Hibiscus with Morning Glories

Look at the morning glories that grew up into the hibiscus. (They reseeded themselves from last year). Just look at how much this barrel has grown from when I planted it in late May.

Echinops

The Globe thistle is blooming.
I love round flowers..
Echinops likes full sun and will do quite well in poor soil. It does not require much water. The foliage is not particularly attractive - has quite a "weedy" look. It has spiney picky leaves that tend to turn brown at the bottom well before the plant blooms.I think it looks best if you can hide it in the middle of other plants.

Ever since I saw the snake last week, I do not go into the garden areas unless I have thick high shoes. These babies are serious gardening footwear - LOL.

A Different Combo

This bed caught my eye today when we were leaving the farmer's market. It is just geraniums with 4 clumps of purple fountain grass in the center. Very bright, but I like it.

Deck Changes (again)

After we had fresh tomato and lettuce sandwiches for lunch, I set to work changing the deck. I decided to move my glider from the hosta garden to the deck. I decided to do this last week, but I had to have DH around to help carry it, so today was THE day. This was a major change which necessitated moving a lot of heavy items. DH helped with all the heavy stuff and then he cut the grass while I played around with the new arrangement. I really like how it turned out. (click here to see the area before the change)

Bargain at the Farmer's Market

I had a nice day today. I was working outside at daybreak - I separated the big red daylily and some liatris (I was shamed into doing something with the liatris when I saw Sabine's beauties in bloom), moved a perennial cornflower that needed more sun and a little clump of painted daisies. About 8:00 am DH and I went to the local farmer's market where we got a couple of nice big tomatoes, some pattypan squash and some fingerling potatoes. It was "garage sale" day at the farmer's market and I bought 11 old quilt squares for only $2. I will probably make pillows out of them this winter to use outside next year.

Here is something for you puzzle lovers. It is a perennial word scramble. Once you unscramble all of the words, there is a little message from me at the bottom. It's a little tough unless you really know your plants. I made it up a year or so ago and had it on my web site. I just found it while searching for something else and thought I'd throw it out here - someone may find it a bit entertaining. You will need to double click the puzzle to bring it up larger and then print it. Have fun.

To Do List Keeps Growing

I have not done any real garden work in quite some time (other than daily watering of the containers). There is not much weeding to be done this time of the year. I did notice some of that darn Queen Anne’s lace blooming that I missed earlier in the year. Talk about a persistent weed – I dig it out by the hundreds every year. It has a long tap root and is easiest to remove when it is very young. Now I will have to get in there with a shovel and dig deeply to get it all. I know that some people actually encourage it in their gardens, but in my area it runs rampant and I don’t want it anywhere near my flower beds. It will take over in a very short time if I let those seeds ripen and drop. It is on my mental list of things to do this weekend.

My battle to eradicate the dreaded creeping bellflower continues. I have to get to it before it seeds.

I also noticed a large red daylily that had no blooms at all this year. I am taking that as a sign it wants to be divided. I will probably divide it into 3 plants so I have to decide where to plant the other two.

All of the main beds need to be edged again. That is at least a two-hour job. Oh, who am I kidding? It is probably more like 4 hours if I do them all.

I am removing all of the plants from my small rockwall area (it is approx. 12 ft. x 5 ft). It never looks very good, so I have decided to start over. I don’t know what to plant there. I am kicking around the idea of leaving it bare this year and planting annuals next summer. I rarely plant annuals in the ground. It might be nice to have color that I can depend on for the entire summer. Just a thought…..who knows what I will decide? First I have to remove everything that is there.

Geez, it sounds like there is a LOT of work I could be doing, doesn’t it? I just have not felt like doing any of it yet. Our weather has cooled down this week to the 70’s, so maybe that will spur me forward.

Allium 'Persian Blue'

Does anyone have Allium 'Persian Blue'? I am planning to order 20 bulbs from Breck's. Before I do I would like to know if any of you have them and what you think of them. They look beautiful in the catalog, but I learned long ago not to trust those pictures. Are they really a bluish color or do they look more purple? I am interested in all thoughts, opinions, etc.

By the way, Brecks sent me a coupon for $25 off with no strings attached. There is no minimum order. It says if your order is less than $25, you get it free. With an offer like that, I can�t afford NOT to order these. The price is $31.99 for 20 bulbs. I get $25 off that amount. Yes, Zo, there IS a Santa Claus!

And the Answer Is...............(drum roll)

Rose Campion (lychnis coronaria). Both Tarracotta and Kathy got it correct. Way to go girls!

Girl Gone Gardening didn't get the correct answer, but she gave it a try and in the process gave us some very interesting (and possibly useful) information about mullein. I do believe mullein was also used for candle wicks in ancient times. Go read her comment--I so love to learn new information about plants.

Lychnis Coronaria is actually an herb. It will bloom for a long time if you keep it deadheaded. Do let some seeds develop before fall though, so you can get babies for future years. This is a short-lived plant, but once you have it, it will probably keep reseeding.

Anybody up for a little Game?

See if you know what plant this is. Just click the comment section to give your guess.

I am a fuzzy silver-foliaged plant with bright magenta flowers (I also have white – pink relatives). I have been around since medieval times and was used for candle wicks during that time period. During my first year of growth I do not produce flowers, just the fuzzy silver foliage, causing many to mistake me for lamb’s ear.

Who am I?

Platycodon (Balloon Flower)

Hi. My name is Zo & I am a Magazine Addict...

I get a lot of magazines. Today I got a renewal request from 'Country Gardens'. I really like this magazine, but I am not resubscribing. Why? Well, in their "this is your last issue unless you cough up the check" letter, they offer me a price of $33.97 for 2 years (only 8 issues). That's more than $4 an issue, which I consider a bit steep, but am willing to pay if it is a good read. As I flip thru the pages, one of many subscription cards falls out (usually I pull all of these annoying loose advertising cards out first and throw them all in the garbage without reading any of them). This time I pick it up curious to see what the price is. You guessed it -- LESS than what they want to charge me (a loyal subscriber for years). For only $26.97 (plus $3 postage & handling) anyone can get this magazine for 2 years. Oh, yes, that is another major peeve of mine - the new fad of listing a price in bold numbers and then in the small print adding plus $3 postage & handling. Sneaky!

Yes, I know I could let it expire and just send in the new subscription card, but that's not the point. They should be rewarding their loyal subscribers with the lower rate, NOT charging them more than anyone else.

I am but one person, but I must take a stand. I shall suffer thru the withdrawal symptoms. When I am overcome with the urge to read 'Country Gardens' I shall grab an issue of 'Backyard Living' or 'Birds & Blooms' instead -- I vow that I shall NOT resub to this magazine.

Yes, 'Country Gardens' has done what few magazines have done before--they have lost me as their customer-- and THAT is not an easy thing to do.........I am every magazine editor's dream--an "easy" sell.

If there was a "Magazine Addicts Anonymous" I would certainly be a member.

I have a lot of phlox blooming right now. I got right in the middle of it and took this pic. I like how it frames the bottom.

I planted this new phlox last night. My mother-in-law gave it to me and I do not know the name of it. Does anyone know?

This is the back side of the long beds that I am always showing you. To me it is the back, but, I guess it is really "the front" as it is what is seen from the road. Look at all that Sedum Autumn Joy! (I think I told you I have a hundred or more of them and now you can see I was telling the truth!) You will certainly be seeing more of this when it all blooms.

My entire house is wrapped in gardens. I have gardens wrapped with other gardens (I am sure that does not surprise any of you regular readers--LOL). The yew hedge is wrapped with perennials. This is the beginning of the deck gardens. It continues right around to the back side of the deck, which you will see below.

I have a number of garden areas that I have not even shown you yet. Today I counted 25 different areas--even I was surprised at the number. A couple of them I really can't count as I am attempting to remove everything and start over. So they are nothing to speak of at the moment. This area is the back side of the deck. There is a butterfly bush in the middle which should bloom in the next few weeks and (of course) it is edged with Sedum Autumn Joy, so it will be a sea of pink by September.

Same area viewed from the rockwall

The first "heavenly blue" morning glory bloomed today. The blue are my favorite.

Early this morning I put two of my big scarecrows out. This guy waves to everyone as they go by.

Garden Helper

For Girl Gone Gardening

who loves frogs....well, this is a toad, but he is real. It's a toss up on which is uglier--this real one or the big green fake below. LOL. I have nothing against these guys. I know they are beneficial in the garden, but I don't want to get too friendly---like I would not touch them or anything like that. EWWWWWWWWW............

Email Address

Do you leave comments when you must put your email address in before it will take the comment? I have done so, but I don't like to. So often lately I get a comment all typed and hit send and that annoying screen pops up that wants my email. Lately I have just been X-ing out without leaving the comment. I think the spam bots can pick up that email address and I get enough V ia gr a and get-rich-quick scheme emails now! I feel bad because I know we bloggers just live for comments! Does it bother anyone else or am I just being too cautious?

Double-Duty Planter

This is my calla lily planter. As you can see the callas are all finished sans the lone survivor in the front. When I planted it, I stuck in some coleus so that I would have something to take over when they finished. Yesterday I cut down the spent callas and many of the huge leaves to expose the coleus. I left just enough calla leaves to store energy for next year. Now I have a "new look" for the remainder of the gardening year. The leggy things overhanging the planter are light-deprived poppies. I had a free packet of seeds from some magazine that I also threw in.

I brought another bench and two chairs on to the deck today (they used to be in the woodland area). After a little rearranging, I brought out a big stack of magazines and just sat and read for a good part of the afternoon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. We need to enjoy days like this while we still can.

From This ...

To This

Just look at how this grill has filled out . I had to remove the orange Gerbera a long time ago because the petunias were smothering the poor thing. I thought I had planted purple petunias, but they turned out to be mixed colors. Scarecrows seem to be my current "theme". I have them stuck in many plants (some of them are below).

Ugly

This guy is so ugly he even makes me jump when I unexpectedly look down and see him.
Do I get a prize for the ugliest garden ornament?

The main gardens are beginning to get their last burst of color for the year. I will have a good six to eight weeks of nice bloom before my gardening year ends.

Here Comes the Bud

I found two buds about to burst on my canna. I am eagerly awaiting the flower (I do hope I get more than two flowers).

Look Closley....

Do you see anything incredibly exciting? Study each flower.......

I FINALLY got a hummer!!!

Food For Thought

If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener.

J. C. Raulston

The Queen of the Border

I have mentioned before how I adore this plant. I have over a hundred Sedum Autumn Joy plants and in a few weeks you will tire of seeing pictures of them. Right now its flower heads are light green. My sister-in-law calls it the "broccoli plant" because it reminds of her of broccoli. She does not like the plant (audible GASP from me!).
I think it is beautiful from the moment is comes up in the spring, and, without a doubt, the easiest plant I have to care for. It never needs water. Last year I cut a bunch of them back and just threw the pieces in a heap in the woodland area and guess what? They all came up this year!

Liquid Gold

and a lot of it. Do you see it? Look closely--RAIN on the deck!! It started raining about 6 a.m. and continued for a good three hours. I did not have to water anything today--it was wonderful. The rain also caused the temperature to go down. As it turned out, the 77 degrees at 5:00 a.m. was the high for the day. It is now in the low 70's and quite comfortable. I LOVE rain.

Outdoor Light is Finished

My light is finished! (here is what it looked like when I started) I am pretty happy with how this project turned out.

New Garden Blog

I wanted to share a new blog that you may not have seen.
http://taracotta.blogspot.com/
Tarracotta just started her blog in July and --Wow! -- she is one talented painter! You must go for a visit and look at her milk can that she just finished for a friend.
I paint milk cans, too--well, let me rephrase that--I take a can of spray paint to my milk cans-- when Tarracotta paints hers, she REALLY paints them. She is a true artist. She has also painted some pretty nice-looking rocks and built her own trellised planter box. I think you will enjoy visiting her.

It's a Cruel World

77 heavy humid degrees at 5:30 a.m. and I have to squeeze these thighs into pantyhose--God help me, it's going to be a long day!

Going, Going, Gone

Can you believe the first week of August is nearly over? In roughly 7 weeks I will be dumping all of these containers into the compost pile. It is a sad thought. I am still waiting for my morning glory teepee to bloom. That is why I do not plant many seeds. Here it is almost the end of the season and I still have no blooms. I just can't be waiting 3 months for a bloom--my growing season is too short.

Anchovies, Anyone?

As I am posting these pictures I am watching Alton Brown on Food TV. I just learned something from him--did you know that worscheshire sauce has anchovies in it? Yes, that is what Alton says. Who would have known?


After I finished spending half an hour watering all the deck plants in near 100 degree heat, I decided a frosty glass of white zinfandel was in order. I put it in the freezer until little ice crystals formed. It had a frosty white color, but as soon as I walked out onto the deck, it melted. Darn! The frosty glass would have made a nice picture. Isn't it a beautiful color? I thought it went quite well with the pink zinnia.

New Arrangement #2

I just moved the blue salvia here because I thought it looked nice with the yellow lantana.

Since I had to move many containers to sweep the deck, I did a bit of rearranging. In the front of the picture around the hibiscus, I clustered some foliage plants.

Close Up of the new arrangement.

This is what I have been coming home to every night this week. You would think this impatiens had not been watered for days, when, in fact, it was watered yesterday afternoon. Today it is in the 90's with a heat index of close to 100. . . WAY TOO HOT for us Michiganders!

This is the same begonia as the one below. It is from last season.

Tuberous Begonia

This tuberous begonia is just beginning to look nice. It is one I saved from last year, so it is very exciting to get a second year of bloom. Last year this was just loaded with bright red blooms, so I am expecting the same in a few weeks time.

Looking through the arbor toward the road.

There is not much happening in the gardens right now. The black-eyed Susans have started to open, but are not yet in full bloom. As with the majority of my flowers this year, they are smaller than normal. Here are two arbor views that I took at 7:45 pm tonight.