Garden bench

Looks quite inviting, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, the way things are working out this year, I haven't spent much relaxing on the bench...  It's either been too hot, too wet, or when the weather HAS cooperated (quite a bit the last few weeks actually), it's been too buggy out.  The mosquitoes are nuts this year - probably because of all the rain we had earlier in the year, plus I was lazy and didn't treat the pond with mosquito dunks.

The viney stuff is finally really starting to smother the trellis I built last spring from an old pergola that was falling apart.  Last year it was pure morning glories I started in the bed from seed.  This spring I waited to see if there would be morning glory volunteers filling the raised bed I built around the bench - instead they were all coming up in the adjacent flower bed.  Uh oh!

I decided I wanted something that was supposed to be more enticing to hummingbirds, plus a perennial, and since I've heard nothing but horror stories about trumpet vine (I'm still tempted!  so cheap at Lowes!), I went with honeysuckle near the back left corner of the bed.  And because I can't stand NOT overcrowding a bed I tucked a black-eyed Susan vine in the middle, a clematis on the back right corner, and then sprinkled in nasturtium seeds through out.  Another contender for space in the bed are the wild blackberry canes that are trying to work their way into the yard....they love coming up in the bench bed and underneath the bench - those I just trim out.

Oh, and I have finally started seeing morning glories working their way up the trellis!

I'm not sure the honeysuckle will ever put on an impressive floral display...it seems to only bloom near the tallest tips.  The black-eyed Susan fine is doing a nice, if reserved, job.  I expect the clematis will be impressive next spring.  The nasturtiums are trying to climb, and are looking beautiful near the base.  And who knows what the volunteer morning glories will do this year...

I need to remember to sand and hit the bench with a coat of polyurethane next spring.  I was lazy and didn't bother this spring, and it's gotten quite messy...shedding little sheets of the pressed wood.

Just wait - gimme a couple years and I'll probably shove a trumpet vine in there.  ;-)