How Does Your Garden Grow?

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

During the late spring and early summer months here at Maryland Sled Dog Adventures LLC, we like to fill our days, evenings and weekends with gardening and relaxing since it's far too warm to dog sled. This year's cool and wet spring and summer has resulted in a lush and happy garden.

T-Bone relaxes on his dog bed

At present, Eric and I (thankfully with very little help from the sled dogs) have two 3 ft x 6 ft raised beds and several pots planted with annuals and vegetables and herbs. This year at Maryland Sled Dog Adventures, we are growing two types of tomatoes: early girl and a heirloom variety, yellow pear. We are also growing four different types of peppers: super chili, purple bell, and Italian frying peppers along with a Trinidad hot pepper which is being grown in a pot. Along with the tomatoes and peppers, we are growing burpless cucumbers, tomatillos, strawberries, and red leaf and romaine lettuce. Since lettuce is a cool weather crop here in Maryland and by early June has all been harvested, we've also interspersed our lettuce plants with garlic. In the past, we have not had great luck with root crops (by my definition anything that grows under the soil) so we're hoping our little garlic experiment ends well.

Trinidad hot pepper growing in a pot

Early Girl tomatoes in mid June

Super chili

Since both Eric and I enjoy cooking with fresh herbs we are also growing: basil, tri-colored sage, lemon thyme, English thyme, lavender, oregano, mint, and curly parsley. Most of our vegetables and herbs were either purchased at the University of Delaware's Ag Day or Valley View Farms in northern Baltimore County.

Everything is better with fresh herbs. Yum!

In addition to the vegetable and herb gardens, we've planted lots of annuals including, among others, impatiens, petunias, salvia, and begonias in window boxes and pots around the patio.

Impatiens and Petunias in Window Boxes

Bright annuals on the front porch

Sunflowers we planted with some free seeds we received

Blue Salvia

Also growing in the garden and providing color and texture are three specimens of my favorite flower: the hydrangea. Among our hydrangeas, our wonderful oak leaf hydrangea which has gorgeous fall foliage in addition to big white conical flowers throughout the summer. In addition to the oak leaf, we have two lace cap hydrangeas. Augmenting the hydrangeas, are lavender, hostas and lilies.

Hostas flank the back wall of our house

T-Bone keeps a close eye on the garden

Hydrangeas, Hostas and Sled Dogs

Deep purple lace cap hydrangea

It's hot, it's humid and it's not my favorite time of the year. All that being said, the garden does look pretty great right about this time of the year, especially the hydrangeas and the hostas. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers and were featured prominently in our wedding flowers. Not surprisingly, in our back yard we have a "wall" of hydrangeas.

Table Centerpieces

Wedding Party Bouquets

My Bouquet

The blossoms on our Oak Leaf hydrangea start out white

Then they gradually turn pink

Finally ending up as vibrant pink blossoms

The view from the guest bedroom: Flowering Lace Cap Hydrangea

The other major indicator that summer has arrived is the vegetable gardens. This year our vegetable gardens seem to be growing a bit slower than in years past. Soon, we are hoping to harvest some yummy veggies including tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers from the vegetable garden.

The tomatoes are getting bigger....

Later in the summer as the crab apples ripen, we hope to make crab apple jelly with the crab apples from the tree in our front yard. In prior years the crab apples have been fodder for the deer and rabbits that frequent our yard despite the presence of our sled dogs.

Ripening crab apples

As we approach the "dog days" of summer, the hostas color the yard with their delicate purple and white flowers. Hostas are prevalent throughout our yard as these plants thrive in shade. The plants we got from one of our neighbors last summer are doing quite well and have huge green foliage with tall purple flowers.

Hosta

The dogs love to sit in the hostas planted along the field stone wall and await Eric's arrival home from work. Sobo especially loves to sit, and watch and wait...

A young Sobo frolics in the hostas

The Welcome Wagon

Summer Splendor: The First Day of Summer

Our Oak Leaf hydrangea is in full bloom.

With unseasonably cool temperatures for the middle of June (which in Maryland means highs in the mid to upper 70s and no humidity), it's hard to believe the first day of summer has arrived. But it has and the signs are everywhere that Summer officially begins after seven this evening. Before you know, it will be early fall and we will begin our sled dogs' training regime to get them ready to run dog sledding tours and rides this coming fall, winter and spring. To check out our Summer dog sledding opportunities and upcoming Fall and Winter dog sledding opportunities visit our website.

One of our Lace Cap Hydrangeas just beginning to bloom.

Our second Lace Cap hydrangea with buds but no blooms

Bright and showy petunias enliven the dog yard

A vibrant orange Day Lily begins to open near the mailbox.

This edible flower (an herb) is Blue Hyssop

Look hard, there is a tomato in this photo...

Bright pink Impatiens grace the edge of our flagstone patio

Not quite "Red Hot Chili Peppers"

Summer sunlight filters over Sobo

Zoe alertly watches the summer "action" (i.e., her brothers)

Summer blueberries grace Eric's breakfast cereal

What do sled dogs and mushers do during the summer?

A four month old Sobo stretches out across the AC vent in our floor.

We are frequently asked by our clients: What do the dogs do during the summer? Why, they try to stay cool of course. The dogs, especially Sobo, love to lie on the air conditioning vents. We also garden, swim, take in outdoor concerts, visit dog parks, travel with the dogs, and hike during the warmer months. On cool days, we can sometimes squeeze in a very early morning bikejor.

Okemo says: Why don't the rocks float, Mom?

Sobo takes in an outdoor summer concert at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.

T-Bone and Sobo romp on the beach at Cape Henlopen State Park during a camping trip.

Sobo and Okemo go for a walk with Eric in Gaysville, Vermont.

So as you can see the dogs stay quite busy during the summer months even if they aren't dog sledding!

As for the mushers, we like to garden, travel, work on our photography skills, and catch up on lost sleep. We are also constantly planning for the upcoming dog sledding season, fixing and maintaining equipment, running pull training clinics, and guiding canicross hikes. Below are some recent photos from our dog yard (aka the garden).

An oak leaf hydrangea in our garden

Evening sunlight illuminates our flagstone wall and a line of hostas.

Lemon thyme growing in the garden

Lettuce growing in the vegetable beds

An ancho pepper plant growing in the vegetable garden

Sobo relaxes under a lilac bush in the garden.

As you can see, both mushers and dogs stay busy during the summer months even if the summer is our "slow" time.