Monday, June 20, 2022

T Stands for Last Week This and That

 Hi everyone.

T Day has rolled around once again, and it is time to catch up on life and share our drink related posts over at Bleubeard's and Elizabeth's blog . And it is the first day of the actual summer season if you read this on Tuesday. The longest day of 2022 is here or just about here. 

While some of you are in the heat and humidity, last week we had some wonderful summer weather. Most days weren't too hot or humid (around 75 or so   degrees F or around 24 degrees C) , so over the week I spent a lot of time in my big perennial garden doing some  plant editing. I've had this garden for at least 25 years, and every few years I need to edit. If the weather hadn't been so beautiful I would have let it go, but it was perfect weather for being outside. The garden looks better now that there is a little space between some of the plants. Of course I forgot to take a pre-editing photo, but  you'll have to take my word that it was just one solid jumble of plants before. Much more overgrown than it is now at least.


I have never been any good at getting a lot of color at once, but there's a few things blooming that don't show up here as they are not big and flashy.  Just the greens and textures are pretty though.

And this past weekend it was chilly with highs only around 59 degrees (around 15 degrees C), so it was also a good time to clean out the bee garden that is still in progress. This is a new garden I started at the end of last summer.

My side yard has been taken over by ferns, as has the bee garden.


 The garden is the area  in the bottom right of the above photo, just above the bees. I needed to pull out a lot of ferns so the plants I put in can get enough sun to grow.


After I pulled out the ferns and some weeds,  it looked better.  Don't look too far because beyond this garden is a mix of tall weed grasses and more of those invasive ferns.  I wasn't being super fussy  weeding because I don't want this garden to be formal. In fact, if it ends up looking like a field of flowers (instead of a field of ferns), I'll be happy.

And as I mentioned in a post last week, I also spent a little time trying to get the new art space organized. Actually the organizing took less time than the cleaning and purging that went with it. 
 
It was a busy week, and I accomplished a lot. By Thursday I wanted to do something different however; so I decided to go pick some strawberries. 



Picking was excellent, even though the early berries are usually a bit on the smaller size. These berries were  yummy though. 

This year the strawberry farm has a couple of new residents.


Mrs. Peahen was tucked away behind a tree, but Mr. Peacock was sitting out for all to see. He is a handsome guy.

The farm I visited grows many kinds of fruit. A few years back they opened a bakery and cider mill where they sell fresh made cider donuts and their own cider. 

Maddie was at doggie daycare that day, but Pete was at home waiting for me. I thought he'd like a few bites of a still warm cider donut for a mid-morning snack. Hee-hee.


I had a small glass of milk with the pieces of the donut that Pete didn't eat. Smile.

This is my link to T day this week, and also the end of my post. Thank you for visiting. I hope you have a great T day and week ahead.













23 comments:

kathyinozarks said...

Sounds like you got lots of gardening accomplished-that always feels so good too. what a great idea to use ferns like a ground cover-I never would have thought of that.
I used to pick allot of fruit too over the years-always so good that way. Happy T wishes, Kathy

Mae Travels said...

Your garden looks lovely. I like the informal look with fields of flowers.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Linda Kunsman said...

Happy -well, almost as of my typing- summer solstice! We had unusually cool weather this weekend too - but yes, sunny, and perfect for gardening. Loving all the lush greenery.
That peacock photo is fantastic!! They sure are beautiful birds.
I'm sure Pete was so grateful you shared your warm cider donut:)
Happy T day!

Sharon Madson said...

Love that beautiful peacock! Wow! What a nice place to go and pick strawberries. Happy T Day!

Carola Bartz said...

That is a lot of ferns, wow! Are they easy to pull out? Your garden looks lovely - I certainly love the more informal look. It's also great that you don't have all the color going at the same time - so you can enjoy it longer.

Kate Yetter said...

The strawberries are always delicious when they are farm fresh. The peacocks are beautiful in all their glory.
Your garden is lovely and the perfect habitat for the bees.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate

Angie's Recipes said...

You for sure had a busy and productive week, Erika. Those strawberries look really juicy and good. Peacock looks so beautiful.

Iris Flavia said...

We´re down to 9C (OK, it´s but 05:45 am).
To bees and strawberries... again :-)
Milk, oh, yes! I have to see after that, happy T-Day to you, hugs!

Valerie-Jael said...

I would have enjoyed that donut, too, lucky Pete! I love your gardens, pity about the ferns taking over, they are hard to eradicate. The field behind our back garden is now a designated bee garden, too, great idea, I hope they will do it next year again. And strawberries and peacocks, a wonderful combination, so beautiful. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm all for informal gardens, but be glad you live outside of town. If you lived in town, you would be fined for that field of ferns. I like the area near the bees. Are those butterfly bushes? Regardless, they are lovely.

Yum to strawberries. Nice of you to share your donut with Pete. It looks good with that glass of milk. Thanks for sharing your various garden areas, your strawberry picking, your donut, and your milk with us at T this Tuesday, dear.

CJ Kennedy said...

Your gardens look fabulous. I like a naturalized look. The strawberries looks so pretty, delicious, juicy, little hearts. Mr. Peacock is very handsome. Lucky Pete to get a warm cider donut. Enjoy the sun today. Happy Midsummer and T Day

Jackie McGuinness said...

We're back into a heat warning so heading out early.

Divers and Sundry said...

Perennial gardens are a lot of work, but you've ended up with a gorgeous space. I've never seen so many ferns in a residential garden. I've never had ferns (except for the occasional potted Boston fern, and those don't count). I didn't realize they would spread like that! I like you field-of-flowers idea, and I know the bees will be happy :)

Strawberries here are about done because of the heat. The peacock would make a big hit here, I know. The zoo used to have free-roaming peacocks but hasn't had them in a long time :( I miss them.

That donut looks tasty, but I don't drink milk. Happy T Tuesday!

DVArtist said...

Well you know me, I would love some warm days. Your yard and gardens look amazing. Of course I am so taken by your bees. Now, I can say no to most sweets. In fact all the goodies I bake I don't eat....however, put a doughnut in front of my and I am lost. This looks sooooo darn good. Have a great day.

jinxxxygirl said...

Yes we are sooo HOT here in TX.. not much humidity though... Would love a good rain shower.. Those ferns are gorgeous! Although not much food for your bees so i see the need to remove some.. I have one shady spot here at my house that i plan on planting a fern.. And baby it with extra water.. Getting one to live here would make me soo happy.. I remember strawberry picking in North Carolina when we lived there as a kid.. Fun.. and yes a few went in the mouth as well as the basket.. I adore peacocks.. When we lived in TX years ago a neighbor had them and they sounded so exotic... Some people find their calls annoying but not me.. They make me smile.. Love fresh apple cider whenever i can get it.. In California it was Apple Hill in the Fall.. LOVE! Wonderful T post Erika!! Hugs! deb

Lisca said...

Well done you! The garden looks lovely. And the bee garden? I have never seen so many ferns! How did they get there? Are they native to your area? I can imagine that they are a bit of a pain in the proverbial...
The strawberries look very inviting. Our strawberry season has long gone, so looking at yours made my mouth water. I smiled at your dog eating the donut and I can just see you eat the leftover scraps haha. We love our pets don't we.
Happy T-Day,
Lisca

Lowcarb team member said...

Your garden looks great, and so do your strawberries :)
Great photograph of the peacock, wonderful colours.

Hope your week is going well.

All the best Jan

Aimeslee Winans said...

Oh wow, a sea of ferns! I love it. I know they're invasive but I'm attracted to ivy and fern ground cover for some reason. Is that lantana I see? I saw lots of pink peeking out here and there so it ought to be amazing in a few short weeks. I would love to have a few little areas like yours but Honey is so wedded to a lawn and having to mow around it all. {pout} Enjoy that 75 degree weather gosh, that's our Spring on a good day! xoxo

David M. Gascoigne, said...

We had our first local strawberries yesterday, and they really are delicious. It's worth waiting the whole year for them, if only to remind ourselves what real fruit tastes like. We gave up on buying strawberries out of season many years ago. They basically have the texture of wood and the taste of finely ground cardboard! Not surprising really, when they are picked thousands of kilometres away and ripened artificially in transit. I have no doubt that over the next couple of weeks someone will share a rhubarb and strawberry tart with us, or other confection using rhubarb, but given my druthers I prefer to eat them just as plain strawberries. There is nothing quite like it. And fresh Niagara peaches will soon be available too..... Hugs - David

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Your gardening and yard cleanup did go well and we never had a formal garden when we lived in VA. We had a wildflower area that took over a quarter of the back yard and it was wonderful for a couple of years. When we decided to move, it was converted back to a lawn area. Fresh strawberries are always so good and one of Grenville's favorites; my preference is blueberries.

pearshapedcrafting said...

Strawberry picking brings back some memories! I'm sure they taste better when the haven't travelled miles. Your garden is going to look amazing IMHO. Belated Happy T Day, Chrisx

Jeanie said...

The garden is looking great. I know what you mean about pulling out stuff so there is better light. I have quite a dilemma -- my strawberries are getting crowded out by my spreading perennials. I love the perennials and not sure I want to pull them but there is nowhere else to plant the strawberries (and I have bad luck transplanting, anyway...) We shall see!

Empire of the Cat said...

Wow that is a lot of ferns lol. I have what I thought was a bit of a fern takeover problem but it's nothing compared to yours. It's always the things you don't want that grow the best isn't it lol. The strawberries also look delicious, I've been picking my own from the garden this week too. And Mr Peacock is a handsome fellow, such rich colours, all the girls will be checking him out lol. Sorry for my lateness. Happy T Day! Elle/EOTC xx