I am thinking of trying to find some fine mesh bags to tie over my rose buds in an effort to save some of them this year, but have way too many cone flowers for that. So...I will try to pick them off and drop them in a bucket of soapy water when I see them destroying any blooms. Uhg! The scourge of summer!
On a happier note, I was finally able to get a photo of a dragonfly. Admittedly it is not of the quality I have seen on other blogs, but the dragonfly photo has become my humming bird quest. Surely with all I have seen flying around so far this year I will be able to get a better one. For now, though, it makes me smile.
The Asiatic lilies are in full bloom and I have several colors. All of these are unknown varieties and some of them are DIPTs. (Did I Plant These)
I have them in small groupings in most of the beds. They add a bright spot of color to the green and their height takes your eye up and away from the weeds. :)
This is probably my favorite. I love the freckles!
Heavenly Blue has bloomed! I grew this one from seed and planted it at the bottom of the taller part of the deck. I used to have a climbing rose here-in fact have tried 2 years in a row to get one to grow, so there are still wires for it to grow up and along the railing. It has made it to the top and is starting to run along the rail, but this first bloom in near the bottom. I am hoping for great things from this morning glory again this year. I checked back and found I didn't get a bloom last year til the middle of Aug. Of course that one was bound and determined to do nothing but vine for a couple of months while I waited in great anticipation for my first 'moon flower' bloom.
The butterfly weed has come back this year and is blooming joyously. I am so pleased as I have had trouble getting these to grow in my gardens. I was a little doubtful it would survive the winter, but 3 have and I am hoping they are happy enough to stay around for a few years. Last year with only a few blooms it served as a tidbit for several caterpillars. This year I am sure they will enjoy a buffet!
The day lilies have just started to bloom. Stella, a week or so ago and now this unknown. This was the first one I planted a few years back. I love the way the petals are different colors.
And of course, I couldn't do a post with out showing you the latest Martha Stewart Heritage Rose just after a rain.
Summer has come to Central Illinois! Along with all the rain and humidity we are having high 80's and into the 90's temps. The combination makes for some very uncomfortable conditions, and we are under a Heat Advisory until Wednesday eve. Needless to say, I am not out in the garden much-even in the evenings- when the weather is like this. I don't do heat and humidity well. :) But if you are having such weather, be sure to take it easy, drink lots of fluids and keep and eye on the elderly.
Happy gardening! (or air conditioning!)
35 comments:
Your flowers are beautiful. Have you had a lot of rain? We have had weeks and weeks of it with a rare sunny day from time to time. My flower gardens are overrun with weeds and my vegetables are far beyond where they should be. So, it is very nice to enjoy your flowers on my computer. Happy Summer.
Japanese Beetle already! UGH, Everything in the garden is enjoying this wet spring this year, inclulding the bugs.
Your lilies look so pretty. I really must get some more of them this year.
I am with you about the heat and humidity. It isn't any fun to get outside when it is like this. I can't hardly breathe. Keep cool.
Hi Beckie,
Those asiatic lilies are quite a pop of color and such variety too! I am guessing they aren't liking the humidity right now though. Dragonflies are not easily captured by the lens so I'm happy you were able to get one. I just love them, too ... and there are so many different ones in all shapes and sizes.
I like the way your day lily's coloring contrast with each petal... very pretty.
We are hopefully going to get some rain today and move back to our normal pattern of low 70's at night instead of high 80's. Summer is here... good thing you live in Illinois... here's to you getting relief soon.
Even though I live 15 feet from a creek, I saw my first dragonfly in my backyard yesterday! (Or was it the day before? One loses track...) I also have (knock wood) a bunch of echinacea buds, which I've not had for the past two years since the groundhog loves them. He's staying further afoot (knock wood) this year, but I'm not counting my buds until they open. No Japanese beetle so far (I don't have roses but they love my pussy willow for reasons unclear to anyone but the bugs themselves!).
Beckie our weather is really, really tough right now. So dry and high 90's seem to go on forever.
You have some really pretty plants blooming right now. My butterfly weed hasn't even started to bloom.
Luckily we haven't seen any japanese beetles yet. Thank goodness!
Very nice shot of the dragonfly. Gotta hate those pesky bugs though. They don't seem to be in full force as yet. The rose is most lovely.
Not the Japanese beetles already! Now I will have to go look outside and see if they have arrived here--I haven't seen one yet. Your dragonfly photo is lovely, Beckie; yesterday was the first time I'd even seen one here. And all your lilies are so pretty; I like that idea of drawing your eye up "away from the weeds"--good planning:)
I'm going to have to come and see all your new blooms--when the temperature drops a little.
I haven't seen any yet, but I know they'll be here too soon. I hand pick them and put them in soapy water too or I just pop them right into a used Zip-lock bag.
Hi Beckie, the heat is on here too. Mid 90's today. I don't enjoy gardening in this weather.
We don't get the beetles until the first of July unless they come early this year. I'll cut my roses back when they appear and not let them bloom until fall. Do the beetles bother your zinnias or tithonia? They make great holes in my morning glory leaves but don't bother the blooms.
Marnie
We jumped from cool to hot too Beckie. Whew. It's an adjustment. Bummer those Japanese beetles had to show up early. I'm glad we don't have those here. Hope they don't migrate and that you can find a way to protect your plants. Your asiatic lilies are beauties. I like your favorite too ~ the "freckles" are great! Stay cool and good luck with your quest to get a great dragonfly photo. I'll be checking back to see. I know you can do it!
Dear Beckie.....way too hot for me....we are around 75f and that is perfect.
Sorry your beetles are back....how frustrating for you.....glad I havn't got to put them in a bucket of soapy water. I am such a wimp.......
You have some really lovely blooms Beckie and I cannot believe your morning glory is flowering already.
I carefully grew mine from the seed you so kindly gave me. I planted them out when the weather had warmed up. Within three days they had gone. Not sure if it is rabbits.....so sadly all my efforts were in vain.....so disappointed.
Also two of my coneflower have disappeared. I planted them last year....I suspect they do not like my wet winter soil. I put plenty of drainage in but.......the joys of gardening.....
That is just the worse news..those pesky beetles...I think they ate all my Red Cascade roses, too. I don't want to climb up there to look right now the mosquitoes and ticks are terrible! It is a great year for bugs! I am just not built for humidity and heat myself, ...I just wilt.
Love the lilies and will have to use them next year to distract folks from the weeds here!
I am so glad you have your dragonfly photo!
gail
Oh Beckie, it is summer!! And I am happy!! I know it's hot and humid (and I do have an airconditioned house to hide in), but the plants just thrive in these conditions. Yippeeeeeee!!
I absolutely love your lilies and morning glory! Oh those heavenly summer colours. Your dragonfly looks sweet, perched on those leaves. I like the way you've captured it's wings (you can see right through them!). Your butterfly weed is so bright and cheerful.
Happy Summer!
Hi Beckie, thanks for the advice about the weather. It is the same here, and hard to get anything accomplished outdoors even though there is so much to do. Your dragonfly is a beauty, well done! And arghhhh to the nasty beestles, hand picking is the best way to get them. Early in the morning they are still groggy and will fall easily into a receptacle of soapy water without flying away to mate some more. Those are love machines, those iridescent devils! But hooray for your butterfly weed, may you be bombarded with butterflies, and dragonflies of course.
Frances
Oh no, I thought I had seen some signs of those evil JBs in the garden too. Soon they'll be gone and the damage will be past sad memory. Love all the gorgeous lillies, mine are just finishing up. :( It is so hot here, that I go out early in the morning to water or whatever & hibernate indoors to the a/c the remainder of the day.
Lousy, rotten Japanese Beetles! I haven't seen them yet here, but it's only a matter of time. The Earwigs have already made their annual appearance. Boo!
Your dragonfly photo is wonderful! The Lilies look great. Stay cool!
Haha, DIPT. Love that. Also love the alien looking dragonfly. I haven't seen them much around here this year. woohoo on your Morning Glory bloom. Hopefully it will go gangbusters like it did last year!! That was a beauty! Love the pic of the wet rose.
My sisters and I used to catch June Bugs for dad when we were kids. He liked to use them for fishing. I haven't seen any around here for a long time. Maybe we caught them all. LOL
I love the colors on your Dragonfly and I think your picture is great. I took a picture of a red one once but it came out real fuzzy.
I love your flowers, especially rain drops on the rose.
I used to have several Asiatic Lily's but the slugs have gotten them. I am just starting a collection of Daylily's. S0 far the slugs and deer leave them alone.
Beckie,
So many beautiful blooms! I can't decide which is my favorite, but like you, love the freckles. Your pic of the dragonfly is very good. They are not easy to take pictures of! I have tried enough to know how hard it is to capture them with a camera.
Beth, I've been watching your rain and cool weather up there. Hope it drys soon and you get some warmer days.
Lisa, the good thing about all the rain is everything I planted this year has done really well. They didn't have to depend on me to water them. :) I love the lilies, they bloom during the lull between spring and summer flowers.
Meems, having been in Fla in teh summer, I don't know how you stand it. I would hloe up in the air conditioning and wait til winter. But you are out there making your gardens even more lovely.
Monica, the dragonflies should be plentiful soon up there. I hope you get to enjoy your coneflowers-bad groundhog!
Susie, do you get the Japanese Beetles very much? I thought maybe it might be too hot for them there. I hope your drought ends soon and the temps cool off-it can be really hard to get excited about working in the gardens when i is like this. :)
Tina, thanks! I hope the beetles don't do as much damgae there as they do here. Glad you like the rose.
Rose, the dragonflies have been around here for a couple of weeks now-but then we are always on the look out for them. Will have to have you over for tea.
Robin, soapy water seems to be the method of choice for getting rid of the beetles. I hate-won't use bug spray as it kills too many of the good bugs. Surely on day there will be something that likes to eat the beetles. But, it may be worse than they are.
Marnie, that's an idea-cutting back the roses til the beetles are gone. They don't seem to bother the zinnias, but love the butterfly bush and the leaves of the sweet potato vines. Maybe this week it will cool down and we can get back in the garden.
Kathleen, I think that's why we have been so miserable-from cool to HOT almost overnight. :)
Cheryl, I am so sorry about your morning glories. Darn rabbits! I will send more seed this fall. And oh to lose your coneflowers-the rabbits here don't seem to bother them. Your weather sounds perfect, we are cooling down some this next week. Thank goodness! Have a great weekend. :)
Gail, the bugs are really bad this year, but I guess it's a trade off for all the rain. But at least we don't have the ticks. UGH! Have a great weekend. :)
Wendy, so glad you like the dragonfly. The weather is supposed to cool down this next week-will be nice to get some more done in the garden. While I enjoy the AC, I do want to be outside in the gardens.
Frances, I saw a darker orange butterfly weed at the garden center and would love to get some of it, but have had little luck with buying them. I didn't know early morning was the best time to 'pick' beetles. Will have to try that. Try to stay cool. :)
Racquel, with this heat the lilies aren't lasting long. :( But everything else is really growing. Our JB's stick around til the middle or end of Aug. Way to long for me.
MMD, wait ofr them-they will soon show up. Earwigs and those roly polys have been working in my containers. Have lost a few plants to them. hope you aren't trying to dig more concrete in this heat. :)
Flydragon, do you have any DIPTs. I haven't found any new ones in a couple of years, but have had them many times. So far the MG is a little less bushy than last year, but it's still early.
Bev, I'm glad you like the dragonfly.Would love to see a red one-don't think we have those here. Like you, I am trying to get a collection of daylilies-hope yours do great!
MG, glad you like the dragonfly. It will probably be the only decent photo I get this year. I thought I had a yellow lily with freckles last year, but haven't seen it bloom yet. I need to dig up my bulbs and plant some of the smaller ones in other areas so they will do better. Have a great weekend. :)
Gorgeous flowers - LOL about the beetles...one literally chased me out of my garden today. Don't they bite? I sure screamed like the do. lol*
Beckie, that's a gorgeous dragonfly photo ... he's my signature shade of turquoise blue so of course I love him! Isn't it wonderful how a good mulch job can refresh the garden?
I'm sorry we didn't get to visit more at Spring Fling ... next year in Buffalo we'll remedy that!
I think your dragonfly photo is just great Beckie...and despite your heat and bugs, your garden looks lovely! I know what you mean about the heat because it gets pretty darn uncomfortable here, as well. We have had a very strange year so far though. It rained so long that slugs were a problem; then we did have some miserably hot days too. Yesterday was perfect--in fact, I don't remember weather like that before! It was in the mid 70's with no humidity at all! Usually the humidity is what drives me inside. It's 68 degrees right now at 9:15 am and the air is clear again today! Totally unusual, but very welcome!! It will get back to it's normal high 90's through July and August, and the humidity will be oppressive. But for now it's great. Unfortunately, I cannot go in the sun anymore due to horrible reaction from the doxycylene for the lyme's...even a tiny bit burns me. Probably won't be my best summer...but, we take the bad w/the good! Have a nice 4th of July weekend;-)
That last photo is one I'd frame! I like the others, too. I'm not familiar with that insect, a beetle? I've noticed some of my flowers are blooming or getting read to, earlier than usual. It may partly be due to not getting some of them cut back like I usually do in the spring. It makes me concerned for the butterflies. I hope the flowers they like are still blooming when they come around.
I forgot to thank you for your nice comment on my blog. Yes, I fit as many daylilies as I can into my space. I bought a large unlabeled pot of daylilies on the $5.00 table at a local garden center the other day. I'm not going to plant it until one of the flowers opens so I can see what color it is.
Is your butterfly weed Hello Yellow? I have trouble with the orange living more than a few years. My 3 Hello Yellows came back, but 1 is not doing well.
Have a great 4th!
Beckie - I love dragonflies too, and always have several darting about the yard, but they rarely land for a photo.
The unknown daylily with the different coloured petals may be "Frans Hals". I spotted it on another blog a few nights ago, and wrote it down on my "want" list.
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