Statements From the Garden

I'm not dead yet.

I announced the demise of my red banana plant in my last post, but already a fresh leaf is emerging from the stump! Time will tell if this new growth is diseased or remains healthy. I am ever hopeful.

Meanwhile, here is a quick look at some late summer features in the garden that are making their own statements:

The wildflower garden is blooming. You really do love me, don't you?This hillside is a tangled mess for about eight months of the year, and I still have an urge to rip it all out and plant something more civilized. Yet when masses of flowers emerge in summer and the area buzzes with bees and butterflies, my heart softens.

Perennial verbena blooms in spring and sporadically through the summer. I recently transplanted this one to a new spot next to the patio. I thought you were crazy to transplant me in August, but I love my new home.

Speaking of the patio, this green anole lizard lives nearby and often skitters across the area when I am sitting out there. He likes to sit atop the boxwoods. Ahh, yes. It is a good spot to watch for tasty bugs or cute lady anoles.

Flowers are wonderful, but their impact is usually fleeting. Decorative elements are reliable complements to the garden. Accessories are a garden's best friend!Clockwise from above left: By the patio, Spirea 'Anthony Waterer', after blooming heavily earlier in the summer, continues to bloom sporadically in front of a pink birdhouse; A lantern hangs from a rusty post; A trio of new pots wait for their inhabitants in the front garden; A variegated ficus flourishes in its pot in the Lady Garden.

Crepe Myrtles have been blooming for several months. They give a wonderful dash of color to a mostly green landscape. Pink is powerful!

Finally, here are some views of the stamped concrete walkway I refurbished earlier this summer. This is one walkway that doesn't show its age.

 Blessings to you all!    Deborah