In the Garden

 

Well, this isn't technically in the garden.  It's in a crack between the driveway and a rocky/rough area near our back door.  I now understand why dill is called "Dill Weed."  I did not plant any dill this year but some came back from last year in unexpected places.  I have been using it! I love fresh dill.

The Black-Eyed Susan finally bloomed. It seems like we had tight buds forever.  These are really taking over the bed, but I am OK with that.  We pulled some out earlier in the year to put in planters on our hell strip, and you can't tell the plants were divided at all.  Some strays have popped up too.  Peeking through these, you can see a few Nasturtiums.  We planted those a few years back and they took over, so we pulled them out.  A few stragglers manage to survive and they aren't overwhelming, so we are fine with them.  Not pictured here, but a vine from either a zucchini or cucumber plant  started in the bed, and also along the driveway near the dill.  Not sure how that happened as that was planted the year before last and did not do well at all.  I will happily take those serendipitous growths. Mother Nature is good like that -- but I do wish she'd stop sprouting trees in our garden.  They are a pain to pull out!

The lavender is going gangbusters, which I love. I need to start snipping it for the house.  We put in four plants two or three years ago.  They didn't do great.  I think a few got pulled out the following year when the were mistaken for weeds.  They did better last year but it took the entire season for them to really grow in full.  This year these plants came in strong from the start.  This is another thing I will let take over.

We are very ignorant gardeners.  At some point, I should probably hire someone to come in and restore some order.  Our landscaper is great building things any buying plants, but he doesn't have a formal education in horticulture or know much about "real" gardening.  There are probably plants we should move around or thin out, etc.  However, our next and biggest focus is keeping the weeds growing through the slate in the patio at bay.  So for now, I am willing to let the garden do what it seems to do best... grow!