Fireworks in the Garden

Do you have big plans for the Fourth of July?  There are many activities planned in our area to celebrate the holiday, including the annual fireworks show in C-U, which is always outstanding.  But my husband doesn't like crowded celebrations and the traffic afterwards, so sometimes I go to the show with one of my children and grandkids.  Other times, we'll simply sit on the lawn after dusk and watch the displays in surrounding towns from a distance.   I'm not sure what we'll do this year, but we could just stay at home this year and enjoy the garden--in the past week, my garden has exploded into a riotous display of color that's almost as good as fireworks.

Like pink?  There is plenty of it in my garden right now.  The Asiatic lily 'Brindisi' is nearly at the end of its bloom cycle, but what a show she has put on!

She's the biggest and most prolific Asiatic I have, putting out too many blooms to count.

As she is fading away, the pink of the purple coneflowers is taking over.  I have a sea of coneflowers this year, and I'm not exaggerating--more on this in a later post.

Prefer a hotter shade of pink?  These phlox always defy my photographic skills, but they are a dazzling shade of hot pink/fuschia.  And to think I almost pulled them their second year, because I didn't remember planting them!

More hot pink from the Monarda in the butterfly garden, which is a jungle once again this year.  By the way, please ignore the many weeds you may see in the photos.  The abundant rain we have had this year has certainly been good for the garden, but it's also been a boon to the weeds.  I'm fighting a daily battle against them, and I think I'm losing.

Now this is my shade of pink!

We can go darker still with the Drumstick Allium.

Or how about a bright red?  I wish I had taken this photo a few days before, when more of the poppies were blooming. . . and wish I had pulled that buttonweed behind them before snapping this photo:)  I scatter poppy seed in late winter over the snow and never know how many or where they might germinate; needless to say, this was a good year for them.

Going darker still, 'Little Grapette' is the first of several darker daylilies to bloom.

Personally, I like a combo of light and dark as in this early daylily 'Moonlight Masquerade.'

If you prefer the purity of white, there's plenty of that too--'Beckie' daisies are just starting to bloom.

And so are the 'Knee High Sonata' cosmos.

In fact, there will be quite a bit of white in the coming weeks as the 'David' phlox join the parade of blooms.

We can also add some purple to the dazzling mix of colors with some larkspur.

And almost blue--Balloonflowers.  I actually had to pull out some volunteer Amsonia, which were hiding this plant.

There is plenty of yellow in the garden, too, with all of the 'Stella d'Oro' daylilies in bloom, as well as other yellow blossoms, such as this 'Moonbeam' Coreopsis.  In fact, about the only color that is noticeably absent in my garden right now is orange, but that will soon change as more of the daylilies begin to bloom.  Tarzan obliged me by adding a little orange today:)  I think he has the best idea of how to celebrate the weekend.

No Fourth of July would be complete without displaying the red, white, and blue.  Maybe the phlox are a little more pinkish and purple, but it's close.

A little closer to the patriotic color scheme--an "accidental" combination of red, white, and blue.

Wishing you all a happy and safe Fourth of July!

August Bloom Day

Every year at this time I say the same thing:  "Where has the summer gone??"  Of course, we still have another month of official summer, but it's only a matter of time before the days become shorter and cooler, and garden projects turn to thoughts of next spring rather than the present.  Time to enjoy the garden while we still can!

But unlike most Augusts, I'm not complaining about the heat.  It's been a beautiful summer with only one or two days above 90 degrees.  We could use some rain, but again, it's nothing like the last two summers when I was watering the garden every week.  The Knockout roses are putting on a new flush of blooms and are towering over the Russian Sage behind them.

The daylilies are done for the most part, but a latecomer is 'Andrea's Dragonfly,' a gift I bought for friend Beckie in memory of her daughter and my goddaughter, and now shared with me.

This is the time of year when the Hydrangea Paniculatas shine.  

'Vanilla Strawberry' is covered in blooms this year.

The blooms are supposed to turn pink as they age.  This is the first time they have noticeably performed this way, but the pink quickly turns to a crispy brown.  I suspect the all-day sun is more than they need.

My favorite hydrangea, though, is perfectly happy where it is.  I've tried various camera angles to get a true picture of just how big and beautiful 'Limelight' is, to no avail.

You'll just have to take my word for it that this plant gets bigger and better every year.

I wish I could say the same for the little 'Ruby Spice' Clethra.  I thought by this year, its third in the garden, it would be "leaping."  At least there are a few blooms this summer to give me hope.

August is also the time of year for some old-fashioned favorites grown from seed.  Here, cheery nasturtiums in an old cast iron pot.

Seeds are ordered every year from Renee's Garden for another must-have--cosmos.  I don't remember the variety, though.

Sometimes a few of these will self-seed and return the following year.  You can't tell from this photo, but these cosmos are growing in the middle of the tomato patch!  I just didn't have the heart to pull them.

Late summer also means it's zinnia time!  The smaller Profusion and Zaharas, like this Zahara 'Starlite' (I think) have been blooming in pots or along the edge of flowerbeds all summer, of course.

But the taller varieties just started to bloom a couple of weeks ago.  I've forgotten the name of this mix from Renee's Garden--'Cool Crayon Colors,' maybe.  I don't seem to have the number of zinnias I've had the past two years for some reason.  Note to self--order more seeds next year!

One zinnia whose name I haven't forgotten is this one--'Zowie Yellow Flame.'  It's about 2 feet tall, compared to the others that reach 3 feet and sometimes beyond, but the blooms are such eye-catchers, you are bound to notice them.  I planted some in the roadside garden as well this year, where they are also doing great.  Another note to self:  plant even more of these next year!

Surprise lilies are visible all over town and popped up in my garden last week.  They're fading quickly, but there are other surprises and volunteers to take their place.

The mysterious NOID phlox that appeared in the shade garden last year now has a progeny.

No surprise in this volunteer--I always have a couple of cleome that re-appear each year.  What was surprising, though, was the hummingbird.  I've been trying  and trying to get a good photo of her on her favorite plant, the 'Black and Blue' salvia, when out of nowhere she appeared to check out the cleome. Still not a sharp photo, but I'll keep trying.

The only thing missing this August are the butterflies.  Usually by the time the zinnias begin to bloom, my garden is swarming with butterflies, but not this year.  They're few and far between.  But as you can see, there are plenty of other cute critters keeping me company in the garden this summer.

What's blooming in your garden?  You're welcome to join in--just visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  She's probably out picking more raspberries to eat, but you can sign in any time with Mr. Linky.

Garden Muse Day: Random Reflections

A Nation's Strength

What makes a nation's pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold.  Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword?  Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong:
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly . . .
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.

-----Ralph Waldo Emerson


No big plans here for the Fourth of July, other than possibly taking in a local fireworks celebration, but I'm just happy to be healthy and somewhat energetic again.  I spent several days on the couch last weekend with a flu-like virus, too ill even to feel like sitting at the computer.  But worst of all, last Saturday was the annual Master Gardeners' Garden Walk, an event I've looked forward to for months.  Not only did I not get to tour the gardens, I also couldn't honor my commitment to volunteer as a guide for part of the day.  What a disappointment!

But I'm no longer sitting around feeling sorry for myself--my energy has slowly returned, and the weather has been absolutely glorious the past few days.  The rains have finally stopped, and the temperatures have dropped to the comfortable 70's with little humidity--perfect gardening weather.  After neglecting my own garden for more than a week,  I couldn't believe the changes in such a short time, especially in the vegetable garden.  The squash are sporting lots of blossoms as are the cucumbers which are threatening to take over the whole garden.  Green beans are ripe and have been enjoyed for two nights' dinner already.  The tomatoes, I swear, must have doubled in size in the past week and already have small green fruit visible.

All the daylilies have been blooming for the past week, including several new cultivars purchased last year.  A later post is planned to give them the attention they deserve.

The new drumstick alliums are also blooming in the new lily bed. I'm still not sure why their heads are rather conical shaped instead of round, but they're still eye-catching, and this blue beetle (name forgotten) finds them to his liking nonetheless.

Best of all, it is coneflower time!  Blooming a few weeks earlier than past years, they have attracted a host of butterflies and bees.  This solitary Red Admiral is just one of at least a dozen that flutter from bloom to bloom every morning and evening.  Purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea, have always been my first love; in fact, I once chose them as my signature plant.  Seeing them in bloom each summer is like meeting old friends once again.

Speaking of friends, I was sad when dear friend Cheryl decided to discontinue blogging due to time and family commitments.  This bee is for you, Cheryl.  But then again, she might just decide to post now and then . . .

I'm also a bit sad that I won't be seeing other blogging friends at Buffalo next week.  Ever since attending last year's Spring Fling in Chicago, I had fully intended on traveling to Buffalo for this year's Fling, Buffa10.  But several things that have come up in the last few months forced me to reconsider.   I hope that everyone who attends has a wonderful time!  Judging by the planned schedule as well as the article on the Buffalo Garden Walk in the summer issue of Horticulture, written by one of the Buffa10's hosts, Elizabeth Licata, I'm sure that all of you will no doubt thoroughly enjoy yourselves.  I have my fingers crossed that there will be another garden bloggers' gathering planned for next year so that I can attend.

In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!  And I encourage you to visit Carolyn Gail, our hostess each month for musings on this first day of July.

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."

--Erma Bombeck