Too Many Distractions . . .

After complaining all summer about the heat, I'm happy to report that we had three beautiful days at the beginning of this week with temperatures in the low 80's and cool, sunny mornings.   Of course, the heat is back again and seems intent on staying, but for three glorious days I finally felt like working in the garden--well, one day was spent with the three older grandkids, enjoying one of their last free days before school starts.  So make that two glorious days to get all the weeds pulled, flowers deadheaded, etc., etc.

The first order of business was to start on the Butterfly Garden, which has turned into the Garden of Chaos this summer.  I was happy to see so many plants reseed themselves this spring, but it has meant my original careful plans for planting last year have been scrapped, and the volunteers have taken control of the garden.  To add to the chaos, I wasn't always able to identify seedlings.  Thus, flowers were inadvertently hoed out, and weeds were often allowed to stay.  The seedlings that grew taller and taller for the past few months found me scratching my head--were these weeds or could they be asters?  As it turns out, they were members of the aster family (what isn't??), but not desirable ones.  The tall plant at the left of the photo above towering over even the cosmos and Joe Pye weed is a horseweed, or as my Dad calls it, mare's tail.

Now the horseweed does have some rather pretty flowers, as you can see, but it is a weed after all, even if it is included in my Illinois Wildflowers book, so it must come down.  Armed with long-handled pruners--a machete would have been more useful--I tiptoed through the jungle of plants to cut each plant down.

Two down . . . oh, look at this little bee feasting on the cosmos blossom.  Let's just put the pruners down for a moment and grab the camera, conveniently tucked inside my pants pocket.

And what are these fluttering wings on the nearby Susans?  I think they might be Pearl Crescents, tiny little butterflies that I've never been able to photograph.  Be very still . . .

Ah, patience is rewarded.  Aren't these sweet?

I think he must like me after all, to stay so still.  And look, he even has a friend . . . or at least I hope that's a friend, not some predatory wasp.  Fly away, little Pearl!

Ok, back to the horseweed on the other side of the garden and some other unidentified weeds . . .

Still not sure if one weed-looking plant is an aster, but one mystery is solved.  Yes, this IS goldenrod, and it's blooming already!  I think this out-of-focus insect is a soldier beetle, often seen in my garden. Let's put the pruners down again for a moment and get some better pictures of the goldenrod.

Well, now that's a little better.  The bees obviously love this plant . . .

. . . as do the Sulphurs.  But then the Sulphurs seem to like every type of flower--there are literally clouds of them flying about every flowerbed I have.

Oh, but wait!  This little butterfly is not so common, and I've never gotten a photograph of it.  I'm not sure if it's the Eastern Blue, but it looks very much like it.  I wish I could get a better picture, but it just won't stay still and it is so tiny.

Wow, I didn't realize that goldenrod attracted so many creatures.  I'm not sure what either of these is, but the one on the left looks a lot like the cicada killer wasp pictured in my insect book.

Perhaps it is looking for this.  The cicadas are thick right now, their loud song providing a sort of buzzing lullaby each night.

I seem to have lost interest in weeding . . . maybe I'd better go water some of the containers before the sun dries them out again.

At least while I am watering, I can lock the hose into open position and put it down if I get distracted.  An orange butterfly has been eluding me for the past several minutes, flying away each time I put the hose down and get my camera.  I think it's a fritillary, but where did it go?  No, this isn't it--it's a butterfly I haven't seen before, and in fact, I have no idea what it is. Hmm, interesting. 

Put the camera away, Rose, and finish up the watering, for heaven's sake.  At least the porch planter won't be so distracting; the butterflies don't seem to like its shady environs as well.  Oh, but look at this cute little hoverfly burrowing into the petunia blossom. 

"Hey, aren't I pretty enough for one of your pictures?"

"Well, of course, you are, Mr. Mantis!  You know you're one of my favorite subjects, especially since you sit still so nicely for all photos."

Ok, the watering is done.  Time to get back to those weeds in the Butterfly Garden . . .

Oh, but I have to take just one little photo of this swallowtail on the orange cosmos!  I've been bragging about what great pollinator magnets these cosmos are, and what better example could there be than this.  Please, Ms. Swallowtail, could you move just a little to your right?

Better . . . but I still can't see your face . . .

Ah, perfect!  Thank you so much!

Ok, the perfect photo has been taken; now it's time to get back to weeding.  But wait, it's lunchtime already, and then I might just have to take a little afternoon nap after working so hard all morning.  

I just don't understand why I don't seem to get much done in the garden:)

Sending wishes for a Happy 85th Birthday to my Dad today!

August GBBD: Deja Vu

It's time for another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the day each month when we show off what is blooming in our gardens.  I've noticed lately that there seem to be two distinct camps among garden bloggers--those that have the "I'm sick of the heat, and I don't feel like getting all sweaty and fighting mosquitoes in the garden, and I'm almost too unmotivated to blog" attitude, and those that have the "It may be hot, but look at these lovely blooms that thrive in heat, and aren't you glad it's not winter?" attitude.  I'm afraid I belong to the first category, but for today only I'm going to try to take the high road and look positively at what is blooming in spite of the heat, the lack of substantial rain, and the inattention of the lazy head gardener.

The purple coneflowers may be fading and looking rather tattered these days, but the Black-eyed Susans are still going strong in the butterfly garden, attracting all kinds of creatures.  It's hard to believe that these cheery faces didn't exist in my garden until last year.

The butterfly garden really is a garden of chaos this year.  So many plants re-seeded themselves, like this cosmos, that it was hard to weed until I knew for sure what each seedling was.  I pampered some very tall seedlings, as I racked my brain to think what they were, only to discover eventually that I had cultivated some fine examples of mare's tail, or horseweed.  Not a good thing.

The emerging leaves of 'Cosmic Orange' cosmos, from seed from Tina, were also originally mis-identified, but fortunately were left alone until their unmistakable blooms appeared.  These are also happy self-seeders, and the pollinators love them.

This is the first year for a successful planting of verbena bonariensis, but judging by how well they're doing this year, there should be a vigorous re-seeding of these next year as well, which makes me happy.

One plant that is not blooming is the Obedient plant.  I was really disappointed until I looked up information on this native plant and discovered that it doesn't bloom until late summer or fall.  I hope that's true, because I have a throng of these plants, all from one little plant that was knocked over by Sophie last summer before it ever had a chance to bloom.  With luck, maybe all of these will finally bloom in time for Wildflower Wednesday later these month.

What little energy I've had for gardening lately has been spent on the vegetable garden, where tomatoes are ripening so fast they need to be checked every day.  Often overlooked here, though, are the modest blooms of marigolds, planted to keep pests away and to camouflage the weeds that were sure to grow behind them.  These are either "Golden Guardian," a seed I purchased, or seeds from Frances in the seed swap this past winter, or maybe both . . .  Breezy mornings have made it difficult to photograph anything other than a single bloom held steady by the photographer.

Also in the vegetable garden, a lone hollyhock stands sentinel.  Two weeks ago I lamented the lack of hollyhocks this year, but several sprang up in unwanted places and were weeded out.  This one escaped the hoe, fortunately. Other than that strange cutout near the top, it's a perfect pink specimen.

I also lamented earlier the lack of tall zinnias that usually are the highlights of my August garden.  Still no sign of them, so these smaller, but floriferous 'Zahara Yellow' zinnias will have to do.  This is a bit of deja vu--I showed a similar photo of these in July, but hey, you've got to love any plant that blooms so long and does so well in spite of one of the most continuously hot summers in memory.

Also worth repeating is this photo of  'Lucky Lemon Creme' lantana, this time, though, with a new friend also enjoying it.  I've mentioned before that this has been a banner year for butterflies, with the number of species seen as amazing as the total number of butterflies.  While June saw flocks of Red Admirals, swallowtails and Buckeyes are the most numerous right now.  Buckeye sightings are usually rare in my garden, but this August dozens can be found in my garden.

I wish I could show you just one good photo of a plant I've been so happy with--Salvia 'Wendy's Wish.'  But every time I try to photograph it, my camera focuses on something else nearby, or a breeze sends the blooms waving in the air, both resulting in blurry photos.  This less than satisfactory photo will have to do for now.  Similar in color intensity to Salvia 'Black and Blue,' but hot pink as you can see, this plant has been so much more robust than 'Black and Blue' was for me last year.  It's definitely a keeper, but I'm afraid it's probably an annual in my zone 5 garden.  So I'm going to try to collect some seed; if not, I do hope the garden center stocks this again next year.

Also keepers are the two 'Radsunny Yellow' Knockout roses planted this year in the new lily bed.  Now that the Japanese beetles have diminished in number, they are putting out new blooms once again. 

Now here's a bloom I know I've never shown before.  Some people prefer to snip off the blooms of Lamb's Ears, but I think they're kind of cool.

Knowing that the daylily blooms would be a transitory show, I wanted to add some plants that would have all-season interest.  Lamb's Ears and silvery Artemisia, planted at one end of the lily bed, fit the bill perfectly. But the best part about these plants is not what you see, but what you feel.  It's hard to walk by these two without running your hand over their soft foliage.

Like a child with a new toy, I have given the most attention this year to the new lily bed.  The front garden, the first garden I planted, really needs a makeover and isn't very photogenic right now.  Nevertheless, the pollinators still are pleased with it, including this bumble enjoying the Russian Sage.

Watering has been a constant chore since early July, and about the only chore I've been diligent about.  As a result, most of the containers are still looking good, especially the ones in the shade.  This lantana, name forgotten, planted with a coleus and tri-color ipomoea vine would probably do better in full sun, but it still adds a bright spot in a shady area out front.

My favorite plant in the shady containers are the two Illumination Begonias I was thrilled to find this spring.  I found a yellow one like the one I had two years ago, but I couldn't resist also buying this Apricot Illumination.  The blooms start out a deep apricot, then turn to more of a lemony yellow as they mature.  This photo doesn't do it justice, but trust me, it's a beauty.  And every time I look at it, I will always think of Flydragon, who shared my love of Illumination begonias.  Though she lost her courageous battle with illness last year, her witty posts will always be remembered.

Another current favorite is the 'Limelight' hydrangea just coming into its own.  Planted in the fall of 2008, this plant has exceed my expectations, growing to nearly 4 feet tall this year and just as wide.  I wish I could get a decent photo of the whole plant, but this single blossom will have to do for today.

The shade garden is definitely feeling the effects of the continued heat and lack of rain.  The "sea of lamium" has dried up, and I think I may have lost a couple of heucheras.   Oh, sorry to slip into my negative mode there; I was going to stay positive today, wasn't I?  Well, then, let's just end by looking at these lovely hosta blooms.  Just when I thought the hostas were done blooming and ready to go into dormant mood, these suddenly appeared on what was labelled a 'Sum and Substance' (though with much darker green leaves than my known 'S and S').  Another hosta is also sporting some buds, so the shade garden still holds some surprises for the season. 

And best of all, the weather forecast is for a reprieve from the heat for the next few days--woo hoo!  Maybe I'll stop being the neglectful gardener and finally tidy up the garden this week.

To see what else is blooming in August across the country and around the world, be sure to visit our always motivated hostess, Carol of May Dreams Gardens for the monthly meeting of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Tuesday This and That

Today's post really is a hodge-podge of ideas, inspired by Monica's Mish-Mash Mondays and their sundry offshoots, but I realized last week that in all my posts this summer, I have neglected saying much at all about the vegetable garden.  So let's remedy that omission first of all, before getting to the fun stuff. Here is an overview of the season so far:

April:  Planted spinach and a lettuce mix from Renee's Garden.  Intended to plant some sugar peas and start an asparagus bed, but didn't get to it.  Probably the earliest start I've ever had in planting veggies, thanks to the unusually warm spring. 

May:  Harvested lots of spinach and lettuce and ate a salad nearly every day.  Planted the rest of the seeds and seedlings--green beans (bush beans), kohlrabi, beets, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell peppers and pimento peppers (red), fennel, and a squash seed mix that included zucchini and yellow straightneck summer squash.

June:  Continued to pick some spinach and lettuce until it finally bolted with the heat.  By the end of the month the first green beans were ready to pick.

July:  The constant rainfall of June meant a bountiful harvest in July, and the veggie garden needed to be checked nearly every day.  The green beans were excellent, and though I didn't intend to, I even froze several pints from the excess. A manageable amount of summer squash and zucchini were harvested ( no zucchini explosion this year!). But cucumbers were another story. The two hills of cucumbers I planted threatened to smother half the rest of the garden, despite a belated attempt at a makeshift trellis for them.  The main problem, however, with the cucumbers is that they tended to hide beneath the dense foliage, and by the time I spotted them they were often over a foot long!   I gave away several to my sons, who both have always enjoyed them, but most of the overgrown cukes found themselves in the compost pile.

August: A lack of rainfall in July and the laziness of the gardener here have contributed to a slowing down in production.  Two lessons learned here: 1.) squash and cucumbers need water to produce 2.) Do not leave a section of garden hose lying in the grass unless it is completely visible to the Lawnmowing Man:)  Nevertheless, this squash blossom and a squash I found today suggest both it and the cucumbers may not be done. 

August, though, is the main reason we plant a vegetable garden at all, because it is the height of tomato season! This is the only time of year the Lawnmowing Man, aka Mr. Procrastinator, shows any interest in the garden at all.  Each night finds him searching for any signs of red in the veggie garden.  The first ripe tomatoes were early this year, as I expected after such a warm season, but all of the first ones, other than the grape tomatoes,  were inedible, suffering from blossom end rot. I've never had this problem with tomatoes before, and Mr. P. and I were both worried what this might mean for the tomato harvest this year.  But after doing a little research, I found out that this is due to a calcium deficiency caused by fluctuations in moisture.  (No wonder--soggy June and arid July!) It also tends to affect the first fruits only, so the past two weeks we have finally been able to pick some tasty fruit to eat.

Four varieties of tomatoes were planted-- two four-pack seedlings purchased from a local garden center, Better Boy and Supersteak (the large one ripening in the top photo); and two types I planted from seed--a grape tomato (name forgotten right now) and a new hybrid 'Razzleberry.' The 'Razzleberry' seeds were a freebie with my order from a catalog.  They have a pinkish cast and are very firm.  They would be a great tomato for a commercial grower, because they have a nice uniform shape and would ship well.  But for me...well, so far I haven't been impressed with their taste.  The grape tomatoes, however, are delicious and perfect for salads.  No problems with blossom end rot here, although if you look closely at the stems of the photo above, there may be another problem . . .

On the cucumber foliage nearby, there is some disturbing evidence.  Thanks to Carol, I now know that this is called frass.  I love to expand my vocabulary, so you might be hearing me use this new word a lot.  As in, "Oh frass!  I hope this didn't come from a tomato hornworm!"

Let's hope the frass came from this guy instead. He was absolutely devouring the fennel this morning, so I wouldn't be surprised if he produces a lot of frass.  Much to the delight of my grandchildren, there have been quite a few swallowtail catt sightings on the fennel lately.

This has been a banner year for butterflies, and I hope all the caterpillars in the garden mean even more to come through the fall.  While early summer saw flocks of Red Admirals, more and more species have come to visit in the last month, including this Tiger Swallowtail enjoying the lantana.

And a sure sign that fall is on the way . . . I spotted the first woolly worm this morning climbing the garage door.  Like Lisa's first woolly worm, this one is a rusty brown, which, according to Midwestern lore, suggests we'll have a typical winter, not too mild but not too harsh.  If you'd like to know more about how these woolly prognosticators can predict the weather, click here.

One look at my garden these days, and you'll know it's definitely the dog days of summer.  Summer blooms are fading, and fall color is still at least a month away.  It will be hard to find much new to show for Sunday's monthly Bloom Day post.  These surprise lilies were a pleasant ....um....surprise at the end of July, but of course, all that remains now are a few tattered petals. 

What I do wish I had in my garden right now are some summer phlox.  This beauty is in the MG Idea Garden and is nearly six feet tall!  'Elizabeth' is a cultivar of phlox I'd definitely recommend.

Another phlox in the Idea Garden that caught my eye was this shorter, but just as pretty 'Miss Holland.'  Phlox is definitely on my "must plant" list for next year to liven up the garden during these "dog days."

Speaking of dogs . . . we have a visitor this month!  Accompanying Youngest Daughter home from Oregon two weeks ago was Coconut.  Coconut loves to travel by car, but this was his first flight.  He did very well, despite having to be crammed into a small little carrier stowed under the seat on the plane.  Although pets are supposed to be in carriers the moment their owners enter the airport, Daughter kept Coco on a leash until it was time to board the plane and let him out as soon as they landed.  I think he charmed everyone with his good behavior so that no one had the heart to tell him he needed to be confined:)

It's hard to believe that YD has been home for two weeks already.  She "lost" a few days to the stomach flu, thanks to me, but otherwise we have been doing lots of catching up, and she has enjoyed having the luxury of being able to sleep as long as she wants--as has Coconut:)

She's been putting lots of miles on my car meeting up with old friends who were just as eager to have her come home for the first time in nearly a year, as I was.  Coconut and Sophie have enjoyed getting re-acquainted as well.

This past weekend was a whirlwind of activity as my Older Daughter arrived from Arizona for a long weekend, and the two girls were able to re-connect after not seeing each other in nearly two years.  Since they didn't know if they would be able to both come home again at the same time before older Daughter's wedding next May, YD and the sisters-in-law threw her a shower on Sunday.  Youngest granddaughter enjoyed being an assistant hostess and checks out the cake table.

All my "girls"--Older Daughter center, Youngest Daughter to her right, Daughters-in-law on each end, and Granddaughters second from left and in front.

All the "boys" (sons and grandsons) along with my parents came over in the evening for pizza, and the house was filled with more talk and laughter than it has heard in years.   The time was all too short, as Older Daughter had to go back home yesterday.  I was exhausted after she left, but it was worth every sleepless hour to have all my family together once again.

August Muse Day: Where Have They All Gone?

A late and abbreviated Muse Day post today--I've been down all weekend with a nasty stomach bug, and now my daughter has caught it.  I'll be around to visit everyone later as soon as I've disinfected my whole house!

Those "of a certain age" like myself will remember the song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary,* among others.  The revised version below is what I'm humming in the garden these days . . .

Zinnia Border at the Master Gardeners' Idea Garden in Urbana, Illinois.

Where have all the zinnias gone, long time passing?
Where have all the zinnias gone, sown months ago?

A stand of zinnias in the Children's Garden at the Idea Garden.

Where have all the zinnias gone?
Washed out in June rains, every one

When will she ever learn?  When will she ever learn?

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know how much I like zinnias.  Easily grown by direct sowing outdoors in late spring, zinnias are a great burst of color in late summer when so many other flowers are fading.  I planted some seed this year, as I have for the past two years in the roadside garden, but I haven't seen a single seedling this summer.  My best guess is that the flooding we had in mid-June which left this area under standing water for several days washed away all the seeds. 

I do have Profusion and Zahara zinnias in this garden as well as in containers and other areas.  But it's the tall--3-4' foot--zinnias that I love. So this year when the coneflowers fade, there will be no bright splashes of orange, pink, purple, and yellow to take their place.  I'll have to go to the Idea Garden instead--which is where all these photos were taken--to get my zinnia fix.

And while I'm wondering, here's a second verse...

My best hollyhock last year--growing in the compost pile!

Where have all the hollyhocks gone, long time passing?
Where have all the hollyhocks gone, grown long, long ago?

One puny white hollyhock this year.

Where have all the hollyhocks gone?
Fallen to disease? To pests?
We may never learn, we may never learn.

The hollyhocks that have grown here freely for years and years, all from seeds or plants originating with my husband's grandfather or my grandmother, have been very few in number this year. Granted, I pulled out some volunteers that appeared in places I didn't want them, although I left this pink one at the edge of my vegetable garden.  Most do not look very healthy, which makes me wonder if they have succumbed to hollyhock rust. Whatever the cause, I'm going to collect as many seeds as I can this fall and hope for the best for next year.

*For other fans of Peter, Paul, and Mary, videos of them performing this song can be easily found on YouTube; I didn't have time to download one here today.  I was lucky enough to see them in live performances twice, once in the late 60's at the height of their career and once in the late 90's--they still sounded great then even after 30 years.  Sadly, with the passing of Mary Travers last September, their harmonious folk ballads can now be heard only through recordings.

Garden Muse Day is brought to you the first of each month by the talented Carolyn Gail of Sweet Home and Garden Chicago.