Home of Stella's Gardens

We are now living full time in Northeast Iowa, and working on the new gardens. It will keep us busy for quite a while...

As an avid gardener since I was about 7 years old, that gives me over 45 years of experience gardening in this part of the world. And every year teaches me a bit more.


Thursday, August 28, 2014

Well there is a garden this year after all.

End of August, after a dry month we are back on track with rain and some tomatoes are finally ripening. Picking some of them a bit green to encourage more to ripen - there are a bunch!

First tomato, Amish Paste. Cat and Saltshaker for Scale

Brandywine
Black Brandywine


San Marzanos
The retaining walls below the patio are home for the tomatoes this year, where there will eventually be more bushes and other less utilitarian plants.

The front entry has half the garden started (with lots of placeholder plants, dug up from the old house, which are relieved to finally be in the dirt instead of pots!) Along with a Cornus Kousa (Summer Gold) and a Clethra Alnifolia (Hummingbird.) And so far the strings have kept the deer out - there's enough else to eat. The hostas got cages, though, because it did not take long for the buggers to find them.