My septoplasty surgery is complete.
Bleeding is off the charts.
Very little pain.
The nurses couldn’t wait for me to wake up so they could let me know how much I resemble actor, Vince Vaughn.
I took my wedding ring off for the first time in a decade. It did not come off easily.
My wife is a killer nurse.
I can’t wait to smell the flowers.
Life is grand.
Another trip around the yard for this week.
There’s no denying it any longer. My garden looks its best in September and October.
Thank you grasses.
Same shot but with some lighting edits.
Which is better?
They always keep us on our toes, don’t they? Last week many of you mentioned that the deer eat your Obedient plants yet I’ve managed to get mine through without a munch for years running.
Of course that could change by next week and if you believe in deer jinxing, well I’m screwed now.
I just received my first bloom this week.
With many more to come.
I added five of these perennials to a partially shaded area of the garden. Maybe that’s why they are flopping. Or maybe that’s their nature. This is my first rodeo with these guys.
It’s taken some time for this grass to get established but this is my first run of blooms since it was planted a few years back. The blooms are killer.
On the Viburnum.
And the Thalictrum (Meadow rue).
On Joe Pye.
The oats of Northern Sea Oats ‘River Mist’ are a bit, ahem, toasted.
The queen of autumn, Amsonia hubruchtii.
I struggled to keep up with the tomato production and now we are at the end of the line.
I probably should’ve cut those basil flowers off along the way.
Thanks for the display.
They didn’t touch Joe Pye Weed too much in season’s past. Remember what I said about deer jinxing? It’s a thing.
I’m fairly certain this is the same hummingbird we get year after year. We only get one and this one sticks around well into September. If only I could get a better pic of her.
Is this gross or interesting?
The base for the fire pit is finally done. We’ve done one round of smores so far. Will be sure to share them virtually with you soon.
Note: Use peanut butter cups. Delish.
Still in denial that autumn is right around the corner.
The Veronica ‘Royal Candles’ are on their third flush of bloom this summer. Even though they look toasted after each bloom period with browning branches and general ugliness, they always bounce back for me.
After years of trying to grow anemone of any sort, I can finally say I’ve had some success. There are a ton of blooms originating from the one plant added here and there’s been massive spread in only a year’s time.
The deer did chow them down along the way this spring/summer so the bloom height is much shorter than expected.
But I’m not complaining.
… plant the Hydrangea in a container and hide it on your elevated deck.
This is ‘Little Lime’ hydrangea and I’m hoping I can keep her in this container year over year because those blooms are killer. I especially dig them right now as the pink hues emerge.
You’ve heard me say it many times before, but it’s worth repeating.
Obedient plant (this one is ‘Vivid’) can easily fill in an empty area in the garden in no time and prevent weeds from seeing the light of day. Yes, they are aggressive, but I find them easy to pull out where needed.
They are rapidly transforming into bloom as we speak.
Your weekly dose of ornamental grasses stealing the spotlight.
Here is a shot nearing dusk with the Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ adding a nice pop of light and bright (don’t steal that phrase, I’m trademarking it).
And Panicum ‘Rots’ happily providing a happy background for Joey Pye.
This Panicum may have outgrown its spot but I’m in no rush to move it.
Not that I’m getting actual cash for my garden labor, but your feedback is really all the currency I need.
Did you just spit out your sweet tea? Too corny?
Regardless, it’s true.
Anyway, I continue to attack the garden with reckless abandon and fervor as I clean up the weeds, move things around and prune/tweak/deadhead here and there. This little clean-up below resulted in me going through three shirts, two pairs of shorts and about 49 mosquito bites.
Heat and humidity be damned.
It will be worth it if I can fill it in quickly and avoid the same weed issues heading into next year.
Same goes with the photo below.
While I’ve created a new path to traverse in the garden, that wasn’t the intention. I now need to find as many 3 to 4 foot in height perennials as I can so I can finish this section and finally move on.
Putting apple cider vinegar directly on your mosquito bites stops the itch better than any other topical option out on the market. I may smell vinegary in bed at night, but my wife is spared me waking up multiple times feverishly scratching my legs and moaning.
You’re welcome.