Thursday, August 8, 2013

Summer Goes On

This summer is warm and sticky, as usual, but not nearly as hot as expected. And we've had lots of rain, which is totally different! So with the better weather, my flowers are having a great year in the garden, as are my veggies. The veggies are actually quite amazing. The last few summers have been so dry that the vegetable garden just limped along, barely producing. This year we are having a banner year instead. I always say that I only grow enough vegetables to eat, not enough to can and freeze. Well, this year is different. I'm keeping busy finding ways to use up all this produce besides just eating them immediately.
 I've written many times about my love affair with Queen Red Lime zinnias. This is a must have at my house. I've never seen them available as plants, nor have I ever seen the seeds in stores. I always order the seeds online, and I have to order early because they often sell out. The plants get large and full of blooms, never get mildew, the flowers last a long, long time, and their coloring is unique. 

But this one is funny, because it came up with only the lime coloring. This came from the same pack of seeds for Queen Red Lime. I thought it might just be the one flower, but the whole plant is like this. I like it, it's different.
 Speaking of green, I always like how this corner turns out be a study in greens. This is the first year I've grown white coneflowers, and I like them almost as much as the purple ones. Almost. 
There are plenty of plain pink zinnias around here too. Plain, yeah right. They are gorgeous, and floriferous!
Even the traditional black eyed susans look better than usual this year.
 Anyone who likes to see hummingbirds visiting their garden should grow this hyssop. It grew easily from seed, which were labeled sunset hyssop. I've also heard it called hummingbird mint. This is the busiest corner of my butterfly garden. Maybe it's a little wild, but the rest is pretty orderly, so I mostly just let it be. Can you list how many different flowers you see?
 A few of my dahlias have popped out, and they are just as lovely as ever. I was noticing how similar the flowers look to zinnias.

The roses are also having a banner year. Black spot is less bothersome than usual, and there has not been a single Japanese beetle to bother them.

 There was one week with terribly hot, dry weather, and of course that was the week I was on vacation. Some of my annual pots did not survive, so I had to replace them. I thought these trailing type vincas wouldn't mind the hot sun. The huge geranium is a beautiful deep wine color, much darker than it shows in the picture.

I did NOT plant purple morning glories this year. However, this little guy had different ideas.
I am a big fan of using coleus as color in my shady areas. Love, love, love the look of mixed coleus! Did you know they are very easy to root over the winter? Just root and use as house plants till next spring.
And so it goes. Summer may be a little sticky, but it's still my favorite time because my garden loves it so much! 


8 comments:

  1. I love your zinnias...they are stunning, although I am partial to the hot pink ones for sure.

    They never grew where I lived before, but here with the hot dry climate they flourish.

    All of your flowers look lovely.

    Jen

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    1. Thank you Jen, I do love my zinnias. I had a patio party here Friday night, and it was the hot pink zinnias getting all the attention. But I'm so partial to my Queen Red Lime, they fascinate me.

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  2. Your garden is feeding the body and the soul. Love the zinnias. I am enjoying Pink Profusion Zinnias. I really must post a picture of them.

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    1. So you are a zinnia lover too? I can't get enough of them!

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  3. So glad your summer is going so well! I was just thinking the same thing. I think this is the best summer ever! A busy one too. I too have not found so many J. beetles. What a delight. Your lime and red zinnias are quite unique.

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    1. I only found one J beetle this year, and that was long after their usual season. I have no idea why, but I sure am pleased!

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  4. This summer has been so weird here in my area. July was nothing but heat and rain and August has been very cool and not much rain, so far. We've been in the 70's all month! You're lucky your veggies have done so well. Ours - yuck. No peppers at all and the tomatoes are just so-so. The herbs are doing wonderfully though. I wonder why the white coneflower (which in the picture looks more of a greenish-yellow!) looks so different than the purple coneflower? The flower shape is totally different. I love coleus...I'll have to remember to get some next year. Love the hyssop...that would look gorgeous in my butterfly garden. I like the "wild" look much better than orderly. Orderly is too fussy!

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    1. Oh trust me Melanie, when I saw orderly, I certainly don't mean regimented or straight lines. Far from it! But some of my flower beds were so crowded that you couldn't even see some of them. I just thinned them out, that's all. LOL

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