Finally we’re getting some good color. The flowers seem about a month behind compared to last year. That’s ok, I’ll take the color now.

LEOPARD’S BANE
I love the sunny yellow of this flower. It’s always such a treat seeing this summer-feeling flower in spring.

ENGLISH DAISIES

UNKNOWN

CAMELLIA & BLEEDING HEART

LEFT: VARIEGATED VINCA MAJOR
RIGHT: HEATHER

VINCA MINOR

‘HEAVENLY BLUE’ LITHODORA

BLACK LACE ELDERBERRY, FLAMING SILVER PIERIS, & MEDITERRANEAN PINK HEATH
The Elderberry & Pieris aren’t blooming, but I love their color.

BARBERRY

LEFT: JAPANESE ROSE
RIGHT: ELDERBERRY

LILAC

AJUGA

FLOWERING CHERRY TREE

CREEPING PHLOX and chicks we recently hatched.
The creeping phlox in spring along this rock wall is one of my all time favorite blooms at our house.

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The post Bloom Day – May 2017 appeared first on .

Spring has been off to a slow start. Not surprising with all the cold and rain. But it seems to have finally arrived in time for Bloom Day.

Not near as many plants are in bloom this year, compared to last year, but I’m sure enjoying what is showing off.

DAFFODILS
A small variety of flowers in the daffodil family are blooming in most of our flower beds.

VINCA MINOR
I love the blue/purple color of this flower. I am disappointed, though, that it’s creeping nature doesn’t keep out the weeds. And, it’s a pain to pull the weeds among all the vines.

RED FLOWERING CURRANT
The Red Flowering Currant does grow naturally around our house. I bought this one, though, and two others. They are in my Bird Village.

LEONARD MESSEL MAGNOLIA
One of the very first plants I planted when we bought our property was this beauty.

CAMELLIA
I don’t love the Camellia’s, and I don’t dislike them. They grow well and flower beautifully, so they stay.

KING GEORGE HEATHER
Heather in the front yard with our new bunny, Thumper.

WESTERN TRILLIUM
Growing among the ferns and fir trees in the natural areas surrounding our house are Western Trilliums. They are one of my fav’s.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSuzdDRhZWl/?taken-by=ridgetop_farm_and_garden

I’m hoping the weather clears up soon. My flower beds are in desperate need of some TLC. Hopefully next month I’ll have more on display.

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The post Bloom Day – April 2017 appeared first on .

Every year at this time I have mixed thoughts about our flowerbeds. I love all the blooms. The flowers are beautiful. But, as a whole, the beds are very unkept and overgrown. It is impossible for me to keep up with the weeds and deadheading. Too many flowerbeds, too little time. I’m working on coming up with a solution to this dilemma. Unfortunately, the solution will take a lot of time and a complete overhaul of at least one flowerbed.

Here are the majority of plants blooming now, amongst all the crazy.

This is the time of year when the shasta daisies really show off – and we have a ton of them.

The lilies/day lilies are also taking over the flowerbeds.

Every year I throw new wild flower seed in the meadow hoping for a little variety. And, every year the same ol’ daisies and blanket flowers take over.

The weeds are in full swing right now.

Stinking Chamomile, or Anthemis cotula. I acutally don’t mind this weed, but it does stink.

Top left: White Clover
Bottom left: Canadian Thistle
Right: Lady’s Thumb, sometimes referred to as smartweed

Queen Anne’s Lace

The butterfly bushes just started blooming, but they seem to be fading quicker than I remember in the past.

Potentilla ‘Goldfinger’
I don’t love this plant. But, it’s hardy and is a reliable bloomer each summer.

The lavender in the Bird Village, Lavandula ‘Jennifer’,  is looking lovely.

There is a little section near the pond in the front yard that I enjoy. Purple lavender growing next to the pink flowers of what I believe is a Potenilla plant. Nearby is also yarrow in a darker shade of pink.

A few other random items in bloom. This year the nasturtiums are putting on a poor showing, which is a bummer. I love nasturtiums in my summer gardens.

Left: Mallow. It’s pretty. But, I don’t recommend it. It grows like crazy… in all the places you don’t want it.
Right: Hardy gladiola. I adore the chartreuse color.

Calendula

We struggle getting plants to bloom in Farm Kid 2’s flowerbed. It is a favorite place for our chickens to take dust baths. This year, though, we don’t have many free ranging chickens, so the wildflowers actually have a chance to show off. I love it.

Pansy’s and viola’s are looking great in the shade garden. This is another place we struggle keeping flowers alive due to the chickens, but not this year.

We also have flowering going on in our food garden – like this tomato.

Flowering in herb pots. This is the first time I have grown tarragon and I’m loving the golden flowers.

I have to make our flowerbeds a priority. In the winter, there isn’t a lot of interest, but in general they look ok. Everything is green and vibrant in the spring, which is my favorite. By mid summer, though, there is just too much going on for the flowerbeds to look nice. I like a cottage, informal look. But, I’ve been struggling with making it informal, without looking unkept.

With a lot of work, maybe next July’s bloom day will have the whole effect I’m going for, not just pretty flowers.

To enjoy more Bloom Day posts check out May Dreams Garden

The post Bloom Day – July 2016 appeared first on .

Another June, another great display of color. All the flowers seem to be blooming earlier this year. I’d guess my flowerbeds are nearly at there Summer prime and summer hasn’t even technically begun.

BIRD VILLAGE

Lupine and Shasta Daisies.

Potentilla ‘Goldfinger’

Yarrow

Hairy vetch in our little meadow area. Purple is the usual color. But, I spotted a few white blooms, which I have never seen before.

SHADE GARDEN

FRONT YARD & POND

Creeping Jenny

Lavender next to the pond

Lavender ‘Grosso’ near the cement wall

Black Lace Elderberry

Thyme

WILD FLOWERS

Wild red elderberry & daisies

Foxglove

All year I wait for this time of year in the garden and it always seem to pass too quickly. I need to learn to step outside and just enjoy it, as opposed to stepping outside only to do yard maintenance.

To enjoy more Bloom Day posts check out May Dreams Garden

The post Bloom Day – June 2016 appeared first on .

May & June are my favorite months to enjoy our flowerbeds. This May has not disappointed. The foliage is filling in and the blooms are lovely.

BIRD VILLAGE

There is a lot (almost too much) going on in the bird village. After many years, this area is finally starting to feel like a complete project. If only I could keep the weeds out…

Snowmound Spirea

Lupine
This has been a great year for the lupine.

Lincoln Star Clematis

Allium

And more beautiful blooms

Near the Bird Village is a native rose that’s looking great.
And, there are a couple iris’ in our little meadow.

SHADE GARDEN

Top Left: I’m not a huge rhododendron fan, but I love the light purple blooms on this one.
Right: Variegated Weigela. Love it and all its pretty pink flowers.

FRONT YARD & POND

The lithodora is looking fabulous this month.

Top Left: Variegated Vinca Major
Top Right: Cotoneaster
Bottom Left: Thyme
Bottom Right: Hardy Geranium

Top Right: Columbine ‘Aguilena’
Bottom: Easter Egger hen searching for bugs in the creeping thyme

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The post Bloom Day – May 2016 appeared first on .

Spring is officially here and we have lots of color. Yay!

A few daffodils & tulips are still blooming nicely.

Grecian Windflower – not many came back to bloom this year

These two are newbies that I don’t remember flowering previously.

Black Lace Elderberry
Flaming Silver Pieris
‘Mediterranean Pink’ Heath
‘Heavenly Blue’ Lithodora

Apple Tree

Creeping Phlox

Plum Tree

Left: Japanese Rose
Top Right: Spanish Bluebells
Middle Right: Viola
Bottom Right: Camellia

Lilac

Bleeding Heart

Left: Osmanthus Burkwoodi
Right: Pink Dawn Viburnum

Holly

Ajuga

Barberry

Leopard’s Bane

This is a plant we got from my parents yard years ago. I’m not sure what it is.

English Daisies
I found a fun double headed daisy on one stem.

One evening Farmer John & Farm Girl were going on a walk. I told them to take my phone and take a photo of a trillium when they came across one. Apparently, they didn’t find a trillium so they thought they’d be funny and take these photos claiming them to be trilliums.

To see other gardens on this Bloom Day check out May Dreams Gardens.

The post Bloom Day – April 2016 appeared first on .

There is a lack of blooms around here during the winter. However, spring is nearly here and we have a few flowers showing off. Not many. But, a few.

FRONT YARD

The daffodils and heather are putting on a nice show in the front yard.

BACK YARD

The back yard is in pretty poor shape. I cringe every time I look out there. But, the weather has been so crummy I just don’t feel like bothering to clean it up. Among the weeds and stems from last years perennials are a couple flowering plants.

Vinca minor

Pink Dawn Viburnum

SHADE GARDEN

I really enjoy our shade garden. Unfortunately, every year the spring flowers look horrible. They bloom, but they sure don’t look great.

Camellia

Hellebore

BIRD VILLAGE

Daffodils and crocus have been blooming in the bird village, as well as one of my favorite native plants.

Red Flowering Currant

And that concludes our first Bloom Day post of 2016. It’s not wowing, but it’s pretty typical of our mid March blooms.

I’m sharing this post at May Dreams Gardens Bloom Day.

The post Bloom Day – March 2016 appeared first on .

Well, I’m just gonna say it, I’m ready for the changing of seasons. This summer was too hot and way too dry. I didn’t spend near enough time in my flowerbeds deadheading, weeding and watering. And, it shows. I’m ready to move on and try again next year.

FRONT YARD

One. Literally one, flower is blooming in our front yard.

AROUND THE FRONT POND

The thyme still has some flowers. The bees are loving them.

The marigolds took awhile to get going, but they eventually flowered and are still putting on a good show.

A couple nasturtiums are continuing to bloom. However, most gave up a long time ago

SHADE GARDEN

A few weathered impatiens and violas are hanging on.

BACK YARD

The lone bit of color in the back yard.

BIRD VILLAGE

Left: A few flowers are doing their thing in our itty bitty meadow. But, most interest comes from the seed heads.
Right: The barberry is a fabulous crimson color. I wish I would have planted more.

Renegades – these rogue flowers opted to bloom in our gravel driveway near the Bird Village. They’re pretty, but out of place.

In the Bird Village Pond:
Left: Last September I transplanted a few geraniums to our greenhouse with the hopes of overwintering them. In the spring I moved them back outside. They’re still blooming along the pond’s edge.
Right: Pretty purple pickerel weed bloom

Many blooms died off long ago.

GARDEN

The self sowing calendula continues to bloom. Just a few years ago I introduced it to the garden. I’m so glad I did. I love it.

It’s not much, but at least there are a few bits of color to brighten the flower beds this month.

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The post Bloom Day – September 2015 appeared first on .

Here it is already. August’s Bloom Day. Our flowerbeds are not impressed with this crazy, hot, dry summer we’re having. I’m not impressed with it either.

The flowerbeds in general look quite crummy. But there are a few, very few, plants that have powered through the weather and are blooming.

FRONT YARD

These two photos are literally of the only plants blooming in the front yard. It’s lookin’ pretty dead out there.

The pond area still has a few things in bloom, though. In fact, the marigolds just recently started taking off.

SHADE GARDEN

Not long after I planted the impatiens and violas some of our chickens scratched and pecked the area, digging at bird seed that had fallen. It has taken all summer, but those plants have finally came back and are blooming.

BIRD VILLAGE

The bird village is not in good shape. It has received very little water over the summer and it shows. However, there are a few random blooms spread about.

There is a lot of tan and brown going on right now.

There is not a lot going on around the pond, either. There are a few pickerel weeds & geraniums holding on, but that’s about it. The cardinal meadowlark doesn’t seem to mind the lack of flowers.

The meadow still has some blooms trying to make it through the season.

GARDEN

Left: Inside the garden fence I planted an area with hundreds of sunflowers. This is the one that made it. It’s pretty, but quite underwhelming. I think right after I planted the seeds birds devoured them before they even had a chance to germinate. Boo!
Right: Calendula that I planted last year reseeded and looks fabulous this year.

Well, this summer was kind of a bust in the flowerbed department. I’m glad we get to try again next year.

Sharing this post at May Dreams Gardens.

The post Bloom Day – August 2015 appeared first on .

The middle of July is already upon us, which means it’s Bloom Day. We had an unusually hot, dry June, which put the flowerbeds ahead of their usual schedule. We’ve been watering enough to keep the plants alive, but maybe not enough to keep them happy and producing their best. We’re already at the point where the majority of blooms are past their prime, which generally doesn’t happen until August. However, we have had some blooms over the last couple weeks to show off.

FRONT YARD

The pond in the front yard is in full bloom.
Top: Pickerel weed, creeping jenny & 5 cutie patootie ducklings.
Bottom Left: Cardinal Meadowhawk on a mint blossom
Bottom Right: Itty bitty marigold. I planted marigolds in front of the pond like I did last year. This time, though, they are scrawny.

More blooms around the pond. I love this section. The butterfly bush, lavender, daisies, day lily, yarrow and an unknown plant or two all bloom at the same time creating a beautiful little scene.

BACK YARD

The back yard is still in need of an update. I haven’t put the time into this area like it deserves. I’m thinking this fall and spring may be its time.
Top: I can always count on these three: marrow, day lilies, and shasta daisies.
Bottom Right: Wild red elderberry

BIRD VILLAGE

The bird village is always my favorite. However, it goes a little crazy this time of year.

The pond has a few plants along its edges in bloom, like pickerel weed & geraniums I over wintered in our aquaponics system.

The meadow strip. Every year I plant new seed hoping for a little variety. And, every year the daisies and blanket flowers take over.

While they are not officially blooms, they are new flowers in our garden. They are hand blown glass flowers created by me, Farm Kid1 & Farm Kid2. We took a workshop at Live Laugh Love Glass in Tigard. The flowers are beautiful, but I don’t love their place in the landscape.

OTHER

A few other blooms around.
Left: A hardy gladiola in a side bed that I really don’t spend any time on. I don’t think it’s been watered once this summer.
Right: Nasturtiums. They’re flowering, but aren’t trailing like I’d hoped.

Left: Calendula in the garden, reseeded itself from last year.
Right: Okra in the greenhouse. I surely didn’t know okra had such a splendid flower.

I’m sharing this post at May Dreams Gardens.

The post Bloom Day – July 2015 appeared first on .