Walk in the Misty Summer Garden

Recently I took a stroll through the garden in late afternoon after a storm. The air was misty, and water dripped from leaves.A view of the front garden. The shrubs with lavender blooms are dwarf crape myrtles.

I am enjoying summer. Abundant rains have benefitted the garden and generally kept high summer temps from becoming oppressive, although I avoid being outside when the humidity soars and the sun is brightest and the pavement sizzles in the heat.

The Tropicana Canna Lily looks good. I have had this photogenic plant for years, and every summer I take new photos of its amazing leaves.

A whimsical bug is at home next to the Tropicana:

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you may remember this creature playing in the snow last December:

Nothing like a snow picture in July!

Another plant that looks great in photos is this colorful succulent:

My succulents grow in pots with very well draining soil. With all the recent rain, some of them are looking a bit mushy, but this one is doing well. I bring most succulents inside in late autumn before winter's heavy rains and freezing temps arrive.

My recently transplanted hosta in the woodland garden is still doing well, no doubt thanks to plentiful moisture.

Ferns in the fern glade are also prospering. The ferns in this area have taken several years to become established, but many of them are now reaching mature size:

Variegated Algerian ivy grows in a pot hanging beneath a birdhouse in the woodland garden. Algerian ivy can become rampant if planted in the ground, but it behaves well contained here. I trim it when it grows too long:

Finally, as the sun was setting and I was about to end my stroll through my very wet garden, I was rewarded with a movement at my feet:

I was delighted to see a young box turtle. One of my most fun posts was about a box turtle. You can read it here:  Encounter With a Box Turtle

Best wishes!  Deb

Weeds and World Problems in the May Garden

An established moss path is low maintenance, but it does need to be kept free of leaves and debris, and it needs to weeded once in a while. Weeding my moss paths in the woodland garden is a mindless, repetitive chore, and I enjoy doing it.An overview of the May woodland garden

I use a thick old canoe cushion to protect my knees while kneeling, and I take my time. I like to do this after a rain because weeds come up more easily. I use several types of weeding tools, depending on the weed. One of my favorites is a fishtail weeder that is perfect for popping small weeds out of the paths and for getting up the tap roots of plants like dandelions.The main moss path in the woodland garden

When I am weeding I let my mind drift. I listen to the birds. I make a mental list of other needed chores and plan future projects for the garden. I think about people I know, and in general I mentally solve the problems of the world as one weed after another succumbs to my efforts. If only world problems could be so easily eliminated. World problems do, after all, have some resemblance to weeds.A favorite view of the little bridge in the woodland garden

Summer arrived this month, and the air is thick and warm and laden with moisture. The woodland garden is a deep green retreat from the hot glare of the sun. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to enjoy sun rays that filter through the canopy. We have had plenty of rain this past week, and often the light sparks off leaves still wet with raindrops. I can almost imagine myself walking in a primordial paradise, except for the weeds, which quickly bring me back to reality.

More views around the garden this month:

Here is a view across the front lawn.The woodland garden is in the small valley on the far side of the drive.

Views of the front garden

A view across the lower front lawn near the entrance to our propertyA tropical storm is headed our way in the next day or so. Lots of rain, and more weeds coming! 

Happy gardening to you; and, while we can't solve all the world's problems, may we each do whatever we can in our little corner of the world to make the world a better place.   Deb