What's Bloomin in the Garden!

 I have been an absentee blogger as of late. I've been away for a number of reasons, but a big one is this! I've been working in the garden. My old raised beds were just not working so I finally decided what kind of raised beds i would set up in the side yard (better known as the dog's yard) I went to Tractor Supply and bought three cattle troughs and my daughter drilled some drainage holes in the bottom of the tubs, and i filled them with good soil and planted my herbs. Here are a few photos i took just last week.

 Since these pictures were taken we've had quite a bit of rain and even a few frost warnings, but things are really coming along! In this tub i have my chives and sage and some parsley... The orange buckets have potatoes growing in them.

 The other two tubs have lettuce, green onions and garlic planted so far. I've given up on growing any kind of grass or ground cover on the ground in the dog's yard. It's just not happening with all those paws hitting the ground. So i am laying down lots of mulch and straw little bit by bit.

 As you can see, Little Honey loves to roll in the cedar mulch. I use cedar to control fleas and ticks. They don't like cedar at all...

 Here is my crab apple tree called "Prairie fire". Since these pictures were taken the flowers fully bloomed and got knocked off by a hard rain before i could take more pictures...

 I love flowering trees in the Spring

 My little mini Japanese Maple made it thru another tough Winter. (The newer, smaller one didn't make it tho...) My daughter Katie and her husband Ben made me some wooden boxes with open bottoms to replant the small trees in. This will keep them above the dog's level, but will allow the roots to go down into the ground and be better protected in the Winter months.

 Here are my strawberry plants!

 

 In my front yard garden my flowering almond bush took a beating this Winter, but is still blooming...

 And here is my lilac "Pocahontas". It is a dark purple, highly scented lilac. I missed these lovely blooms last year while i was in the hospital, so i am really enjoying them now!

So that's where i've been...busy digging in the gardens! More photos to come! Now i think i will go visit all my blog friends and see what you've all been up to!