All things grow with love (I hope)

I have been wanting a garden for a few years. We did some container gardening with a little success, but I wanted a real garden. So last week I started talking to D. and doing some research. Then we stopped by our friends' house and he started talking about his garden. Well, I think it got D. going. On Sunday I had to help with a 5k race here in town. D. said he would till a plot for a garden while I was gone. This is what he used to plow our garden.

No handplowing here! This thing is huge. He uses it on his job sites. It's still in our backyard. Isn't that hilarious? I had a small plot in mind, maybe 8'x8'. Just a small garden to start. When I came home, this is what I saw - in our backyard!

I about fell over! It's huge! But, I was so excited because D. was into this project, so off to Lowe's we went to buy seeds. We came home and planted corn, tomatoes, broccoli, okra, chives, turnips, carrots, yellow squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, green beans, and of course, sunflowers. (I had to grow some of those if we were going to have a garden!) We still need to stake it off. That's going to happen later this week.

I have also been doing my containers for the summer. I love when everything gets growing and it's so lush and colorful. We always have hummingbirds that visit my flowers when it gets warm and I love to watch them. One already visited the other morning and I just sat and watched it zip around. I did my front bed with impatiens and red caladiums because it doesn't get much sun there at all. This is my usual combo for that bed and it is gorgeous when the impatiens spread out.

Then I did my hanging baskets a little different this year. I have been looking at different color combos and plant combos so I got a little braver with my picks. I used white new guinea impatiens, some burgundy spiky thing (I'm sure that's their scientific name), burgundy sweet potato vine and variegated vinca. I think they are going to be really neat when it all gets growing.

And then I did begonias and more spiky things.

I also found these beautiful geraniums called Martha Washington geraniums. They have beautiful multi-colored blooms, and the leaves are kind of jagged. Spiky, almost. I have a big pot of them on our back patio.

I have several more things to plant in our front yard, but that will be tomorrow or Thursday. I've also been wanting a few chickens for fresh eggs, but so far D. hasn't built a coop. Keep saying your prayers though. He isn't buying into the chicken coop yet. This is the kind of coop I think would be so fun! We'll keep thinking about it. I'll keep you posted when things start sprouting in the garden!