Take a Walk With Me

I know I have mentioned this numerous times, but it's been raining...again.  If I didn't know any better I would think I was living in the northwest United States instead of the midwest.  We have had 24.75 inches of rain this year, which doesn't seem like a lot, but we broke the record for wettest spring in the history of this kind of weather tracking.  This time last year we were in the middle of a drought, remember all the corn crops that were lost last year because of the lack of rain??  What a difference a year makes.

And because of all the rain, the gardens are glorious this year.  Not even the end of June and my garden is just flourishing.  Come and I will take you on a quick walk.

The clematis on the front arbor is happily blooming.  This gets very little sun due to the growth of the trees but yet she blooms profusely each year.

The Stella D-Oro daylilies are blooming happily outside of the front fence.  Again, not alot of light, but they do manage to bloom each year.  The sedum by the driveway is joyously growing there because of the heat from the black-top and the sidewalk.  Only 3 plants and they have spread rigorously.
 

The pots are bursting with flowers, some happier than others.  I think all of my impatients would like to have some heat and sun, which has been sparse.  This month our nights have been quite cool, down in the 50's and an occasional 40....impatients like HEAT!!

This poor little window box hangs just outside of my kitchen window....it is leaning and the bottom is falling out, but my sweetie put this up many, many years ago and I always plant impatients in it to enjoy as I look out the window.

These roses are still quite happy.  This one is part of the Knock-Out rose family called Rainbow....she begins her blooms a lovely pink with a yellow center and then turns a pale pink as she begins to wither.  This was not a real popular choice and most garden centers don't carry the Rainbow Knockout, but it performs beautifully all summer in my garden.  

And then the hydrangeas....ahhhh one of my favorite flowers.  They last so long on the vine and there are now so many choices that will grow in our area of the country.  The Endless Summer Hydrangea will grow anywhere in my yard, but they seem to prefer either morning sun or very little sun.

I have added more varieties this year, a hybrid of the Annabelle called the Incrediball....the flowers are supposed to get the size of basketballs on strong, sturdy stems.  Mine is new this year, so I would say the flowers are closer to softballs, not basketballs.  Maybe next year I will have basketballs....

And look at this beauty....I planted this one in a pot and plan on dragging it into the garage over the winter and hope that she re-appears next year.  Drats I have misplaced the tag and can't remember her name...but take it from me, she is a stunner.

And on my way to the Party Store to buy the plates, napkins, cups etc for this Summer Party I am having this Friday....again, apologies to all that received the invite in error...and you probably got another reminder, can you see me apologizing on bended knees....sometimes technology is grand...other times, not so much.  But anyway, on my way home from the Party Store I swung by Home Depot's garden center and look what I found.....Indian Summer Rudbekia, it is supposed to be a perennial, but it may be an annual here, but couldn't resist.  If it doesn't come back next year, I will have enjoyed it this year.

And finally, the cone flower.  I love this flower, they have come out with so many hybrids of this, that now it comes in a myriad of colors and shapes.  This one is "raspberry".

I hope you enjoyed your walk thru the garden.  Watch your feet, I am sure they are muddy and you might have a mosquito bite or two.....with the rain, comes the mosquitoes.  Come back again, there will be more in bloom in awhile.

"So come and slowly we will walk through the green gardens and marvel at this strange and sweet world."  ~  Sylvia

Until next time.....