IT'S THIS TIME OF YEAR when I wish I had a garden like
Loree's. All of her drought-tolerant plants are undoubtedly handling our rain-less summer encore without any whining. The few leaves that drop onto Loree's gravel mulch are easily grabbed and relegated to the handy nearby bucket and tossed into the compost heap. Loree's garden looks as fresh and bountiful as it did in June. I'm sure of it.
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| A pink Dahlia, so far uneaten by slugs or any other critter. Miracle. |
In order to have a garden like Loree's I'd have to possess a generous amount of restraint. I'd have to eschew the plants that weren't part of the theme and always keep a handle on my design sensibilities while perusing the nursery aisles. To be honest, most of the time I wouldn't recognize restraint if it kicked me upside the head. But right now, while nurseries are reducing their prices, you think I'd be shopping like there's no tomorrow. Nope.
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| Oxalis blooming since spring. |
Some people are getting tired of all this sunshine. They don't like the way the farmers create a huge cloud of dust while tilling their fields. They'd like to see it rain so things will feel fresh and clean again. Although the idea of clean and fresh is appealing, I love the sunshine and blue sky and I don't want it to end. Not yet.
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| Chocolate Joe Pye is blooming |
Despite my sporadic watering regimen, I've got lots of things blooming in my garden right now. Lots of happy plants, despite me. :)
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| Rosa 'Sophie's Rose' |
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| My water bowl |
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| My Cyperus, a gift from Carol two years ago, has finally gotten as big as hers! |
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| Rosa 'Knock Out' is still blooming. |
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| A jumbled mess of Fuchsia and Persicaria blossoms. |
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| Here, I'm trying to be like Scott by capturing Gaura like he does but he's a much better photographer. |
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| Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin' has bloomed nonstop since June and the plant is huge. |
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| Impatiens... I don't know which species. If you know please share. Thanks! |
Below are a few reality checks. Although I really like my Heptacodium (Seven Sons Flower), It has an annoying habit of dropping bazillions of dried petals beneath it.
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| The positive side |
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| The negative side |
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| Speaking of negative, this poor Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’ is in a sorry state, despite my watering. |
Before signing off, I wanted to share a few additional photos.
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| This is my friend Cate's front entrance container planting. Gorgeous! |
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| Finally, a photo of my growing kitties. Nala on the left and Taz on the right. |
