First Tomatoes

Over the last week, while I have been holed up inside, the tomatoes were starting in the vegtable garden. I wasn't sure whether the title of this post fit, because the tomatoes are not ripe yet, but early signs of the deliciousness to come is something to celebrate. Pictured below is 'Smarty' Grape Tomato, a purchase from my local plant indulgence, Fairview Garden Center.

The 'Mountain Fresh' Tomatoes are also producing small green fruits, but they will take much longer to mature into large red slicing tomatoes.  This little powerhouse pictured below is the only hybrid of my tomatoes, and has been producing huge yellow flowers for weeks now. A product of the NC State University breeding program, this is part of the 'Mountain series' which touts disease and crack-resistant fruits with a great taste. Ive grown 'Mountain' tomatoes for 3 seasons now, and they are always the most prolific producers. It has about the best taste I've had for a hybrid, and although it might not taste quite as good as the heirlooms, I grew 3 plants of this variety because its perfect for canning and makes an amazing salsa. Plus I love growing a local variety, that way I know its going to preform well in the North Carolina heat.

 

The tomatoes are filling out nicely. You can see my original plant list on my Preparing the Vegtable Bed Post, although I've swayed only a bit..  For tomatoes I'm growing 2 'Green Zebras', 3 'Mountain Fresh', 1 'Smarty Grape', 2 'Black Krim', and 1 unknown heirloom that was in the 'Black Krim' seed packet which looks to be 'Brandywine' or 'German Johnson'. I just couldn't resist planting it to see what it was. I also added some Italian oregano and lemon grass at the far end.

  

The larger cages in the picture above were a great find, left by the previous homeowner and obviously handmade from fencing. At 6 feet tall they are about they best support you could ask for. You will also notice the marigolds scattered throughout the vegetable bed. Although I'm not a huge fan of the marigold look (too common perhaps) they do bring some amazing benefits. Besides being deer resistant, they help keep aphids away and their roots secrete toxins that help treat soil nematodes that are harmful to vegetables. I figure its worth the 6 bucks for a couple six packs!

Holy hops! The hops are growing fast, and since I took this picture a couple days ago, the 'Centennial' hop vines have already met in the middle of the grape trellis. They grow 4-6 inches a day right now, and should set cones within a month, hopefully, otherwise the heat will start to stunt them. The dill is also going crazy. I use fresh herbs almost every day in cooking, I can always find a way to make them fit, but I still grow too much. Good think a couple friends joined me to help eat the dill. I expect the swallowtails to come every year, so I plant a few extra dill seeds to share.

 

To add a little color, the chives added some blooms. The first is beginning to open, but there are signs of more to come. I probably use these the most of all my herbs, as the onion taste works with all types of dishes.

So begins the summer vegetable garden. I wonder how long until my little green tomatoes will be ripe enough for a salad...

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."  ~George Washington Carver

Peak at the Perennial Border

Ive been spending the last week or so glued to the computer finishing my master's papers, but the beautiful sights of mid-may outside keep calling me for a break. I told myself I wouldn't post again until my paper is finished, but I couldn't resist... so here's a peak at the perennial border in all of its mid-may glory. I can't wait to have the chance to catch up on all the spring happenings...

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."  ~John Muir

My Iris Obsession

I love all types of Irises, and am slowly becoming a collector of different species of these unique flowers in the garden. Iris is the Greek word for rainbow, referring to the myriad of colors of the flowers occurring in the wild. In Greek mythology, Iris is a messenger of the Gods, connecting humanity to the divine through rainbows.

Iris pseudoacorus (Sweet Flag Iris)

 I have Irises in many areas in the garden, in both the front and back yards. The Japanese Sweet Flag Iris (above) is one of my favorites, and thrives in a tough spot where the clay soil floods in winter. After the flowers fade, seed pods appear that, when mature, can be collected for new plants. I germinated a dozen seeds in the greenhouse last fall and had 6 new plants for this spring... not too bad. German Bearded Irises are also a favorite, and I am always amazed at the new color choices every year.  I can put these plants anywhere, even on a side of a ditch, and they thrive. The foliage is semi-evergreen here, and some, like 'Immortality' and 'Well Endowed' are reblooming, flowering in early May and giving another show in late summer.

Above, the jet black buds and rich blooms of Iris germanica 'Gypsy Romance' (German Bearded Iris)

Another unknown cultivar of Iris germanica is blooming at the end of the vegetable bed. A mid-afternoon shower provided a great opportunity for dew-covered pictures.

A great rebloomer with outstanding evergreen foliage worthy of the front landscape, Iris germanica 'Immortality' is pure white, with a yellow "beard".

I also have started a collection of Siberian Irises, Iris siberica. These beauties have a thin, sword-like foliage and delicate flowers. I purchased I. siberica 'Caesars Brother' (left) and 'Butter and Sugar' on clearance last fall and just discovered the beauty of these in the last few days!

A grouping of Japanese Irises (from left to right):  Iris pseudoacorus 'variegata' (Varigated Yellow Flag Iris) yet to bloom, Yellow Flag Iris, and  Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris)

Irises have always been one of my favorite, and I remember them growing in our yard as a child. Now they have secured a solid place in our garden. They look beautiful in a border or solo, and make wonderful cut flowers (although the blooms only last a day or two). I always think of these as Mothers Day flowers, as they seem to bloom around that time. This year they are a little early... but I'm not complaining!

 "Thou art the Iris, fair among the fairest, who, armed with golden rod and winged with the celestial azure, bearest the message of some God." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from Iris

Picnic at Duke Gardens

Sarah P. Duke Gardens, the botanical garden adjoining the Duke University campus is my favorite garden for its beauty and its memories: it was the location of our wedding last June.

We were supposed to get married in the angle amphitheater (pictured below) on a balmy 96 degree evening. A quick rainstorm came through and we were moved to the tent at the Doris Duke center in the background, which cooled things off a bit and I'm told means good luck. It also made for a photographers dream lighting, the picture above is from our post-ceremony portraits in the garden (copyright Diane McKinney Photography).

So Brian and I finally got a free day together, and not having been able to get out of town for a few months, I grabbed by sun hat and we made the 30 minute drive over to Duke Gardens for a picnic among the spring flowers. We found a grassy spot overlooking a pond under a snowball viburnum.

 

It was the perfect time to enjoy the gardens, and there was so much to see! Duke Gardens has 4 main garden areas: The Doris Duke Center Gardens (where the angle amphitheater is), The H.L. Bloomquist Garden of Native Plants, The Terrace Gardens, and the Culberson Asiatic Areboretum.

Trillium (unsigned species)

Although there were interesting plants to be photographed everywhere, the terrace garden was the star of the show, with late-blooming tulips and early-blooming Allium. The plant combinations in this area are beautiful and inspiring, with mixes of early-season annuals, perennials, shrubs, and bulbs.

In another stunning area, walking through the largest garden by far, the Asiatic Arboretum, I always discover interesting new plants.  Perhaps this is because the gardens are always adding to their collection, with trips to China and Japan. With a lake as its center piece, and a traditional tea house on the shore, the beautiful details transform the North Carolina landscape into a lush Eastern paradise.

Rhododendron macrosepalum 'Linerifolium' (Spider Azalea)

Illicium henryi (Henry Anise)

Duke Gardens is our special place to get a way for a while outside of Raleigh. Along with a bit of sun and relaxation, I always come away inspired by the unique plants and beautiful designs. With the memories we've made and continue to make there, I'm sure it is a place we will make a point to visit often throughout our lives.

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."  ~John Muir