Welcome back to another installment of the Garden Diaries series, where I share what I’m growing throughout the season. Summer started off with some temperamental weather where I live, to say the least. We’ve had everything from 90-degree days to violent thunderstorms with hail to cool days that feel like fall within the past month. It’s made gardening a bit difficult, and certainly delayed plans for planting. However, I still have some garden highlights to share!
But first, how beautiful are the Impatiens above? They are planted in grow bags similar to the ones I linked below, and I love that the way they were hung on the wall makes a heart (although it was unintentional). As long as you water and fertilize them regularly, these flowers will bloom all summer long- they’re the best!
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
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ALS 5 Pack Flower Pouch, 10 Hole | $13.90 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-10-05 at 11:15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Vegetable Garden
This is what I planted in the garden this year:
- 2 red bell pepper plants
- 2 yellow bell pepper plants
- Beets (seed tape)
- Carrots (seed tape- 2 varieties)
- Green beans (seeds)
- Peas (seeds- 3 varieties)
- Green onions (seed tape & starts)
This veggie garden has become one of my favorite parts of summer gardening, so I can’t wait to see what grows! There’s something really rewarding about being able to cook with and eat something you grew yourself.
Dahlia Updates
Dahlia Cuttings
I mentioned at the end of my first Garden Diaries post that we were planning on taking cuttings from some of the more established Dahlia tubers to plant on their own. We did do that, and you can see they were alive and well in early May under their grow light (seen in the first picture below). You can also kind of see that they are covered with a plastic top, which is absolutely necessary. The cuttings need to stay moist in order to establish roots and begin to grow on their own.
While nearly all of the cuttings grew roots, only a few of them seemed strong enough to be transplanted outside. If I were to do it again, I would start the cuttings much earlier in the season. Our outdoor growing season is particularly short here, so I think the cuttings need more of a boost before being transplanted- but we’ll see how they do this year!
Dahlia Tubers
Almost all of the other Dahlia tubers that we had started inside are alive and thriving after being transplanted into grow bags outside. Due to the weather, particularly the huge amounts of rain we have gotten recently, we weren’t able to plant Dahlias outdoors until just last week. Obviously, that’s later than we had hoped but we didn’t want to risk the tubers rotting in soggy soil, something they are prone to do.
In addition to the tubers we had started indoors, we also planted an array of other tubers without giving them any sort of head start inside. I can’t wait to see all the different varieties this year!
If you want, you can shop the exact grow bags we use below. It’s our first time using them- so far, so good.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
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JNYONG 12-Pack 7 Gallon Thickened Non-Woven Grow Bags, Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles |
$21.99
$20.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-10-04 at 11:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Shrub Dahlias
Last but not least on the subject of Dahlias, the little shrub Dahlias seen below were purchased earlier in the summer and are blooming now. I love the bright colors!
Strawberry Season
I planted strawberry plants last spring in these galvanized tubs. The first year they grew a lot of runners but didn’t produce a lot of fruit. They (thankfully) survived the winter, and are now healthier than ever!
I cut all of the plants back this spring, getting rid of dead foliage and most of the runners. This year they are bushy and producing way more fruit than before. The strawberries are also larger. The pictures above show the first strawberries to ripen, so hopefully we have a couple weeks left of fresh strawberries to snack on.
Although these plants have been thriving without fertilizer this season, I would like to give them a boost before their third year since they are stuck in pots with limited soil nutrients. I have read so much conflicting advice about when and how often to fertilize strawberries, specifically potted strawberries. My plan right now is to fertilize them at the end of this season, around late summer to early fall with a 10-10-10 fertilizer.
That's all for now!
Next up I’ll be talking all about peonies, my favorite flower of all time. Our season for them starts a bit later up here and has just hit its peak, so stay tuned for some beautiful pictures!
Catch up on the Garden Diaries:
Shop My Garden Favorites
Grow Bags
for flowers, veggies, and more
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
JNYONG 12-Pack 7 Gallon Thickened Non-Woven Grow Bags, Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles |
$21.99
$20.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-10-04 at 11:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Osmocote Plant Food
for vegetables & flowers
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Flower & Vegetable, 2 lb. |
$15.49
$10.98 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-10-04 at 13:42 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
