Beauty---Even in the Rain!

The shade garden is lovely this year---even in the rain!
The Tree Peonies are almost finished blooming, but were, once again, spectacular. They are an often overlooked perennial, but are truly worth the expense.
This Japanese Maple has been in the gardens since 2001, in the same pot, growing in the same location. Every Fall we consider removing it/moving it and, then, come Spring, it produces such beautiful color we change our minds! It's in exactly the right spot! It may get re-potted this year for it's own good.
We have several beds of lettuce in the vegetable area. We use it, weekly, for lunch for our Fridays in the Garden volunteers, our Active Day Gardeners and the Highlands High School Gardeners. Even lettuce tastes better fresh from the garden!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

This is how our rose bed looks right now! We have had record rainfall over the past few weeks, near record high temperatures last week and nights in the 40s this week---you know what they say about this area, stick around for an hour and the weather will change!

Fridays in the Garden -- No Fooling!

Friday, April 1st was our first Fridays in the Garden of the 2011 growing season. It started off cold and cloudy, but before we were finished, the sun came out and warmed us up! Five hardy souls ventured into the garden and MUCH was accomplished! The raised bed area was raked and cut back and cleaned up. What a difference 2 hours of work makes!











We are anxious to get in the garden regularly. We have several new beds to plant . A garden is ever changing and we must change with it.

Is It Spring Yet?

Well, the calendar says it's Spring, but the air outside is still not sure! We were spoiled with a week of beautiful sunny warm weather, then the weekend came and brought with it snow, wind and cold temperatures. Today's high will only get to 40 degrees and snow is predicted for tonight. BUT plants are still coming alive from their long winter's nap.








Tree Peonies leafing out .










Our busy season is getting started; full of classes, garden work, school programs and FUN!!
Check back often for updates and photos (I promise!)

Still Growing!

Even though it is the end of October and the growing season is "officially" over, we still have some beautiful plants performing in the gardens.

Lettuce in the vegetable area

Swiss Chard waiting for a delicious soup!


The roses are still going strong!

Thank You Garden Volunteers!

Another gardening season comes to an end! Today was the last scheduled "Fridays in the Garden" when our wonderful volunteers come and work in the gardens. Today's work included removing impatiens from a large planting bed, removing the UK Trial plants and constructing a wooden walkway between the raised beds in the vegetable area. All the workers give 110% no matter the temperature, weather conditions or time of year. We are SO grateful for their time and enthusiasm! We could not maintain the gardens without their help! THANK YOU!!!

Where Have You Been?

One of several containers in the gardens.

The shade bed.
A bed of impatiens.

The University of Kentucky trial bed.

I always hate to start with an apology. . .but. . .I am sorry I haven't written throughout the summer. It seems that the garden work got in the way of writing about the garden work!

We have had a very odd growing season---the 2nd hottest July on record, no rainfall for weeks, followed by 4 - 5" of rain in one afternoon, then back to no rainfall for several weeks. we are grateful for the irrigation system, but rain is always better than applied water. Somehow the plants know.

We have had many fun, educational activities in the gardens this summer. A 4 day Kid's Garden Camp in June, our adult day care garden club has met monthly, the Mommy & Me cooking/gardening group planted, harvested and cooked potatoes (potato salad), peas (pea salad), and tomatoes, onions, and peppers (salsa). we held a class entitled, "Cooking from the Garden", where we shared and tasted 14 recipes with 47 participants. This week we made hypertufa planters with 20 people.

We are already thinking about ordering for next year's annual beds and renovating some of the old ones.