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.

Bloom Day

It's June 15th. Last night a wind storm came through and tore down a tree two streets over. The power was off for almost 5 hours. It warmed up a bit in the house. No painting was accomplished in the dark. And now, the blooms.

Echinacea "White Swan"



The first Sunflower.



Hot pink Four O'clocks.



Red Four O'clocks.



The first zinnia. Why are they always pink in my yard?



There's a vitex blooming in the pokeweed jungle.



Dahlia.



Om, nom, nom. The next squash is being created.



White Butterfly Bush. This is one of the two I have. I grew this one from seed.



This creature was spotted this morning hanging from the bottomside of a weed I missed last week on the slope. I think it's molting into something I've never seen before.



It's 72 degrees. Another hot day is on tap. Rain possible. Storms likely. Robert will be here by noon to help with the countertops. I'm off to take a test.

Turning Corners

Another heat advisory has been issued for today. I'm off from work. The plan is to stay inside and finish the trim in the kitchen and get another project underway, painting the hallway. A few hours work and it will all be done except for the countertops. Robert is coming Tuesday to help build the forms. This morning, I picked 4 squash from the potager.

Laying in bed, looking out the window, I noticed how full the Rose Garden in the backyard had gotten. Agastache, Four O'clocks, Coreopsis Full Moon, and other plants have really filled in this year. The miscanthus will be moved this fall to the meadow garden. I have a grass plan.



Near the street, the Monarda citriodora is huge again. I've got several of these plants scattered along the driveway. The bees love them. Their flowers remind me of henbit, if henbit grew to 4' tall.





I plant close. I pack the plants in when they're small. They compete for space and light. Some flop, others stand tall. I like when the combinations work. My goal is to have blooms. I think I succeeded.



Daisy flavored blooms with pink and purple bee balm.



Echinacea grows into the agastache.



It's 77 degrees. The high today will be in the upper 90s. No rain in the forecast.

Steamy Sunday

Another 1/2" of rain fell Saturday afternoon just as I was putting away the lawnmower. An hour later, the sun was out again.

The ditch lilies are still going strong by the front walk.



So are the rudbeckia in the perennial bed.



The first Four O'clock bloomed last night.



Monarda citriodora.



Black & Blue Salvia is blooming.



Three pink azaleas are way behind schedule.



The squash is right on time.



It's 72 degrees. The temperature is already starting to rise. By mid-afternoon, we'll be in the 90s.

Three inches of rain

That's what some reports are saying fell during the wee hours of the morning. I don't know for sure, but the yard looks pretty beat up. The basement water feature is larger. I need to pick up a box fan today. I'll be pushing water towards the drain in the floor all morning.

In the garden, plants have flopped all over the place.





The tomatoes should have been staked a week ago. I'll be doing that as soon as the ground dries out enough to hold a stake. Each plant will be tied to a stake. It's too late to try any other method. I just hope I don't break them. I need to prune suckers too.



The gully refilled last night. From the looks of it, it overflowed.



The pussywillow cuttings I stuck into the moist soil this spring seem to enjoy the extra moisture.



Same with the cannas.



And the elephant ears are finally coming up.



Some rudbeckia made it without flopping.



Including a new brown/orange variety.



And I have squash blooms. There's one on just about all the plants. The sun is trying to poke through the clouds now, so hopefully the bees will come out to play.



It's 72 degrees. 80% chance of rain this afternoon with more thunderstorms likely. I guess there's no drought after all.

Reds.

Time marches on, and soon you realize it marches across your face. The sun turns my face red on hot days whether in the garden or at the store where I rarely find myself inside out of the heat and humidity. The reds are also starting to appear in the garden.

Another poppy bloom, same plant as yesterday.



Red spider zinnias. I was so disappointed by the less than impressive size of these flowers last year. When I ordered seeds, I expected huge swaths of large red daisy-like zinnias. The flowers are about the size of a dime. Later, they'll be the size of a quarter. They look good in mass plantings, and I allowed them to reseed last year scattering seeds here and there. So far, they've only come up where the original planting was.



Lilies. I don't know the variety. I planted them last spring where they grew to about 6" tall and did nothing else. This year, they shot out of the ground with vigor and are just starting to open. If you look closely, you can see a Rudbeckia bloom about to unfurl.



Gerbera Daisy. Only one of the two reds have returned. Several of the white are blooming along the back of the house. This is surprising since Gerbers aren't exactly fond of the cold weather we had in January, nor do they like wet feet in winter. But a few managed to survive. The purple violas behind the gerbers are going to seed. I had planned to collect a few and scatter them around, but I missed my opportunity. This fall, I'll just have to move plants like I did yesterday.



Over the past 2 days, we've received more than 2" of rain. More possible today. The potager is taking a liking to this new kind of weather. Water from the garden hose keeps things alive during dry spells, but real growth happens when it rains. The row on the left were the last ones planted out. They share the same first name as me and John Wayne.



The beans, squash, okra, cucumbers, and nasturtiums in the upper bed are growing too. It will warm up later this week. I expect to have squash in 4-6 weeks.



Finally, the fourth attempt at growing Oakleaf Hydrangeas has begun. The root of the mangled plant has put out new growth. My cuttings don't seem to be doing much. It's only been two weeks. There is still hope.



It's 57 degrees, cool and cloudy. Today I've got to work on the AC unit. A cheap part needs to be located and replaced. I'll do that after I've had another cup of coffee. I had hoped to mow the yard, but the hateful lawnmower detests wet grass. I'd probably slip and lose a foot anyway. It's best to just leave it alone until it dries out a bit.

The Potager.

It's been slow going in the potager beds without much rain. The top dressing of horse manure and pine shavings dries out quickly. I'm watering nearly every day just to keep the soil below moist. A good hard rain is in order. Still, things are growing. Even the okra has germinated.

Most of the beans are up. I replanted one teepee this morning with asparagus beans. The flat Italian beans did not come up. I blame the squirrels.



Squash.



Cucumbers.



I planted nasturtiums throughout this bed to protect against squash bugs. Along the front edge, I've got dwarf red ones. They should trail over the front once they get going. Along the back with the cucumbers, I have a vine variety. They will grow up the same trellis as the cucumbers to a height of around 6'.



In the three lower beds, 53 tomato plants have survived. One just shriveled up and died. I think I'll have plenty.

Black Krim



Green Zebra



It's 64 degrees and sunny. I've given everything a good deep drink of water from the hose. The high today should reach the 90s again. The chance of rain for Saturday has been removed. We are now under a fire watch as humidity levels will begin to fall overnight.

On the windowsill in the kitchen, the first roots have appeared on my variegated hydrangea cuttings. I'm rooting them in water. The cloner needs to be cleaned soon. None of the camellia cuttings made it. A few salvia have rooted. All three butterfly bush cuttings survived. I'll be taking a look at the rest of the cuttings soon to decide if they just need more time or should be culled.

9:48am - It's 73 degrees. I sowed a few more seeds today, trying to clean out the seed box. Coleus has finally been sowed. They should germinate quickly with the heat. In the garden, a few new things have appeared.

Buds on achillea that were wintersown in 2008/9.



Clearance purchased Tennessee Coneflowers. Planted last fall in the crape myrtle bed.



Wintersown in 2008/9, White Swan has a bloom and many buds.



Clematis Etoile Violette





Off to work in an hour.