Two kinds of lilies.

It's 70 degrees this morning. The house did not cool down like it normally does overnight. I woke up sweating. I've turned the air on for the Realtors. It's going to be another mid 90s day. Same as tomorrow. And Saturday. And Sunday. And....you get the picture.

In the yard, I've started collecting seeds from the Blackberry Lilies. The seed pods are what give them their name. I'll wintersow these to create a mass planting near the street.



Spider Lilies are springing up here and there. They seem to grow up and bloom in just a couple days. The foliage will come along after the blooms have faded. These were here on the property when I bought the house. A few bulbs will leave with me when I go.



No rain in the 10 day forecast. No rain in the past two weeks aside from that paltry 0.05" we received late last week. I'm dragging hoses here and there, spot watering with a small sprinkler. It's got to rain eventually, right?

It ain't easy being green.

Especially when there's no rain and the temperature is in the mid 90s. This morning, we received a break from the dominant weather patterns. It was raining, complete with thunder and lightning, when I woke up this morning. A nice steady rain fell for at least an hour after I sat down with my first cup of coffee. If the forecast holds true, there will be more this afternoon.

I wondered about the yard. I'm amazed by the plants that have survived the summer so far. Some are past their bloom time, but their foliage is lush and green. Others are just getting started. The hostas on the North side of the house are about to pop. White and purple blooms will close out July as August settles in.



The rain will help, no doubt.



The banana tree I rescued from the neighbor's leaf pile is doing well.



More blackberry lilies have appeared. I'm thinking I need a semi-tropical garden space in the yard.



It's 77 degrees and cloudy. The high today should reach the mid 80s. It's muggy and humid.

While watering...

I came across new blooms in the perennial bed. This is a Blackberry Lily, wintersown in 2008/9. They remind me of orchids. I'll keep these.





The celosia is blooming behind the upper potager. I wintersowed these in the spring of this year. I'm expecting them to reseed.



The Goldfinches have discovered the echinacea.



A nearly flawless sunflower bloom. Todd took a photo of this one last week, still in the green phase.



It's 90 degrees already. Takeout sushi tonight with Laura and Emily on the lake.