Before we dive into today’s post, I wanted to again, thank CSN stores for sponsoring the giveaway from this past weekend’s contest. They own and run a whole bunch of different web sites, with one of their most popular being diningroomsdirect.com which can be directly viewed by clicking on the keyword ‘dining room’.  

I also wanted to let you all know who won the giveaway as you may have missed it in the comments section from Sunday night. The winner was The Idiot Gardener, who has maybe the funniest blog out there right now – click here to visit.

We have finally received a great deal of rain here in the Garden State (take that Jersey Shore stereotypes) and it makes me happier than Mel Gibson at an Angry Man conference. The grass is no longer brown and all of the plants have a big ass smile on their faces today.

So it was picture time. Some good and some bad. And a reminder of the elation and frustration this little hobby brings us throughout the year. For today, I give you the “good”:

I have six of these Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’ planted and this may be the only bloom I’ll get. The deer literally walked up to my front steps, tucked a napkin in their shirt, and devoured all of these blooms like Tony Soprano eating a bowl of macaroni and gravy.

The Eupatorium ‘Gateway’ are in full bloom and close to six feet tall. The deer and/or rabbits downed some of these early on so there is sort of a layered effect with differing heights. How’s that for more of “glass half full” ‘tude.

The Chelone Glabra plants are starting to bud and hopefully they make it this year. Last year the buds blackened and fell off for reasons unknown.

You say “ho hum”, I say I like peony foliage that holds up until mid Fall just like ‘Bowl of Beauty’ does.

Rudbeckia in full bloom so it must be summer. However, as you’ll see in photos tomorrow, the foliage is jacked up (new horticultural term) on many of these.

Zinnia ‘Green Envy’ holding up well. These are my wife’s favorite of all flowers so I have at least one “get out of the doghouse free” cards.

There are a ton of Sweet 100 tomatoes on just one plant I have in a container on the deck. Smart me read up this off season and learned that tomatoes need to be planted deeper in containers (up until the first set of leaves) and so far so good!

Lobelia Siphilitica are all in bud, they are native and supposedly can handle all the wet clay soil I thoroughly enjoy. I really enjoy plants in bud as much as in bloom because of the anticipation.

Clethra ‘Hummingbird’ is blooming even after I moved it a little late in the season. I love these tough SOB’s. Still waiting on ‘Ruby Spice’ to bloom.

All of the Chasmanthium Latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) are blooming and I am way digging the “oats”.  
     
Tune into tomorrow for some sweet negativity and I expect you all to provide support and guidance.

Thank you
ONG