Summer!

YARD ART! 

Spring and summer brings flowers, glorious flowers. I have not been riding lately so I apologize for my non-equine posts. My horses are too fat from lush grass and since they are always wearing fly masks, it's tough to get good photos.  I am not even writing about horses; my latest books are about dogs. Right now I am in the beginning stages of researching Nome, Alaska during the gold rush. (If you hale from Nome, I might have questions for you.) So you are stuck with flower  photos. We have had cool nights, rain and warm days, which creates wonderful gardens. I wanted to capture them at their peak before hot, dry, buggy summer days turns the blooms and leaves ragged and parched.

In these shots you can see my bed frame used as a trellis for phlox and an old plow converted into a plant pot holder  I love using found objects (or ones bought at auction) and I'm excited about how they add to the garden this year.  The white metal chair did not have a seat but I found a microwave plate at Goodwill that fit perfectly.  The white "pot" to on the left is an old metal tire rim, now filled with chard. I have three planted and they are working perfectly. I am also using Grow Bags for my tomatoes. In Virginia, soil fungus makes growing healthy tomatoes difficult. You are supposed to rotate the tomatoes into fresh soil to thwart the fungus. This is my attempt, since my vegetable garden is small. We'll see how it works.  Lastly, here's a shot of peas, lettuce, basil and zucchini. All are thriving but I know Japanese beetles, dry weeks, stink bugs and borers are lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce.  How are your gardens this year? I'd love to hear if you've tried anything new or experimented with yard art!