Garden Progress 2026

The garden is off to a good start here at the beginning of summer. I started eighty percent of it from seed this year to save money. There were many more native plants that like our climate. 

Every year the garden is an experiment. I try new things and change things around. I used to be bothered by the change-ups due to something not liking the place I put it or the weather being so harsh, but now I like it. It gives me something to go out and tinker with. This garden planting system was new to me this year, and I am still seeing how it turns out, but so far so good. I mixed up as many herbs and flowers as I could in with the veg; this confuses the bugs. 

So far it has worked. I have some beds not planted as densely and some planted really densely. A few things are also volunteer, and I just let them come up and fill in the bed. 

The chives got repotted. They had been over run with grass seed that had gotten into the pot by mowing. 

The lavender I started from seed two years ago, it is really beautiful this year. I brought an ornamental bee skep out to place in the bed for fun, and it really looks at home here.

I have grown nasturtium for years and the seed from the store doesn't germinate very well at all. Last year I noticed the one plant I had that was thriving was producing a lot of seed. I saved that seed and this year I planted it and I had close to perfect germination. That is a trick I will use again.

I love these dark purple bachelor's buttons, this was Black Ball.

A clematis that is new to me. Last year I noticed Menards was selling $5 perennials. I found this in the selections and was thrilled to find a clematis that wasn't expensive. It is growing really well. 

I have also found the secret to sowing poppies. It is called snow sowing. I get a lot of ideas for gardening off of YouTube and one person I watch said to go out in the winter and sow your poppy seeds right into the snow. This gives them moisture, cold stratification, and they germinate when the time is right. I have done this two years in a row and it does work. 

The Cathedral Bells rose.

These sown last year only bloomed this year. They are related to chamomile, but you don't drink them. They are the Marguerite daisy. I always wanted some of these but couldn't find them in a garden center, so I just grew them from seed. They will come back each year.  

For all the seed that I started and didn't have anywhere to plant it, Hubs made me a plant shelf along the shed. He just used a large board on top of concrete blocks. 

I am now starting to get bouquets! That is the best part of growing all of these flowers.

In Victory,

Sherry