Summer Colors

The center of the labyrinth is showing many colors in the middle of the summer.  The cool blue of the Agapanthus, the intense red of the Hibiscus and the glowing orange of the Crosocmia are competing for the eyes of each viewer.  Even in the bright mid-day sunshine the colors are bold. 

Many gardeners and nurseries like soft, pastel colors.  In some gardens with less intense light and more shade, those colors are subtle and relaxing.  But even with trees and bushes getting taller and offering shade, most of the labyrinth is dazzled by the sun.  It needs colors and flowers that can hold their own, and not wash out.

I adore the true blue of the Agapanthus Stevie's Wonder.  This butterfly was certainly adoring sipping nectar out of its flowers.  There were also different bees reaping the sweet harvest, though some seemed to be struggling to get far enough down into the funnel to reach the good stuff.

While individual flowers may die and fall off the cluster, many buds are forming to replace them.

The Crocosmia Star of the East is putting on its show next to the bench.  It is nice to sit down and reach over to tip the flower up and look into its throat.  This variety is doing a bit of wandering around, even trying to grow into the grass walkway.  I now have enough individual pieces that I will move some into other sections of the beds and see how they do.  I could use more of this intense orange around to provide a spark of color.  I will look for a place that gets more sunshine that this spot under the tree; it gets shade most of the afternoon.

Then there is the Hibiscus Walter Fleming with its deeply creased, heavy textured flowers with the bright yellow stamens.  I have gushed about this one over the years.  It suffered a set back when the white tailed rat chewed off a few dozen flower buds several weeks ago.  But it is stubbornly coming back.

We have been using a foul smelling repellant to keep away the deer and rabbits. It helps.  I did see this morning the deer had eaten off all of the gladiolus flowers, but there was not a major intrusion into other areas.  We have added a number of physical barriers, which shift it out of its habitual paths, however, there is no way to surround everything with the high fence that would be needed.

Like life, a garden needs to be enjoyed a day at a time.  Appreciate each flower and plant, because there is no way to know what tomorrow will bring.  It has been a good summer, with lots of time to be outside caring for everything in cooler than normal weather.   For that I am thankful.


 

Lily of the Nile

There they are, the record number of five blooming stalks on my Agapanthus, 'Stevies Wonder.'  So far they have survived the deer, which has been absent since all of the July 4th fireworks were set off by neighbors.  Last year the deer chomped off the heads of buds as they were opening.

Today, we found evidence that the deer came around the end of the fence with our neighbor on the north, because it clewed off a few roses.  It paused to empty its bowels behind the house, and wandered through the labyrinth.  It nibbled on a few of the celosia, just starting to set buds, before leaving.  Such rude and impudent behavior.

We have put in three tall metal fence posts, strung fish line among them, and added three short posts that disappear in the day lilies to poke its legs.  Will it be enough?  I hope so.

Just in case I got these photos, even though all of the buds haven't opened all the way.  I want some documentation that they were here!

There is a lot more blooming.  Near the leg of the bench you can see the orange flowers of the Crocosmia 'Star of the East.  In the bottom right corner are the celosia seedlings, bravely growing in the face of evil predatory deer.

But today I rejoice in my Lily of the Nile!
 

Summer Flowers

With days of steady heat and humidity, the garden is settling down into more cautious growth.  We finished our first thorough watering of the labyrinth area, and will now be monitoring each section, using soaker hoses as necessary, and spot watering those areas that need it.  Some of the newly planted perennials have been lost because we didn't realize how much water they needed for the first few weeks.  Most are doing fine.

There have been a few butterflies passing through.  This one stayed around for a day before moving on to tastier options.  There have been fewer butterflies than many years in the past, for unknown reasons. 

The day lilies in the North garden, far from the rampaging teeth of the deer, are doing well.  They will need to be divided and replanted in the fall, and some either given away or move to new locations.  I can see them from my desk as I write this, through the porch door.  There should be enough buds to last for a month before they wind down. 

We have been keeping the deer away with smelly sprays, and placing the garden cart across one of its favorite paths.  I am not sure how long those strategies will last.  I hope that the Lily of the Nile, with 6 fat buds, gets a chance to bloom.  All got eaten off last year.

The early Hardy Hibiscus is open and blooming.  The three hibiscus varieties provide major color through the summer and into the fall.  I have been battling slugs, and the deer chewing off buds this year, but for now the pests are in abeyance. 

Wow, I think that is the first time I have used one of my Word Power words from high school.  Do you remember that first set starting with "a?"  Abate, aberration, abet, abeyance . . .  Of course, as I typed that in, I had to check the spelling of aberration because I used two "b's" and one "r!"  So much for Word Power!

Back to the garden.  Fortunately, the grass is growing very slowly and doesn't need mowing.  And I have no chigger bites so far, so our very cold winter appears to have brought them under control!