The Neighborhood is abuzz this morning.

First, there are bees everywhere. Yellow Jackets too. They seem to be looking for moisture wherever it can be found. I spent an hour dragging the hose to the most severe cases in the yard. I don't know if I should bother given the 10 day forecast. It's horrid for this time of year. Upper 80s and low 90s, no rain, not even clouds. The oaks are losing their leaves in a hurry. On the highways, the Sweet gums are beginning to darken. It's going to be a spectacular show in a few weeks.

A few plants are not only thriving, but just coming into bloom. The Helianthus augustifola is performing wonderfully. Near the street where it gets the most sun, it's easily over 10' tall. I was told to cut it back in May. I didn't. I wanted to see what it could do.



It's huge.



For old time's sake, here's the "Sunday Ritual" photo from the normal spot. It's taken over this corner. I think it even killed off the Mountain bluet that was preparing to swarm the area. Bee balm and Black & Blue salvia on each side might help contain it a bit, but I doubt it.



On the other side of the Helianthus, there's a couple nice clumps of Purple Queen. It's got tiny pink blooms. I took cuttings a week ago. I want to add more to other areas. In between, there are large clumps of Rudbeckia triloba. The one plant I had last year turned into dozens. I've begun weeding them like crabgrass.



Brugmansia. The first of the year. I had to water this plant a lot in the past weeks to get a bloom. The buds were drying up and falling off without assistance. I should containerize a couple for the winter. Or take cuttings. I'd like to take a yellow and a pink with me.



There's plenty going on in the yard, but the most important happening is the sign.



I've eliminated some information, this is the internet after all. The woman I call "Gramma" has been on her back porch almost the whole morning on the phone. From her perch, she can see what goes on in a few parts of the yard. The sign is very visible from her door. There'll be people who want to know why I'm selling. I have my reason. That's as far as I plan to discuss the details, in real life or on the internet. I apologize to anyone who wishes to know more.

Off from work today, there's an afternoon nap on the schedule already. It's going to be a lazy day. I'm going to move a few stones in the backyard. They don't need to be watered if transplanted. It's 82 degrees.

The woman is bi-polar

Mother Nature is at it again. 87 on Friday, 66 on Sunday? No wonder my sinuses are going crazy.



I woke up this morning with a burning desire to spend more time outside. There's a heavy dew coating everything. At first I thought it had rained. I could hear the steady drip drip drip in the downspout outside my bedroom window. The roof was coated with moisture. It's 54 according to my thermometer. The sun is bright. The sky is cloudless.

Helianthus



Datura



Rudbeckia



I'll spend this afternoon in the kitchen finishing the beadboard, I hope. But this morning, I plan to spend some time in the yard moving a few perennials, cleaning up a couple areas in the perennial bed, and taking a few minutes to stand still watching the last of the hummingbirds before they head off for warmer climates.

12:42pm - I cleaned out more of the perennial bed. It's seed swapping time and I need to know just how much real estate I have left or else I might overdo it this winter. Ok, I'll overdo it anyway, but at least I'll know by how much.

I chopped back all the coreopsis and bee balm. That bee balm is a spreader. From each plant, I have runners spreading out 18" or more from the original planting. Next year it should put on a wonderful show.







I cleared out some more melampodium too. Lots of it had powdery mildew. I've already collected seeds and scattered some throughout the summer. It'll be popping up everywhere next spring.



I pulled out the sweet potato vines at the top of the stairs. The green tuber weights almost 5lbs. The black one was 3lbs. I know there were others in the dirt, but I would have had to dig out Purple Queen to get to them. They might resprout next year if they don't get too wet this winter. Below the rocks, I planted 7 of Jim's pinks.



I know I should be in the kitchen right now, but it's a nice day outside. It's 66 and sunny. I'm going to move some dirt from this year's potager. The meadow area is solid clay and very hard. I had hoped this wouldn't be necessary, but I'm going to need at least a 1/2" of soil in some areas for the seeds to grow into. I expect an hour or two of work, then, maybe, I'll come inside.

5:58pm - I spent the whole day outside. It was wonderful. After lunch I went to work on the backyard. I wasn't content with just moving some soil around for the meadow garden. I decided to remove a few stumps that will be in the way of my future patio. One, I set on fire. The other, at the bottom of the picture, I decided to remove the hard way.



It only took me an hour. I used a lot of words I wouldn't say in front of my mother.



After all that, I've changed my mind about the patio location. The ground here is really unstable and sloped. I'd need to dig down about 18" or build an 18" retaining wall, or some combination of the two. So I'll use this space as my potager again next year. I should get two beds here, each 4' wide x 16' long. Just down the hill, I'll have another bed 4' wide x 8' long. I could probably stretch it to 12', but I'd have to build up too much to do it, I think. Still, that's plenty of space to grow tomatoes, squash, okra, and beans. Right? I laid the first bed out with landscape timbers. These were purchased weeks ago.



I had a visitor over for supper that I can't identify.



And my hairy balls (Gomphocarpus) are getting larger. This one is bigger than a golf ball. They're hollow and very thin skinned. I was surprised. I hope to collect seeds before frost. Several Monarchs paid a visit today too, but I was too busy cursing to get their photos.



Back to work tomorrow. We got up to 72 degrees today. Perfect.

Sunday

It's Monday and still no word on when the internet will be back on. So I'm at the library again. My laptop has died completely. Ugh.

Yesterday, I spent some time moving things in the perennial bed. I also planted 5 hardy mums and 10 perennial asters. But the big change was on the path. I mentioned before that I wanted to make a circular bed where the birdbath is. I've already moved the knockouts and a couple butterfly bushes. I forget now what else got moved, but the path is done. I still need more stone to finish the path along the gully's edge.









Most of the stone came from the ditchlilies near the mailbox. I killed two more snakes pulling these stones out.



Sunday's picture, before I reworked the bed.



It's hard to see in the photo, but the helianthus is blooming. Carrie gave me these plants.



It's cool and rainy today. I forgot to check the temperature. Light showers should persist most of the day. Tomorrow, I plan to move three leyland cypress from the stone wall on the north side of the house. I'll be planting Carolina cherry laurels along that wall. They grow fast and huge, so I'll be shearing them into a hedge next year. I have 16 from the 18 I raised from seed.