Goodbye Shastas.

I pulled out most of the shasta daisies this morning. While I love the white flowers in bloom, I despise the way they flop and turn black as soon as the blooms are open. They wilt in the shade and fry in the sun. They don't belong in my garden. I left a few clumps that will eventually be removed when I've got something in mind to replace them.

In the perennial bed, I planted a few echinacea that were purchased from the clearance rack. Carla paid for them. I thinned out a few other plants and cut back the early spring bloomers. I missed the chance to collect seed from the Dame's Rocket. I'm sure they'll reseed all over.



Echinacea Harvest Moon and Summer Sky replaced the Shastas in the shrub island. The ground is so dry here. I filled the holes with water a couple of times and planted directly into the soppy mess. I'm counting on rain this weekend.



Carla came by to clean the boat. She's so funny. She noticed the crape myrtle was in full bloom. Across from it, I finally settled on a spot for the red flowering crabapple I picked up for $4.75 this past spring. I know, bad time to plant a tree. Probably too tight a space too.



The hibiscus are going strong. The Japanese Beetles are doing a real number on a few plants. This one is mostly untouched, until now that I've mentioned it.



Every morning, just as the sun appears through the trees out back, I notice this corner of the rose garden. Hybrid teas aren't for me, either. They've been given a reprieve until the fall. I plan to give them to Marty, a customer at the store. She's bringing me about 50 different daylilies. I'll probably put most of them in this bed. It's this corner that really makes me feel like I have a cottage garden in the backyard. I like the different plants, the heights, colors, textures. They just work together. Coreopsis Full Moon is a bright, butter yellow. The pink roses are smaller than normal and almost done. The agastache punctuates at the back. I had sunflowers blooming until the squirrels found them last night. Such is life.



The squash are done too. I'm thinking of planting another batch for a fall harvest. Maybe we'll get some rain before Labor Day. I've got the seeds. I just need to check the almanac for a good planting date. I'd really like to get a second round of beans too. I've only eaten a handful this year. It's been so hot and dry.



Speaking of hot and dry, today we're going to reach the mid 90s again. Tomorrow, 98. No rain to speak of in many many days. I've been watering, but I'm just trying to keep a few things alive. I don't really expect much growth. After such a wet winter, it's hard to imagine just how dry the soil has gotten. Even a foot down, the shovel stirs up dust.

It's 86 degrees already. Work this afternoon will be tedious at the store. I need another glass of water.

Coreopsis Full Moon

I purchased a single plant of Coreopsis "Full Moon" in late 2008. The next spring, I divided it into 12 new plants. In late 2009, I divided several of those plants into new plants. I imagine I have nearly 3 dozen healthy, blooming plants right now scattered through the yard. Even with no supplemental water, only rain, they're doing well.

In the rose garden



Near the mailbox



In the perennial bed



I'm taking notes this summer. I'm going to do some editing this fall. Plants that wilt constantly, flop excessively, or just can't take the heat and/or humidity of our summers are dead to me. Some literally, others figuratively until I pull them out this fall. The shastas are done. They've never been one of my favorites. They need too much water, too much cleanup, they flop all over the place, and are just unsightly this time of year. I haven't bothered to deadhead them at all. The goldfinches are doing a great job of that. If I keep them, I'll move them to an out of the way spot like the gully. They can just sprawl til their heart's content.

Great performers include all the varieties of Coreopsis, Echinacea, Veronica, a few salvias, and cosmos. I wonder how many kinds of plants it actually takes to create a cottage garden? The white swan echinacea will be divided and moved to various parts of the yard next spring. I'm really happy with this plant. I'll use it where I wanted the white shasta daisies.



Follow-up: The swallowtail larvae have made themselves at home.



Starting about 1pm, we've got a 40-60% chance of rain in the forecast. I've been watering a little, here and there. I can't possibly keep up with all that needs water. Some things have passed on from this world. Others seem to be on their last limbs. The Japanese Beetles aren't even thriving in this heat. If the rains don't arrive today, I'll spend most of my evening trying to keep the remaining shrubs alive. Even the privet is giving up and shedding leaves. I didn't want to have to do this, but it's time...the rain dance.

Friday.

A few things blooming in the yard today.

Anise hyssop "Golden Jubilee"



Rudbeckia "Cherry Brandy"



A daylily from one of my customers. She brought it to me last year in exchange for a hardy hibiscus.



White Swan and Icicles.



Echinacea and Shastas.



Castor beans near the swing. These plants provide a quick, temporary summer screen. They grow to 10' or taller. Frost kills these plants in my zone. They outgrow the poke weed.





It's 72 degrees and hazy. The high today should reach the upper 80s. Chance of afternoon rain, 30%.

White.

In spring, white is a refreshing color in the garden. In summer, it offers a bit of a reprieve from the heat. More will arrive soon in the form of Four O'clocks, datura, and daisies. For now, small snipets can be found here and there.

Lantana.



Confederate jasmine and the chimney trellis.



The foliage of Miscanthus "Cosmopolitan".



Nandina's flowers. These will turn into the red berries that persist through the winter.



In the shade, Dusty Miller looks white instead of silver.



Nigella.



The first Shasta Daisies are starting to open. They're scattered here and there through the yard.



Blackberries.



Ligustrum. Similar to the sickening sweet smell of Chinese Privet.



Echinacea "White Swan"



It's 57 degrees. The high today should reach the mid 80s again. More sun. Rain in the forecast for the weekend.

Awesome.

The 10-day forecast.



It's 50 degrees, sunny, and clear.



9:34am - Goodbye Ivy.



Hello Shastas.



Thundercloud Plum. Got my fingers crossed.

Fast Food and the White Bed.

The white bed is no more. It didn't work out the way I had hoped this year. Only a few struggling annual vincas remained.



The Queen Anne's Lace, host to some caterpillars for a couple weeks, had stopped blooming. I pulled them this morning after a thorough search for critters. I transplanted a few volunteer Rose of Sharon. And I planted two Burning Bush shrubs that were marked down yesterday. Everything got a good dose of water. It doesn't look much different from a distance...



I moved all the shastas into the shrub island. They'll pout for a few days until they get settled in. I'll be adding more flowers going into next year around the edges. There will be more wintersowing, after all.



I planted Blue Girl behind the cosmos in what will someday be a glorious rose garden.



WOW! This Confederate Rose has really taken off. The cosmos were hiding it from the side I normally see. It's over 3' tall. It's probably not going to bloom this year.



After lunch, I moved into the kitchen. Robert is coming Wednesday afternoon to help with some of the work. The upper cabinets needed to come out. I'll pick up the parts I need tomorrow to cap the sink supply lines. All the plumbing will be replaced in the coming week, I hope.



After.



It's 82 degrees and clouding. Rain is in the forecast for the next three days (30% or more chance). I hope we get it. I bet it rains all day Thursday while Robert and I are trying to get the cabinets moved upstairs.

Feeling lazy

I'm off from work these two days. I'm planning to do as little as possible. That could change, of course.

This morning, I mowed the lawn. I edged the driveway with the weed whacker. Then I used the blower to clean everything up. In the perennial bed, I chopped down all but one of the shasta daisies. The blooms are done. The one I left will be used for seed. They should ripen in another few weeks. There was lots of new growth at the base. I think I will divide them again this winter. I've got three new beds in mind for the backyard.

I've got a few other things on my "maybe, want to, might, possibly get to-do list". Nothing pressing really. There might even be a nap involved.

Where there used to be shastas:

STELLA!!!!!!!

Stella D'oro from Carrie is blooming. She gave me 6 large clumps. I divided them into 14. This is the second one to bloom.



Buddleia is finally blooming. This is the mother plant. Pruned branches in February were shoved into the soil to a depth of about 8". Two of those are beginning to show color.



More sunflowers have opened. Esther's Mix.



Elephant ears perked up after watering.



Malva zebrina. I love this plant. Hardly any rust unlike my hollyhocks, and much showier flowers.



Okra. Yes, I did plant it next to the street. Why?



Some unknown thing is blooming white.



Rudbeckia hirta.



with Shasta Daisy.



30% chance of late afternoon/evening thunderstorms in the forecast. I hope they're right. Going to see Jackie's yard this morning. She wants advice on what to plant and where. Working the late shift. I hope it rains. 78 degrees and partly cloudy at 8:20am. 78% humidity.