Pictures from the Garden

The impatients are bigger and better than ever this year.

The dogwood is covered with these little red balls on a stick. We think they must be a kind of berry, but never seen anything like it. They have been there all summer but are now turning red. It's really quite interesting.

And lastly the Julia Child rose bush has survived and thrived the summer. It is in much better shape than last year and I have hopes they will get even better next year. This is why I love roses. They bloom and bloom and then bloom again--all summer long. They really are the queen of the garden.

Weekly Report

Things are starting to die back now. It has been hot and humid and everything is looking old. However, the mums are starting to bloom. I look forward to a good show.

In the back the roses still have lots of buds and are blooming. I do love roses. Although they are work, they are a jewel. I just wish I had more room for them.

We have harvested one c antelope from the garden. It was large, juicy and tasty.

And lastly the waterfall is up and running. Now for countless hours of fun sculpting and planting. It will be spring before it is finished landscaping.

Weekly Report

In the front: The campanulas are in bloom. The spirea had a small second bloom and there are a few yellow day lilies.

On the south: the shrub althea is still in bloom. It's a wonderful summer bush

In the back: The trumpet vine continues to be a good bloomer, the blackeyed susans are in bloom, the hals honeysuckle had a second bloom as the did the polish spirit clematis. The roses are on their third bloom. Roses are such great bloomers. I think that I have saved the Julia Child, it is doing fine, but I am not certain about the QE2.

I think I have lost two peonies. These are hardy plants and the other side of the grass does really great. I am not certain what is wrong with them, but the ones on the south side of the grass path are dead.

We continue to work on the waterfall. It is tough going, but the wall is up and looks good and is solidly foamed together. Now to get the small cascade right.

Weekly Report

Everything in front has gone except the campanulas. I hope they will last until the mums bloom.

Along the south the shrub althea looks great.

In the back the polish spirit clematis is blooming although the blooms are small. There is also a second bloom on the halls honey suckle. The roses have died again, it's time to trim and to fertilize. The big hostas are in bloom. The black eyed susans are blooming but they are much smaller than I think they should be. I hope moving them helps.

The peonies on the south side are still doing poorly. I am thinking we need to dig them up this fall and replant them in better soil. I thought it was lack of water, but we have watered them as much as the north side and they are still not doing well.

Plans for Next Year

I have decided that I need to move the black eyed susans to the south of the garage and the front of the house. They are lovely flowers but wasted where they are. We will take the lilies that I have planted and put them in the back yard where their subtle beauty can be enjoyed better.

Next year we will purchase a shrub althea for the back yard and try another kind of annuals for the small pots.

Weekly Report

Front: The camanulas are in bloom and the star gazer lilies although they are too short, which is probably because they were planted so late in the spring. The yellow lilies are also still in bloom

South: The shrub althea is in bloom. The cat mint is getting its second wind.

East: The large hostas are in bloom. The butterfly bush has one flower and so it goes as soon as Wayne has time to dig out. We will plant another shrub althea. The balloon flowers are still in bloom as are the black eyed susans. The snap dragons were not a good choice for the pots. We will try something else next year. The John Kennedy, Wild Blue Yonder and Julia Child roses are all in bloom. The Queen Elizabeth has no more blossoms, but I fertilized it again. I think the halls honey suckle is going to have a second bloom.

The fertilizer I put under the peonies south of the path has helped. While the top leaves are still yellow, the underneath ones are green.

Continued Hot Weather

The past two weeks have been unbearable. As a result we did little in the yard. I have not been able to walk around and check out the flowers. I think the stargazer lily in the front is now in bloom as well as the shrub althea on the south. The roses have bloomed again. The black eyes susans are also in bloom but not as tall as the usually get. Also the big hostas are in bloom.

The garden has produced more beans and cucumbers. We also have picked the first tomatoes of the season. We look to have a lot more harvest from it.