A Friend Fluttered By...

I had a beautiful friend flutter into the garden today, actually I've been seeing these a lot lately… these are the best 3 pictures I was able to come up with… I'm no photographer (if you couldn't tell), just a bit of a shutter-bug… Double-Click the photos to see them full-size & Enjoy!!

Getting Caught Up...

Phew!!  What a week its been trying to get caught up with my usual gardening chores… after a week out of the garden due to heat things were in bad shape, and needed a lot more TLC than usual… with my extensive gardens that means I've spent the last several days trimming, cleaning, weeding, dead-heading… and I'm finally caught back up (well, as caught up as I ever get)…

My new Phlox are doing well… I just love the pretty pink flowers & beautiful green leaves…

Miss Manners, my Obedient Plant, is being as her name implies… a very pretty & well behaved young lady...

This pretty new Larkspur (Delphinium) seems to enjoy his new bed…  Love the blue/purple flowers on this one…

I've discovered my Beardtongue like to fall over when watered… so I've given these girls some underwires to keep them up where they belong… all us girls need a little support from time to time...

Jacob's Ladder is also quite happy in his new home… hoping he'll put out some new blooms soon - according to the grower the blooms he has currently are a little light due to the heat spell we had recently… we'll see… I'm going to like this guy anyway :)

Mallow was ready for her closeup… love her pretty color...

My new renters (temporary residents, annuals) are happily blooming & keeping their garden spot looking pretty…

My hardy Hibiscus is getting ready to put out a profusion of blooms… just hope I can keep the Japanese Beetles at bay this year (they like this guy)…

This "mistake" ended up being an awesome shot… when I look at it full
size (double-click) it feels like I'm falling into the plant...

A pretty Hosta bloom...

Another strange shot (double-click to see full size)… kinda wonderful
but creepy with his shadow on the wall...

My Hostas continue to bloom like crazy… now only 2 varieties have yet to shoot up their bloom stalks…

Gregori Pepper Blooms

Gregori Pepper

The peppers I got from my friend (her family's peppers) are blooming and putting out lots of tasty little peppers… they have a flavor that has a hint of a Jalepeño taste, but with almost no heat… yummy!!

The Liatris are going crazy… and I discovered that the local Goldfinches like these flowers… I wish I was fast enough (or had a camera that could zoom way in) because I had a male Goldfinch sitting on & picking at these flowers (getting nectar?? getting bugs??) for a few minutes… but when I tried getting closer he flew off :(

This was a fun surprise this week… one of my Purple/White striped Petunia blooms has almost no white at all… wish this picture did her justice because she looks like dark purple felt… very pretty...

This little fellow let me clean up the Day Lily with him on it… and he posed quite nicely...

This little sweetheart landed next to me while cleaning another Day Lily… I've had lots of butterflies this week…

This butterfly was enjoying my Liatris… she let me get quite close to take some pictures… and she stayed close by for a couple minutes…

Another grasshopper that didn't mind me being around… looks like he might be the big brother to the other guy...

The local bees are also loving all the blooms… this is a Honey bee, but I've also had Black Bees, Bumble Bees, and some sort of teeny-tiny little bee… unfortunately I've also had some wasps (or are they hornets - the yellow & black type) but there's only been a couple & they're not giving me any trouble… I'm watching out for nests though...

Back in the Garden...

After a week away due to the heat I'm back in the garden again… this morning was beautiful, and I had an empty spot (or two) in the garden I wanted to tackle… First I headed to the St Paul Farmer's Market & picked up some new Perennials….

My loot from the Farmer's Market

Beardtongue

Siberian Larkspur "Summer Blues"

Obedient Plant "Miss Manners"

Phlox "Bright Eyes"

Mallow

Jacob's Ladder "Heavenly Habit"

While speaking to the grower I bought from, I lamented some of the damage in my garden due to bunnies and/or deer… and he suggested I try Dear Scram… so once home I was off to my local garden store to pick some up…

And of course while I was there I picked up a few Annuals to fill in some spaces where my early risers (Tulips & Daffodils) have already taken their summer nap…

Purple Archangel

Atlantis Heliotrope

Pentas Graffiti Violet

Rose Glow Landmark

Finally it was time to put on my gardening shoes & start digging in the ground…

Can you tell these are my gardening shoes?

Perhaps they're just a bit too broken in?

Here are the results… 

The Annuals were planted between my Paperwhites & Iris, while avoiding my (cut off to the ground) Tulips & Daffodils.

The Perennials were scattered in a previously unplanted bed (unplanted this year)… I thought I might get around to planting more vegetables, but after the issues I had with other seedlings this year I decided to punt that idea… these beauties should keep coming back year after year & bring me lots of pretty blooms to enjoy…


Yes, I used the Deer Scram on/around my new plants… I really hope it works to keep the critters at bay… (fingers crossed)...


Feeling like I accomplished something today… Yes!

Flowering not Frying...

I've been running out the last few steamy mornings to make sure to keep thirsty plants hydrated… a challenge with the temps we've been having!!

Yet another Hosta is starting to open her blooms...

I just love the way this Hosta's blooms are opening...

Several Hostas are blooming or starting to bloom… for some reason this seems early this year...

Honeysuckle bloom cluster...

The Honeysuckles seem to be thriving in the heat!

Bee Balm is imitating the Fireworks from last night...

The Bee Balm also seems to love the hot steamy weather…

Liatris bloom clusters… 

Liatris is bursting open in the heat… fun!!

Bumble Bee busy on Veronica bloom cluster...

Nothing deters the local Bumble Bees, they just keep humming along… I love these friendly little visitors!!

Campanula, early morning, after the sprinklers hit her overnight...

Campanula mid-day

I thought it was cute how my Campanula slept in after getting a drink overnight… perhaps she had a bit too much to drink… she finally woke up to face the day...

A flaming orange Day Lily...

This Day Lily by my mailbox (its in a shady spot) finally got around to blooming… she looks like a flame, appropriate in this scorching heat!!


That's all until another day… enjoy!!