Monday In Bloom

It was a nice day Sunday, a bit on the muggy side but not terrible.  I was going to get out there and do some deadheading in the garden, but when I talked it over with my back, my back just laughed and laughed and said, “No.”  So I just took pictures instead and the deadheading will have to wait for another day. 

Things are still looking pretty good.  I haven’t lost any more pansies, so I’m thankful for that.  Most of the other plants seems to be coming into their own, finally.  Better late than never, I always say!

The side patch is looking so full and happy!  It makes me happy every time I look at it. 

I just wanted to show that I actually do have some purple sweet alyssum in there!  It’s just been laying low, I guess, but it seems to be spreading out a bit now.

Cascading sweet alyssum!  It smells so wonderful, too.

It’s like a twinkle in the garden’s eye, sort of.

I can’t believe how huge the coleus have grown!  They’re pretty much to the window sill.

The pink polka dot plant looks like its hugging the wall, lol.

The coleus is as big as the pot!

The potato vine is still happy, even though it’s on the patio now.  Maybe it likes a bit of shade.

This pot looks okay from the front.  I’ve lost a couple pansies near the back of it, though.

This pot, front and center in the little front patch of “yard” I have, might just be the current reigning star.

Still buds on the lily!  Isn’t that amazing?!

I think the Artemisia is planning on taking over the garden.

Every week the lavender seems to be getting bigger and bigger.  I’m hopeful this one will survive the Winter.

The sage sure has taken off!  The bees like it a lot, too.

And that’s how my garden’s growing this week!  How about yours?

cross-posted on my daily blog 

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To see all my pictures from the garden this week, you can click either the link or the image below. Thanks for looking! 2016 Garden Weekly 17 | Flickr //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Monday In Bloom

What a gorgeous day it was Sunday!  I was able to finally get out there and get a bit of work done in the garden, yay!  Got a lot of deadheading done, got some weeds pulled, maintenance things that are necessary if you want your garden to look halfway decent.  Thankfully the humidity was on the lower end of the scale so it didn’t get too uncomfortable working unless you were out there for a long time. 

With the daisies and lilies coming to a close, some of the other plants are getting their chance to shine.  The Artemisia are just thriving, and now the sage is blooming, and the speedwell is really getting nice and bushy, too.
 

Now that’s what I’m talking about!  I think the bit of a cool down we’ve had in the last couple of days have really allowed the plants to thrive.

It just feels like things have finally come into their own this year.  It’s late in the season, to be sure, but as the saying goes, better late than never. 

I feel so relieved.  Things were going so slowly, and with all the pansy loss, I was really concerned that something was wrong.  And there was.  Crazy Chicagoland weather! 

Only a couple of buds left on one of the lilies. 

The promise to be a great ending to a great show.

That’s how my garden’s growing with just a month left until the Autumnal Equinox.  How’s yours doing?

cross-posted on my daily blog 

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To see all my pictures from the garden this week, you can click either the link or the image below. Thanks for looking! 2016 Garden Weekly 16 //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Monday In Bloom

I was talking with the ladies in the office earlier this week.  One of them has made an adorable little fairy garden for her office. I told her I was going to sneak in and steal it one night after she left for the day.  She found the cutest butterfly plant stand, and has all kinds of little ferns and figurines in there.  Serious indoor plant envy! Anyway, she commented how her garden just isn’t doing as well this year as in previous years either, so we came to the conclusion that the weather has something to do with it.  It has been much hotter this year than last, and we think the plants just aren’t liking all the extra heat.  So, that problem is solved.  See what happens when a couple of women put their heads together?    lol

It was warm when I went out to take my pictures Sunday. The humidity was fair so it wasn’t as horrible as it’s been the rest of the week prior.  So hot!

One day it was so hot, and when I looked out the window I could see the plants gasping for water.  I don’t know how many trips I made, just pitcher after pitcher.  I gave every pot at least 1-2 gallons, and did all the in-ground plants, as well.  I was going to make doggone good and sure that my plants were not going to die of thirst.

And of course, it rained that night.

But the next day, I swear, lush-city!  Everything just seemed to explode.

Naturally, as I was trying to water one of my hanging plants, the pot got too heavy for the twine holding it and “blam” it hit the ground.  Fortunately nothing broke or spilled out of the pot.  Now my hook is lopsided.  I need some weather resistant hanging cord. 

See how full everything is?  And this is with everything a tad on the droopy side because I took pictures before I watered.

The pink-polka dot plants are just taking off.  Reach for the stars!

And the snapdragons are blooming again, yay!

This is what I love to see!  All that sweet alyssum just oozing over the sides of the pots, like my cup runneth over. 

You can barely see the soil in the pots, the leaves are so full.

Still my happy pot. 

Nice to see the marigolds are thriving in the heat we’ve been having.  Sturdy little things!

For now, my broken no-longer-hanging hanging pot sits on the outside table.  But, at least it’s thriving!

As is the asparagus fern and sweet alyssum in the pot by the front door.  *happysigh*

The lavender seems to be doing pretty well, too.  Please please please survive the Winter, little lavender!

The sage I got earlier this Spring has finally decided to bloom, too!  I was worried it wasn’t going to make it. 

One lonely lily left, the last … wait, what’s that?

Buds!  Eight more buds!  I guess you could call this its encore. 

And that’s how my garden’s growing this week!  How’s yours doing?

cross-posted on my daily blog 

*****

 

To see all my pictures from the garden this week, you can click either the link or the image below. Thanks for looking! 2016 Garden Weekly 15 | Flickr //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js