Dream Garden Summer Walkthrough

Come join me on my dream garden for a summer garden walkthrough! So much has been transforming in the garden, I have been growing plants non stop. Every day in the morning I start with a cup of coffee, sit and relax to absorb the garden air. In truth, my evenings end up in the garden also and when the weather is just perfect, a nice fire rolling.

Dream Garden Walkthrough

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Growing Food and Flowers is a possibility, even in a small urban home. It is time for a stroll to check what is happening within every inch of the dream garden. Let’s look at the flowers, what food I have been growing and what is coming next!

Do you do the same?

Best time of the day!

Summer Garden Walkthrough Dog

Maybe one day I will place a baby monitor on different parts of my garden, so I can get quick looks at my babies when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Take time to enjoy the Dream Garden.

I think that is the next thing to be sold, plant monitors for plant mamas!

Bring it! There you go, somebody make it happen.

One of the things that has been an advantage is that it is a sun garden. Having 4 hours or more of sun really helps everything grow much faster, especially when you go from lawn to garden. Check out my post on ‘Steps to ‘Convert a Yard into a Garden’.

If you feel overwhelmed not knowing where to start, visit some beautiful gardens. I found so much inspiration at The Butchart Garden. Read the post and be inspired by ‘Garden Visit | BOTANICAL GARDEN IDEAS!’

The Garden Beds on the narrow on the entryway are flourishing!

I love growing on grow bags, they are fantastic!

The Season Begins

Gardening is my hobby and this past 3 years it has become my passion. I have always loved gardening and have lived around the country, learning about the different plants that grow best on some of those regions.

This is my main and most important advice for you if you want a Dream Garden! It is so important you understand what grows in your zone, it will save you a lot of headaches and prevent you from losing plants in the garden. See the link for the USDA to find your zone.

Check out ‘Xmas Mood / Cozy up with Tea and a Flower’ for more about what is happening this Christmas.

I Fell in Love Hard

Getting the allium bulbs planted in the spring was when I realized how immensely excited I was about these beauties. The spring is where the hard work began.

Dream Garden 2
Mont Blanc Allium

I wait for the failures until after my coffee. Yes, I fail at times, like everyone. Gardening is not a perfect sport, you are going to be impacted by so many things, weather, pests, soil, ‘YOU’.

Many times it’s ME!

A great way and opportunity to learn.

Dream Garden 2
Globemaster Allium
Globemaster Allium starting to bloom. It was so beautiful! I enjoy every stage of this flower.

And then, well, I fell in Love even Harder!

My dahlia garden was next! Did I tell you I got 70 dahlia tubers?!

Creating a Dahlia Garden

I know, but I can explain!

We have been searching for land to do micro farming, mostly flowers and some chickens. Well, okay, maybe a couple of goats.

I won’t tell Frank if you don’t.

Most Critical to Consider when planting Dahlias.

Let me tell you about some of the few most critical things to consider when planting your Dahlias in your Dream Garden:

  • Use bamboo poles to mark the spacing carefully. You can also do twine, but for my small garden the bamboo was perfect.
  • For spacing use the following: Dinnerplate dahlias were spaced 9″ to 12″ apart; Small Flowering dahlias 2′ apart and Taller dahlias 3′ apart. I did mine pretty tight since I have such little space.
  • Plant bulb with the eye facing the top.
  • If the eyes are too small, place a little soil and as it grows begin to add soil. The eye of the Dahlia needs to be exposed to light in order to grow.
  • Pinch the Dahlias once they have reached about a foot tall to produced more branches and so the trunk will not be hollow, it will get solid inside and much stronger.
  • When space is an issue, you can place two dahlias in one hole, but make sure they face away from each other.
  • I plan to start staking mine as soon as they reach 3′ to support them. For this I use either Bamboo Poles or a wood stake and twine.
Dream Garden 3
Dahlia with good growth to plant with the base of the green stock at soil level.

An Impact Worth Having!

I cannot wait until they all start blooming!

Trying to be patient, but it is so hard!

Have you read, ‘HELP! My DAHLIAS are not blooming! / MY FAVORITES!’. READ HERE!

Where it all began! The pond!

This water feature is the highlight of our garden. So much work to accomplish this! If you want to see more about where it all started and the transformation, read my post ‘Steps to Convert a Yard into a Garden’. READ HERE!

I can’t begin to explain how much life comes into a garden when you have a water feature.

dream garden pond

More than that, your summer walkthroughs become even more special with the amazing sound of the water.

Bring Life and Color to your Pond.

And nature comes alive!

dream garden nature

Sweet Peas Anyone? Everyone is Going Crazy for them.

This is my first year growing sweet peas and growing them from seed has been just amazing. Every single time I do my summer walkthrough, I remember how long they have taken to see the first few flowers, but they are so worth waiting for!

Dream Garden Sweet Peas
The first set of sweet peas in bloom.

What about some of the Food in the Garden you Say?

Well, let me show you some of what I am growing!

So excited!

I have been growing a lot of salad green and have had a salad every single day, just about, for the past 8 weeks!

The taste is outstanding!!!

The hoops you see, I use at the beginning as the seedling grows and get strong. Take a look at my post ‘Four Easy Steps to a Garden Cover DIY’. READ HERE! This changes the game, I was successful in protecting my babies.

Dream Garden Beds
Salad Greens are grown on thgris specific area because it gets the least amount of sun.
Dream Garden Entry
Salad Greens Garden is currently in Transition

EDIBLE FLOWERS

Have you added nasturtiums to your garden? You need to!

The flowers are delicious and you can make other dishes with the leaves.

The amount of different colors available makes it even more fun!

Learn how to grow save tomato seeds on my blog post, HOW TO SAVE TOMATO SEEDS FOR NEXT YEAR FOR BEGINNERS! READ HERE!

Garden Nasturtium

SALAD GREENS AND HERBS

Nothing better than not having to buy vegetables in the market. Mainly for the money, but even more because the taste is just beyond!

I didn’t buy lettuce for 8 weeks and had a salad at lest 5 days a week for dinner.

Dream Garden Harvest
My salad harvest!

What can I tell you, I am on a diet! Quarantine!

Seriously, so easy to grow Nasturtiums and lettuce. Add a few pistachios and wow!

Dream Garden Salmon Dinner
OH, Yummy! Nothing like salad greens from your own garden!

CUCUMBERS

Another favorite has been my miniature white cucumbers. They are small, but so sweet, just delicious.

I definitely will be planting more cucumber plants to get more every couple of days, maybe 8 plants total. Why, because these, I just eat right away. Who can wait for pickling?!

If you want to add some delicious pickled red onions, see my post for a ‘Delicious and Easy Pickle Onion Recipe with Herbs’ READ HERE!

I need to learn to pace myself.

Dream Garden pickled cucumber
Miniature White Cucumber.
Dream Garden Parsley
Parsley is abundant!
Dream Garden Tomatillos
Tomatillos are abundant!

SOIL PREPARATION

I am so glad that I took the time and care to get the soil prepared prior to beginning. This has made a huge difference in the growth of all of the garden and even battling the crazy weather we have had.

Healthy soil, healthy plants!

Check out my post on ’10+ FAVORITE Gardening Tools for a Better Experience’, to learn about the soil and amendments that I use to prepare for planting. READ HERE!

Dream Garden Purple Pepper 1
Murasaki Purple Pepper

This pepper is amazing! My favorite! The color is so fun, but don’t eat it until it turns more green to taste the sweetness. Otherwise, when purple, it is bland.

Dream Garden Scarlet Plant
Scarlet Runner Beans

BEANS

This runner bean is so amazing! It grows very quickly once it takes off.

Dream Garden Scarlet Bean
Scarlet Runner Bean Flowers
Dream Garden snap Pea
This year I planted Thomas Lantern & Dwarf Gray Sugar Snap Peas

HYDRANGEAS

My Absolute Favorite Plant Right now in my Garden!

I can’t begin to explain how much I love this hydrangea! She is a symbol of the transition from Spring to Summer.

This is it for me, magical. But to be honest, every stage of this beauty is amazing.

I have to tell you a little about this blue beauty, just in case you run out and buy a blue hydrangea.

Heck, I don’t blame you if you do!

Hydrangea Color!

The color comes from the soil they are grown in. Even if you get a blue hydrangea, make sure you are keeping the soil acidic. You can achieve this in several ways;

  • Find a fertilizer specific for keeping your hydrangea blue. This is the easiest way.
  • Keep the soil PH Low by adding peat moss to the soil, organic mulch, such as pine needles or pine bark.
  • Add aluminum sulfate through the growing season.

Don’t go crazy adding things to lower the PH, test the soil to make sure or you can deal with health issues in your plant.

Turning a hydrangea from pink to blue takes a couple of seasons, it does not happen overnight. Sorry to give you the bad news! Keep in mind that also, if your soil is natural high on PH, you are not going to change that, the hydrangea will remain pink.

For more on organizing and getting the most information about your plants check out ‘Organizing ideas diy | Plant Tag Hacks’. READ HERE!

Dream Garden Hydrangea
My favorite hydrangea in the garden right now!

I am not sure which one this is, but it may be the Hydrangea Macrophylla “Let’s Dance, Rave Hydrangea” 

Hydrangea Changing Colors through the Seasons

In late spring the blooms begin to show and as soon as summer start you can see a show of amazing colors! From pink to lavender and then the strong, deep purple hue. This hydrangea likes part shade, mine does okay with some heat, but in the afternoon it has shade.

Another favorite Hydrangea in my Dream Garden that is blooming right now is the tree by the pond. It is spectacular!

I am also loving my hydrangea tree. I had to show you!

This tree is only a year old and it is already giving me so many flowers.

Limelight Hydrangea

SWEET DREAM GARDEN!

This Dream Garden Walkthrough was so much fun. It is amazing to see on the screen what is growing.

Journal with me your garden so we can see how you grow and achieve such amazing harvests.

Tell me all about it!

Hoping that you have enjoyed seeing the different things happening right now in the garden. I would love to hear from you what type of things you would like to see.

What is exciting you the most in your dream garden?

Your Cocoon Awaits You,

Stay Creative!

Don’t leave yet!

Come tour amazing gardens and learn more gardening tips.

Peacock Ridge Farm

Stacy Ling Bricks n Blossom

a loverly life

Cottage Comforts Home

Karins Kottage

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32 Comments

  1. Such a beautiful post. I enjoyed every second and filled with great information.

    I can’t wait until our Limelights bloom! I love drying tons for fall.

    Cindy

    1. Thank you Cindy! My limelights got a little burn with the heatwave, but I am still enjoying them. I just love that tree so much!

  2. Your garden is amazing each photo is more beautiful than the next! I am in awe of your photography! These photos could be in a magazine.
    Thanks for sharing….

    1. I can’t thank you enough Karen! You are so kind! The garden inspires me every day to capture it’s beauty.

  3. Your garden looks amazing. I love getting the fresh veggies from my garden. There is nothing like it. I am going to look up the white cucumbers I have not heard of them. Thank you!

    1. Thanks Corine! the white cucumbers are super fun! But plant enough plants for a good harvest if you have a large family.

  4. You are a lucky person to be blessed with the ability to enjoy life’s true blessing!🥰. Your photos are incredible and your comments are very heartfelt and tender.

    Keep up the good work and God bless!!

    1. You are the second half of this equation, always my partner in the garden. Nothing would ever come true without you!

  5. Absolutely gorgeous! You have so many beautiful and interesting things in your garden, I think I may have spent an hour here!

    1. I am so happy to hear that! So glad you enjoyed all the images and the post. The garden just keeps on giving!

  6. Wow! Now I kinda wanna try growing nasturtium. I have edible flowers as well but they don’t all taste good. I thought people grew them for the aesthetic, but good to know they taste good too!

    So happy you shared facts about hydrangea colors and the pH. Not many people know that 💕

    Stunning pictures too!

    1. Thank you Jesus! Yes, they are so good on salads and the leaves are just amazing on pesto. My mother loves it on crackers and can’t stop eating it when I make it!

  7. Melba, I so enjoyed visiting your amazing garden! I love all of the colors and textures. Thank you for sharing!

    1. thank you Lynne! I have been working on adding even more color this week! So excited to see it all grow.

  8. Melba your garden is stunning. You have done so much hard work! I think I need you to come over and do an audit of my garden ☺️

    1. Thank you so much Marie! It has been fun to see changes through the year. Your garden is going to be stunning!

  9. Absolutely gorgeous!! Gardening is one of my favorite things to do. My zinnias, hydrangea, hostas, roses, cannas, daisies, geranium, and herbs are in full bloom now. Hummingbirds are everywhere! Makes my heart happy!

    1. Thank you Leslie! Isn’t it just amazing. I can’t spend enough time outside. Yesterday we did a good harvest and that was so much fun!!! My flowers took a little beating from the heat, but after cleaning them, they are doing good. The dahlias are super happy with the heat we had now. About to bloom!

    1. Thank you Linda! The garden has definitely become such a huge passion. And thank you again so much for your amazing support.

    1. Thank you so much Jayne! I love sharing my garden with everyone, thank you for seeing the post.

  10. Oh wow! Your garden is amazing. Your alliums look incredible. I’ve never grown them but I’d love to. Thanks for sharing this. My garden is my happy place too, although at the moment it’s a wet and cold place.

    1. Carol, thank you so much! I am so happy you enjoyed the garden walk! It was my first time growing Alliums and I have to say, they are so worth it! They make so much of an impact in the garden since the ones I grew were the large ones. Nothing like the garden to feel whole. We went from heatwave to great weather and we wake up now to cold and cloudy that turns into amazing weather in the afternoon. I hope you get great weather soon!!!

    1. Thank you so much Danielle! I am really enjoying both the flowers and the vegetables have been an amazing journey this year. So happy you enjoyed the images and garden tour!

  11. You have truly created the most beautiful garden! I’ve loved watching it progress! Also – you’re photos are so stunning. <3

    1. Thank you Stacey! My garden is my everything to me, my cozy hangout and where we enjoy getting our food. I can’t wait to have more space one day! Bring more flowers!

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