Midsummer Blooms in the Back Yard

7/13/14

The Asiatic lilies finally opened!  Here they stand between the hosta and cosmos blooms.

A close-up of a lily.

Now that the tulips are gone, I added some begonias under the pink dogwood tree.

My large deck pots are lush with blooms.  Here is a pot of tuberose begonias.

Another deck pot of New Guinea impatiens.

My favorite pot of standard impatiens.  I realize this is a no-no to plant because of the fungus that is wiping them out, but I couldn't resist.

This is a railing pot of diascia, a favorite flower of mine.

I have some red and white begonias in another pot.

Petunias are another favorite flower that graces my deck.

This coleus needs some water.

I was finally able to catch one of the resident foxes with my camera, trotting across my driveway in the middle of the day.  We usually see them at dusk.

Not long after the fox visit, three deer went through the yard and crossed the street.  It was a day busy with wildlife

     There is a toad that has suddenly started to sit at my back sliding glass door each night.  The dog doesn't know what to make of it, and she just walks around it and barks at it.  I will try to take a photo of it soon.

     Our family will be leaving for a week long vacation next weekend to New York state.  I hope to bring some great photos back to share with you.

Fall in the Garden

9/24/13

Yoshino cherry tree

    

     Although the garden is still full of summer blooming flowers, fall has definitely arrived with its colder temperatures.  After a relatively cooler-than-normal summer, this area has had cool temps since September 1st.  It was 42 degrees here last night, and we turned the heat on a few days ago since it has been in the 40's at night for a week.  The Yoshino cherry trees in the front yard started dropping their leaves around September 1st. They are beginning to look a little bare.

     My fall flowers started blooming at the end of August and are doing well.  Here are a few photos of them.     

hardy begonias

Japanese anemones

I planted some mums in my patio pots

New Guinea impatiens are still going strong

purple alyssum seems to like the cooler weather

the late-planted cosmos started blooming three weeks ago

in the side yard garden the goldenrod just bloomed

the oriental fountain grass Karley Rose is at its fullest bloom

the zinnias are doing well

     I am reluctant to let go of summer.  I am missing the light of the long summer days.  But fall here is usually dry and sunny, and we have had many beautifully sunny days.  But come winter I may need to go to Florida.

Is It May?

5/13/13

rhododendron

     The temperature finally broke into the 70's for a few days last week, but on Mother's Day it turned cold and windy.  Last night was in the 40's, and the heat came on.  There is a frost/freeze warning for our general area tonight with temps in the 30's. We could set a record low temperature tonight.  We are having mid-March weather in mid-May.  When it it going to stay warm here?

     Despite the cold, there is blooming going on.  The rhododendron in the back corner of the house put out some blossoms this week.  I also noticed bearded iris blooming in the neighborhood.

begonias

     I went to a garden center last week and bought some red and white begonias and put them into one of my railing planters.

New Guinea impatiens

     I also bought some New Guinea impatiens to plant in my large deck planters.  Most garden centers are not carrying the common garden impatiens, which I much prefer, because of impatiens downy mildew that has reached our area. 

hostas

     At a garden club plant sale I picked upsome hostas that will be going in the backyard garden.

daisies, iris, black-eyed Susans

     At that same sale bought some daisies, iris, and black-eyed Susans which will be going into the new garden in the side yard that I am in the process of designing.

chrysanthemum

     I saved a chrysanthemum my neighbor gave me when we were in the rental house last year.  I kept watering it, and left it outside on a deck table until frost.  I cut it back and put it in the garage all winter.  In mid-April brought it out of the garage and started watering it. It did get rained on now and then, thank goodness, because half the time I forgot about it.  It is still sitting outside the garage, and when I looked at it yesterday, it had tiny green leaves!  I'm so glad it's still alive.

Mother's Day flowers

Mother's Day flowers

     The last two photos are of the flowers I was thrilled to receive from both of my sons on Mother's Day.