Curb Appeal

Our continued efforts in the front yard must be paying off, because a neighbor asked if we want to be part of the garden tour next spring! Well, actually, he thought we should show off our backyard vegetable garden--something different from the usual flower gardens, but here is a look at the latest front yard improvements anyway.
The star will be this Viburnum. While riding my bike in spring, I could smell these things a block away, so I can't wait. It will also provide some much needed screening. We love that the house feels very urban, being close to the street and all, but staring from my window into a neighbors' window is too much sometimes.
We also planted a few Sedums--you can see the bright pink flowers. The purple grass makes me want more grasses. There were times I worried about the Pieris (Japanese andromeda), but now that it is full of next year's blooms, I think it is a keeper.

But Here Comes Fall

I don't know if I planted my greens early enough, but there's a lot happening in the garden--including the squirrels digging holes.cauliflower

parsnip

beets (and mesclun)

leek

kale--or collards? There's arugula and tat soi too. I'm also trying radishes again, a round variety of carrot, and onions--with seed collected from a past-prime onion I planted in spring.

Summer's Not Over Yet

The tomatoes are hanging in there, and the bell pepper is finally giving us something.