Pole Beans. Zucchini. Butternut Squash. Watermelon. Borage. Tomatoes.

Tomatoes

 Tomato fruits are setting.  The plants are growing.  I don't know how they will do in the Battleground raised beds, but I think OK.  They need some mulch.

Zucchini

Polebeans

Borage and Butternut squash

Watermelon "Petite Yellow"

Zucchinis are living up to their reputation for fast growth.  There are small flower buds.  I think starting them in containers then setting them out in garden works well.

Pole beans have replaced garlic - 2 weeks ago - and I installed deer / rabbit fence last weekend.  Easy job, just have to do it.   Ditto on the container starts.

If not for fatigue I would have done a lot more.  I'm good for about an hour at a time.  New raised beds will have to wait.  If I can construct the sides this month, then filling them won't be so bad.

Borage and Butternut Squash growing nicely where I cleared out a pile of leaf compost a few weeks ago.   Borage seeds were planted directly. 

Small watermelon plant replaced Inchelium Red garlic.

This is the first year growing vegetables at the Battleground place.  So everything is new. 

If only I had some energy.  I could do a lot.

Multiplier Onions and Heritage Garlic Harvest.

German Porcelain Garlic

Inchelium Red Garlic

 Two weeks ago I dug up the German Porcelain garlic.  Nice bulbs, not as big as last year.  It's hot outside.  They are laid out on cardboard boxes in the garage, to dry.

Last weekend I dug up the Inchelium Red garlic.  They are also spread out on cardboard to dry.

Two weeks ago I dug up the Yellow Potato Multiplier Onions.  Biggest I've grown.  They are being treated in the same way.  No pic of that one yet.

They all look pretty good.  The earlier and later planted multiplier onions finished at the same time and are the same size.

There is some remaining garlic to harvest.

Meanwhile, where the garlic grew, I've planted cantaloupe, watermelon, and pole beans.    Quick rotation.

Hydrangea paniculata "Bombshell"

Hydrangea paniculata "Bombshell"

Last summer bought this hydrangea on impulse.  One gallon size.  Didn't have a place for it.  Planted in the shade of a large spruce tree.  Watered occasionally.  Cleaned up the plant a few weeks ago and mulched. 

Now I like it.  Reminds me of old type hydrangeas.  Smaller - grows up to 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide.   Doesn't require much care at all.    Patented variety.

Apiary Garden / Bee Garden

Daisies, dandelions, hawthorns, blackberries

I haven't seen many honeybees on the dandelions or daisies.  They are eating something.  I don't know what. 

Caryopteris "Dark Night"  and Canothus  TLC plants from close-out sale.

These plants are in place for a better tomorrow.  They won't look like much for a year or two.  They will need to be moved next year - will run out of room.  This 'nursery' is good for now.

Catnip, lavender, lemon balm

Also in 'nursery'.  I grew the catnip from seeds.  Next year it will have its own location.  The lavenders were small seedlings, need more time to grow.  The lemon balm is volunteer from yard in Vancouver. 

Blackberries, Tilia americana, lemon balm

Each of the trees gets a surround of an herb.  Lemon balm, mint, oregano.  Oregano is more compact compared to the other two - better choice for smaller trees.   There is marjoram by the house -  also compact, would be a good choice for smaller trees.

Buddleia  hybrid "Miss Molly"

So far not a lot of insects on the Buddleia's.  might be a mistake.  They look nice.  One of the few shrubs in bloom now.  They are deer and rabbit resistant and should tolerate the dry summers with minimal effort.  I did see butterflies on one.  So they stay.

Cilantro in bloom

This bed went to wildness.  Cilantro is blooming - can provide seed if I time it right.

Lavatera "Barnsley Baby" - started as seedling.

This lavatera was buried by snowpeas and turnip greens.  Blooming now.

Apiary yard

Nice setting for apiary.

Daisies and wild flowers

Wildflowers

Clover and dandelions

Shrubs by the road

 The shrubs don't look like much  now.  Come Spring, they should take off and grow and bloom.  TLC this year, pays off next year.  Lots of grass clipping mulch.

Shallots in bloom

 Allowed the shallots to bloom.  I don't care much about the bulb formation.  When the flowers are done, I'll dig them up.

Perovskia / Salvia rusa "Little Spire"

 Te leaves of this Perovskia have a nice medicinal fragrance - not exactly like sage or lavender, but there is a similarity.  I'm doing to expect it to double in size next year.  I was browsing Lowes garden department, and noted honeybees concentrating on the Perovskia.   So I bought one.

Caryopteris "Dark Night" and Penstemon "Red Riding Hood"

They can be moved when bigger.   The Caryopteris came from Yard and Garden Land - same situation, they had more bees than any nearby plant.  Back to Lowes, the Penstemon was a major bee magnet, better than lavenders.  They are over the hill, but the plan is to build up the apiary garden for next year and the year after. 

Shallots and Bees. And spider.

 I let the shallots bloom for more bee forage.  It's OK if that results in smaller shallots.  These are "Holland White".  The name refers to the shallot itself, not the flower.  I think.   It's a pretty flower very dramatic.  Native bees - tiny bees and bumblebees - forage the flowers as well as honeybees.  Possibly more than the honeybees.

 White shallot flower provides camoflage for white apivorous spider.   I'll guess, white crab spider.

Other bee forage in bloom, dandelions, clover, thistle.  They like the thistle more than the dandelions and clover.