It’s been good weather this summer for the garden. It’s deserved after such a horrible winter. We have had a lot of rain, but it has come in chunks and not periods of days where it rains and is gloomy. I have had to hand water the garden once or twice this whole summer, other than the potted plants, which obviously dry out faster.
Here is one of the potted plants. This is the firecracker:
It’s a cute plant, for sure! I think some people call it a cigar plant, but I hate smoking, so firecracker it is! 😀
A new flower has opened up this week:
My globe thistle! These did not bloom last year and I had only seedlings, which I let grow and now I have blooms again. This has always been a tricky plant for me and I don’t know why. I have a few seedlings that I will try to take to the new house and see what happens with them.
Garden art:
Kitty is getting a bit faded now.
My butterfly weed is doing pretty well:
I planted some annual salvia to the right of this to make up for the hot papaya coneflower which is still weirdly small.
Something I find interesting this year is that normally I get a bajillion aphids on the butterfly weed and not a one so far. Seems that the red lily beetles are the pest du jour instead.
Speaking of lilies!
I will never get tired of these!!
As we get into August, the fall blooming flowers are starting to set themselves up. Here is my autumn joy sedum:
That’s going to be pretty showy this year. See the campanla in the foreground? Still blooming! It got knocked over with heavy rain earlier this summer and I have just been trimming it down as the blooms die in the hopes that it will become upright again, and it might actually be working.
Tiki torch:
The sundrops are throwing out a couple blooms, too. That’s a surprise.
Remember that huge butterfly bush bloom from last week? Still going!
Here is some white alyssum with the coleus up close from the shade garden tippy pots:
I am picturing that cranberry color in our dining room.
I was trying to do some August goals for today’s post, but my brain is pretty fried from this week. I have some in mind, but I need to sit down and think about them. Not sure how much biking will be done this weekend as the weather is iffy. John will be away tomorrow and that means he cannot put the kibosh on me buying stuff LOL! Maybe I will find a trunk or another piece of furniture to do 😀
That is interesting that the alyssum is blooming in your shade garden. In past years, I have tried growing it in my shade garden, and it never bloomed. It was only when I moved it to relatively full sun that it has grown like a weed. I love that cranberry and white combo you’ve got going there.
Oh, and hand watering once or twice????????? I think we got a fair trade with you getting the bad winter, and me getting to hand water once or twice A DAY!
I hope you get a little riding in this weekend. I love that picture of all the flowers and colors together. How pretty!
The tippy pots getting morning sun and evening sun and the alyssum seem to like that.
Awesome garden pics. Don’t buy anything extra to have to be moved;). You’re welcome, John.
Lori your flowers just look amazing…. With 100+ degree temps every day for two weeks mine are looking a little toasty.. But by the end of the month things should be cooling down… I try to keep myself under control while we are here
in CA. I try not to buy too many flowers that i will just have to leave behind.. Sometimes i win sometimes the flowers win.. LOL!
My alyssum is in the sun…little too much sun with the temps but she’s hanging in there. … Hugs! deb
The garden looks lovely as always. I wouldn’t beat myself up too much about goals for this month. You have enough stress already. I would just take it easy on yourself this month.
Your garden is so pretty – I love the wide variety of colors you’ve chosen. Makes for a fun viewing…I always notice something different each time!
Roses used to be my favorite flower but lilies have passed them and I love the ones in your garden!!!
So far behind Lori – sorry but so beautiful & I know work is craziness for you! Be kind to yourself!!!!
Have you thought much about what plants or seeds you’ll bring with you to Radiance Manor? I suppose it would be harder if you closed in the Winter but I wonder for some if you could dig up a large root base and then store it in a bucket in the garage or something?