. I'd never even thought of that.

Her garden was full of pretty details and plants everywhere; from huge dahlias to giant tomatoes. Lovely, and obviously planted with love.
















I love the combination of Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate and cosmos.
























Next up was Teresa's garden. As she explained, theirs is a garden in progress. But then, whose isn't, right? And as gardeners we're experts at listening to plans and envisioning the result in our mind's eye.

Teresa has only been working with her garden for two years. She and her husband have already made a lot of progress and the result is evident. They have built a generous sized deck behind the house, pulled out overwhelming shrubs and weed trees, planted flowers and herbs and created a firepit area.
Their garden includes a nice natural rise which they plan on incorporating into their plan with a rock wall and paths, more flower beds, and a swing under the trees for viewing stars at night. I'm really hoping to be able to visit her garden during some of the planned construction.







Teresa is growing quite a variety of vegetables and herbs including tomatoes, lavender, eggplant, many types of peppers, squash, and beans.



And like most gardeners Teresa has expanded her love of gardening beyond the back fence to the delight of passersby.

The weather being normally in the 90's for September in Idaho, Teresa offered us welcomed iced tea along with lovely cookies.











On to the final garden for the day; Mary Ann's.



Mary Ann has been gardening at her current house for 12 years and has probably been gardening her entire life, I suspect. It shows.

Just look at this pool in her back garden. So lovely. And so simply made. She and her husband spend large amounts of time cooling off in this lovely space during our hot Idaho summers.

Isn't it gorgeous? And check out that view!











Mary Ann's garden includes two other water features. This one had a persicaria planted nearby so I was able to ask her opinion of the plant. I just purchased three for our moongarden. She was able to highly recommend the newer varieties as well-behaved.




















Teresa and Mary Ann discuss the espaliered apple tree.





I would love to be able to list the types of plants Mary Ann has growing everywhere but I would hardly know where to begin there were so many. Obviously she loves miscanthus and who wouldn't with that great lighting?

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of her garden along with viewing the parts under construction. (She's adding a stone wall and a rock slab walkway.)




We were also offered some of her Fall Gold raspberries right off the bushes.


I wish I had taken some photos of the great sunset, but I was too busy enjoying the various wines, beer, hummus, cheese, and crostini that Mary Ann offered along with the wonderful conversation that ensues from a gathering of gardeners. You'll just have to use your imagination to envision the sunset available with this sort of view:







What a fantastic day! Thanks to everyone for opening their gardens and homes.