Peaches in backyard...

"Peaches in backyard!!", "Peaches in backyard!!" This is what my daughters started shouting when they were out today. We haven't noticed the tree in few days and now its full of tiny fruit. It was so exciting to see a tree with fruit growing. We are waiting for the fruit to grow and ripe.

Mom's Garden

You could find mums, marigolds, ornamental plants, Aloe vera and firecracker flowers (I know them as Kanakambharams and on googling found the english name).

 

Mid June Update

Oregano's come back

Tophat Blueberry - I wonder if the fruit are really true as I thought atleast 2 blueberries are needed to set fruit.....

lush mint plant needs a harvest

Sweet Basil

Veggie bed

First Cucumber flower

Okra hill

                                                                 Ridge Gourd with true leaves

                                                                           Bitter gourd

Sick looking tomato plants - This year they look so sick, I  guess they were root bound before going into ground

Eggplant

Carrot seedlings are taking their sweet time to grow 

Trip to Garden in the Woods

Lovely Spring Day and great shot hike. This was perfect for my toddler as she enjoyed the walk too.

Tulips and more...

Tulips are in full swing in the garden and it was pleasant day, today and nice walk around the Boston Public Garden.

Saving the curry leaf tree...

Curry leaf, which is used in almost all South Indian curries, not only brings flavorful aroma to the dish but is also a good source of micronutrients, antioxidants and carotene. I got this root sucker, a little late in summer. Now, I am trying to save it against the frost and cold weather, it is currently residing in my basement and going through a little dormant period.

Queen of Fall flowers...

Chrysanthemums or commonly called mums are herbaceous perennials and bring a vibrance and brightness to any garden and landscapes. I specially like them for their various colors and beauty. They make a beautiful fall display and provide a colorful climax before the dormant winter sweeps into the garden. Below is a pictures of mums from my backyard, they are very easy to care for. Plant them in full sun (mine are in partial sun) and plant is pinched to make it grow bushy. Fertilize them once before buds form and beautiful flowers are all yours.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Here are couple of heirloom tomatoes from my garden. I got the tomato seedling through a plant swap. I am not sure if this a open pollinated variety or family heirloom or a created one. But its name is 'White Wonder', tastes really good compared to the hybrid varieties home grown or store bought.

Pruned Lilac

How does this pruned lilac look like? My cousine who looked at it thought we were trying to cut it down slowly, where as my husband and I were trying to prune it :). We enjoyed the lilac blooms in spring, but we felt the shrubs are getting leggy and decided to do some renewal pruning and ended up with this now. Only time will tell us if did a good job pruning or not.

Lilacs, even though they are not native to America, they are part of New England's heritage. George Washington mentioned about transplanting lilacs in his garden and Thomas Jefferson mentioned about them in his garden book. Most of the species come from Asia and Europe. Here are some spring pictures.

Latecomers....

I started these Eggplant plants from seed in spring and planted them after the last frost along with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Tomatoes did very well and the harvest was abundant. Peppers and cucumbers grew in time with just few to harvest. But the eggplants seedlings didn't show any major activity and I almost lost hope in them. Now its time to clean up the vegatable bed and I see that the eggplants are shooting out and bringing a smile on my face :)

Done with bulbs!!!!

Finally, I am done planting all tulip bulbs and now I will wait for them to come out in spring. For a new gardener like me its a tough question to decide on where to buy the bulbs. Whether to go to a local nursury or to go to a store like Home Depot, which bulbs quality to trust. With so many choices available, finally I decided on 2 bags of tulips...one yellow and red mixture and another bag of candy cone color. I kept a few to experiment indoor forcing technique, and rest are now in the ground.