In Hiding

There is quite a bit of liatris in the garden this year, the best ever. But the truth is, it is a bit too short for the Tall Flower Meadow to make a proper showing.

It is time for me to make a concerted effort to cull the too tall Solidago canadensis. Not to worry, that will leave me with three other Goldenrod species, maybe four.

If they are going to be pink, it is best to go all out. Too fat clumps are loaded with flowers. These lilies are happy tucked into the Lush.

Rudbeckia fulgida is another wild flower that is a wee bit short for the Tall Flower Meadow. The blooms don't quite reach the top layer. They are undeterred and have been spreading vigorously. I didn't plant them. Maybe I tossed out seed? The good thing about them is they can form colonies dense enough to suppress competitors. Eventually they might remove the higher layer on their own.

The under garden of winter interest is pretty much lost. I should do another weeding around those plants soon. The difficult thing is it is hard to get to them without leaving evidence in a meadow that is getting ready to enter full bloom.

There is so much hiding out there in the garden.

At this time of year its essence can't be properly absorbed by viewing it from above. Now mind you I still love that view and it will sure come in handy when the meadow reaches peak bloom. But it takes a walk in the garden to understand the temporary defiance of impermanence.

It takes a walk in the garden to see leeks laying down for the next generation.

There is a lot going on out there.

Much of it hiding in plain sight.

Moods In A Meadow

It's pink. I can't imagine me buying a pink anything even if it was on the discard rack. I need to find the tag. I swear the lilies are all turning pink.

There is no deliberate pink in the meadows. It is hard to look at them and even consider the word deliberate. The best that can be said is that I set them in motion.

As you move through the garden, the mood of the meadow is constantly changing. Plant populations gather more thickly in specific locations.

The Purple Coneflower is kind of pink, but not an annoying pink because of the slight purple tint. I guess there might be a number of off pinks that aim for burgundy and purple.

Sister #2 came bearing gifts. She is practicing her craft and curio skills for the Roadside Possum Stand that will supplement our meager gubmint checks in our decrepitude.

I like it.

I did say it needs a stick and behold, there is stick receptacle. The glass flower can join my metal flowers in the garden.

The rudbeckia took over the strawberry patch at the far end of the roadside vegetable garden and reclaimed that space for meadow.

Queen Anne's Lace has made a mighty stand towards the middle of the garden.

A different angle shows another mood.

In the first light of morning, the chicory joins in.

The chicory put itself here. The meadows are in constant motion.

And it was done.

Peak Lily

This is the service entrance's finest hour. It is at peak lily. The aroma is mesmerizing.

One would think more lilies in the garden would be in order. They are. But. Lilies are a favorite snack for the bulb eating varmints. Planting them is a risky and at times heart breaking endeavor.

These service entrance bulbs are surrounded by a stacked block wall on two sides, the gravel parking lot and septic tank on the other two. There is no easy way to tunnel in. These lilies are slightly safer.

That did not save them from some stem boring insect two years in a row. Then I got wise and started dousing them with cayenne pepper when they first pop up in the spring.

Further down in the same some what protected bed, more lilies are ready to open. I think they are pink. I also think lilies can morph over several years to a more standard species type than what they originally came as. I can live with that if they are willing to grow bigger and keep coming back.

This butterfly was following me around.

Out there in a meadow, Rudbeckia blooms.

At mid-summer Joe Pye is starting to bud. I have been finding more liatris in purple. One species of Goldenrod has the first wash of yellow. The Tall Flower Meadow is stirring.

Two Gardens For Bloom Day

I was not thinking Bloom Day at work today. I had other things on my mind. But beauty stopped me. I decided to get a picture to capture this moment in time. Lucifer dances with Rozanne.

Then I took a few more.

The Fountain Garden is in full summer bloom. Today it looks like this, but I know gardens change with time. It will never look this way again.

The fishes in Twin Falls Pond are growing. I had a bit of a scare last week when the sump pump that handles the overflow lost its seal, shorted out the circuit and and put a sheen of oil into the pond. The fishes seem to be doing fine. There was damage from the oil spill to the plants.

I still wasn't thinking Bloom Day when I went for a quiet walk in the garden to see what I might see. The world lay heavy on my mind. Beauty can stop the chatter.

This is the best showing of liatris I have ever had. Planting hundreds of corms helped no doubt. I do know the voles ate quite a few in one area. We need to plant more beauty than the damn varmints can destroy.

It is good to stop for beauty in a world gone mad.

I know it has the power to slow traffic.

Beebalm drifts through the sunny utility meadow. I strolled slowly among it.

When I came back to the world I saw a happy post that said Bloom Day. That is what I was taking pictures of beauty for.

Grasses bloom too.

Go visit Miss Carol for more beauty. I bet she'll have some zinnias you've never seen before. I have a Plume Poppy. Give yourself permission for a moment to just forget about the rest of the world. Go get lost in beauty.

Headed Up The Driveway

A cracked pot rests in the Lush. It turned out well. The Lush is a little shorter in this spot.

Liatris also looks better with shorter companions.

I have planted hundreds of corms, but in places it is swallowed up.

I would either starve to death or have to get serious in order to live off the roadside vegetable garden. The start is slow. The wait is long. Harvest season is very compacted. At least I won't be clueless when the apocalypse arrives. I know what to do. The ornamental part of the garden is just more interesting.

Would you suspect there was a roadside vegetable garden residing in there?

Uncle Ernie knows.

Wild Flowers

In a wild garden
A little bit of chicory

Self sowing Gloriosa Daisy, Rudbeckia hirta in an assortment of colors.

Sprinkles of continuously changing color with Feather Reed Grass. I gave up on trying to civilize this bed. I just add things and see what sticks.

A Walk Through The Garden

Two full days of post wicked storm cleanup were done this weekend. There were a lot of limbs and branches to pick up, one fallen tree and perennials that needed fluffing. I did a little extra chopping because it was long overdue. A fresh mowing of all the paths was begun. The gardens will be ready for Sister #2.

I did stop to smell the lilies more than once.

Round about 5pm I decided a nap was in order. Post nap I took a little stroll. Long days do have their benefits.

My baby Aesculus parviflora is blooming very nicely.

The species Lilium leichtlinii I ordered and planted last fall are blooming. I hope they get more robust with age. They all came up, but some crapped out before blooming. I have to hope the voles don't find them too.

A crinum bulb survived a milder winter. Will it continue to survive way up here? Will it ever bloom? What color will it be? Time will tell. Are crinums poisonous to bulb eating varmints?

The rotten iris log is almost gone. I have been debating whether or not to replace it with a fresh log sections.

It's made for resting and setting. I don't get to that very often.

Up by the roadside the daylilies continue to bloom. They are past the mid point of peak bloom.

The Smooth Sumac, Rhus glabra is getting big and spreading like a fiend. I hope I don't come to regret this choice. I better see knock your socks off fall color or this will be reconsidered.

The biggest Joe Pye is in the roadside vegetable garden. It is a good seed source for dispersal to the rest of the wild cultivated gardens.

The Plume Poppy, Macleaya cordata, could be a little more aggressive. It was billed as such. I'm still waiting.

Gooseneck Loosestrife is definitely aggressive. Lucky we have the space.

The paths and Great Lawn in my garden will get a fresh mowing before company arrives.

Barring anymore wicked storms before next weekend, all will be looking good. It is even possible there will be fresh yellow squash for the dinner table.