July Garden Chat

Hey there peeps! July is a unique month in the garden, because I'm not usually waiting for anything new to bloom. Because of the heat and sunshine, it's usually a month full of lush growth. My containers have filled in, and the veggie garden is producing like crazy. Last month, I was begging for rain. This month, we've had a fair amount of rain, so I haven't had to do the garden hose rodeo as often. As a gardener, I do love a good rain.  

A passing male monarch

Cut and Come Again zinnias are meant to be put into a vase

Firelight hydrangea in back, Endless Summer hydrangea in front

Cut and Come Again zinnias live in a small section of the veggie garden

Endless Summer hydrangea hugging the armillary sphere

A welcome rainfall

But we started out the month with a trip back to my hometown in Michigan for a wedding. Of course St. Joseph never disappoints. We lucked out, the weather was a bit cool, and we had fun playing tourists. But my main goal while visiting there is to take as many beach photos as I can, especially with sunsets included. 

A windy wavy day at Lion's Park

Rocky Gap beach

Rocky Gap beach looking north

Sunset at Tiscornia Park

Wavy sunset at Tiscornia, with lighthouse

Sandy path to the sunset beach at Tiscornia

Ripples in the sky at sunset, at Tiscornia

Glenlord Beach was once here, our teen hangout, but it has washed away

Grand Mere State Park sand dunes. You'll end up at the lake once you hike over all of the dunes. 

Milkweed sunset at Lion's Park

Subtle sunset at Lion's Park

The view from Gravity Winery's deck in Baroda

There's always a small part of me that doesn't like to travel during garden season, because my flowers go unwatered, and unobserved. We were gone five days, and it got really hot back home, so I was able to get a hold of a young lady that I often hire to water for me. Thanks Lezel! These are some of the perennials that looked their best throughout the month. 

Unknown lilies, maybe Purple Prince or Pink Perfection

Sugar Shack button bush, a pollinator magnet

Liatris in front of Green Twister coneflowers

Traditional coneflowers

Little Joe Pye weed in front of anise hyssop

Duchess of Albany clematis, almost as cool in seed head form

Cherry Cheesecake hardy hibiscus

Little Lime hibiscus, and yes, I know it has chlorosis of the leaves. 

Girosa and Garden Party lilies

Passalong rudbeckias, we don't know what variety

I do depend heavily on annuals to maintain color in my summer garden. Although I used salmon as a color theme this year, I'm not locked into it, obviously. The dahlias really are all over the place color wise, because they didn't die off over our last couple of mild winters. 

Unknown dahlia

Dazzling Magic dahlia, actually completely hardy here. 

Planted this year as a salmon dahlia. Looks like red to me!! 

Vista Salmon annual salvia, I've never grown these but have been quite pleased

Twinny peach snapdragons, purchased as plants. LOVE!

I always plant geraniums with the roses, bug control? Well, they look good anyway. 

Oklahoma salmon zinnias are just starting to bloom. They are the reason for the salmon color theme. 

A surprise sunflower at sunset

Double peach tropical hibiscus

Many of my containers are at the thriving stage by this point in the summer. I like to compare them to last month at the same time. 

My water garden, complete with goldfish

My favorite container, which sits in full sun, and does indeed follow the salmon theme

I wasn't able to find a shady hanging basket that I liked in salmon, but this one in shades of orange has been fabulous. It's Chameleon Atomic Orange Calibrachoa.

The textures and colors in this container make it my favorite of the year.  

A simple pot of moss roses surround the patio umbrella

Multi color celosia

Mango Mojito portulaca, pretty, but not nearly enough blooms to make me happy

I always grow a pot of nasturtiums near the veggies, but they never look very good. This is Peach Melba. 

Bought my caladiums as plants this year, couldn't find any salmon colors

Version 1 of this pot, with the bottom part all in bloom in shades of salmon and orange

Version 2 of this pot, with Heavenly Blue morning glories in bloom. LOVE! 

Heavenly Blue morning glories, I'm in love with these! 

It wouldn't be summer in Robin's Nest without butterflies, and that all starts with my beloved monarchs. This caterpillar was the first one I raised this year, and today he became a butterfly. I named him Benjamin, and released him this afternoon. 

Monarch caterpillar

Monarch chrysalis

Benjamin Butterfly just after he eclosed

Benjamin Butterfly off to see the world

Red Admiral butterfly

Unknown skipper butterfly

Caught a skipper on take off

Black Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail

After the first flush of roses in late May and early June, they bloom sporadically afterwards. Of course they were in a lull at my garden club tour last month, but they have a fair amount of blooms right now. I feed them often. Not sure if that's responsible for the current flush of blooms. 

Peace rose, just planted this summer

Funny Face, a shrub rose that's alway first and last in bloom. Not fragrant, oldest rose I have. 

Abraham Darby, a David Austin rose. Gorgeous, but usually too heavy to hold its head up

Angelface, often blooms in shades of lavender

Oranges and Lemons, an eye grabber. Wish it was fragrant. One of my originals

Chinatown, a favorite of mine because it holds off disease and blooms heavily

At Last, a nearly perfect rose. Heavy blooms, fragrant, and disease resistant

A fragrant climber called Don Juan

Hubby grows the veggies around here. And he does a fine job too! We eat like kings here in the summer. 

Little Finger carrots, they'll keep for ages in the fridge

Diva cucumbers, our favorite, plus Carbon tomatoes, a new type. Thumbs up! 

We're having a good zucchini year, finally found a way around the squash borers

Celebrity tomatoes, peppers, and oodles of Diva cucumbers

Our first try at growing corn, so far, so good

Sometimes the zucchini stays hidden for awhile, but these are good for zucchini bread

My July post ends as usual with summer sunsets from the front porch! Thanks for stopping by, I so appreciate it.