I think I mentioned last week that my garden is my happy place. I go out almost every day with a empty plant container and pull weeds, which actually are under very good control right now (thank you). It’s soothing to me and you get right up close to nature and see all the little things you might not notice like the ants scurrying around or a caterpillar inching it’s way around or even Mr. Toad.  I notice how the blooms change every day and it always provides me with something new and fresh to look at every time I go out there.  It’s also a good place and time to think about whatever is going on and frustrations roll away when I’m out there. Maybe the solution to world peace is gardening. It’s a common thread and creates harmony. It’s hard to hate when you are in a garden.

These are the flowers this week:

A random lily.  This is why you shouldn’t buy bulbs from a loose box in a big box store. Oh so tempting, but this is not what I thought I was getting.

I planted these in the fall of 2014 and they didn’t come up until this year. I actually had forgotten about them. It’s supposed to be a turk’s cap lily (orange with black spots), so I don’t even know what I got.  Live and learn!

Shasta daisy of some type:

I think this will get moved in the fall or next spring to a spot closer to the front of the bed.

More beebalm:

They look like Raggedy Ann or some sort of muppet, don’t they? See how nice and full my neighbor’s yard is in the back? Some day.

I love the black satin petunia.

It’s really striking in person as well. I hope I can find it again next year because I don’t want to try to save seeds and all that.

In the front, the hydrangea blooms are getting bigger.

They haven’t started turning pink yet. I think it’s supposed to start at the tips, so it will be a while.

My other balloon flowers are open. Remember how I said they were white? They’re not. They are pink.

Sure enough the tag says Astra Pink. I don’t know why I remembered them as white. CRS, I guess.

The blue balloon flowers are exploding!

I love these. Guess I should get more?

Lots of cleome now.  This picture makes it look like my garden is a huge meadow when it’s not.

Volunteer snapdragons.

Plant snapdragons once and you will have them for years.  I dead head them right into the garden so the volunteers pop up wherever. There are actually of lot of them, too. Only a few blooming now, though.

The supreme cantaloupe is in full flower right now.

I have a thing for the ruffed coneflowers.  Although saying that, the Cheyenne Spirit coneflowers are racing up my favorite list. They are gorgeous!

The multiple colors on each plant is so cool.

I may get more of these.  Tomorrow one of my favorite garden centers is having a tent sale. I was scoping out last week what I thought they might put on sale. Usually it’s flowers that are starting to get pot bound and a little gangly. I’m okay with that. A good shearing and they are good to go. I have a birthday gift certificate to spend there and I will be hunting for some Agastache and possibly balloon flowers. Yay!