A Quick Walk-through the Garden and an Act of Insanity

It is still too hot and muggy to do anything in the garden other than a quick walk-through. Lou keeps a sharp eye on the weather service, and he tells me the weather will turn cooler next weekend. Meanwhile, here is what my last quick walk-through turned up.

The crepe myrtle trees are past their peak but are still adding color to the garden. These wonderful trees love our heat and humidity and bloom through most of the summer:

That’s a good thing, because there is not a lot of color out there, except for various shades of green. I love foliage, but it is nice to have something bright.

I also like the crepe myrtles this time of year because they are shedding their bark. There are some newer cultivars that have outstanding patches of cinnamon colored bark, but the bark of even the old species is interesting.

The Japanese maple outside our dining room window has assumed its golden September hues:In spring this tree is fire engine red. Later this fall it will become a kaleidoscope of gold, orange, burgundy, and purple. This unnamed seedling, which I once had to rescue from beneath the boot of a contactor who did not recognize the twig as a tree, has grown into a fabulous specimen.

Here are some close-ups of leaf patterns, always among my favorite photo subjects:Clockwise from top left: Tropicana Canna Lily; Francis Williams Hosta; Blue Hawaii Colocasia; Unnamed Japanese Maple; Variegated Fig; Coleus.

A couple of bugs paused long enough for me to capture their images. First, a bee on the Tutti-Frutti Butterfly Bush:

And then a skipper on a Lantana blossom:

I have been keeping a small Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ specimen in a pot until it could grow a bit more. I will transplant it into the garden soon. It has grown several new stems over the summer, and now it is blooming.  The blooms are tiny but deserve a closer look:

Here are some more blooms around the garden. Most are common annuals, but I like them because they revel in the heat and humidity.Clockwise from top left: Marigold; Gomphera; Zinnia; Portulaca with Powis Castle Artemesia; Impatiens; Caryopteris (Blue Mist shrub).Finally, I recently moved the Variegated Winter Daphne into a larger pot. It had outgrown its old one, but what was I thinking? I was lulled into insanity by a day of rain. Somehow I thought it would be OK to transplant this finicky plant with a reputation of sudden death, especially after root disturbance, during the hottest month of the year. I whispered sweet things to the daphne and promised it will be much happier in a new home. I am giving it encouraging words daily. It has been a week and it still lives.Variegated Winter Daphne in its new pot

I am holding my breath.

Late July in the Garden

It's almost August! Summer is sliding by quicker than a six year old on a Slip 'N Slide. It has been a few years since I launched myself onto one of those dangerously watery plastic sheets. I can't count how many years, though I do remember doing it! I did ask Lou to spray me with the water hose the other day. It has been hot and humid, but we have had some pleasant days thrown in now and then to make it bearable. August still to go.

Meanwhile, a quick tour of the garden shows that most non-foliage color comes from lavender and bright pink crepe myrtles, 'Coral' drift roses, and a few flowers such as yarrow and coneflowers. Here are images taken in the front garden:

Yarrow is a perennial that has long-lasting blooms:Hydrangea 'Limelight' positively glows in the midsummer garden:The woodland garden is noticeably cooler than the non-shaded parts of the garden. It is deep green with golden summer lights:

Stromanthe tricolor, a tropical plant I bring inside when winter arrives, and Solomon's Seal are just a couple of the foliage plants in the woodlands looking good right now:

'Waterfall' Japanese maple is a highlight in the woodland garden:

Rabbit keeps an eye on everything:

Finally, I have been seeing lots of dragonflies this year. This one reminds me of an old bi-plane:

Isn't nature grand? Blessings to all of you.    Deb