One Very Sunny Day

Gardeners in my area have been enjoying a banner year. Higher than average rain fall and the cooler days means that plants and the grass have bloomed, grown, and run wild like kids on summer vacation. Recently, I've been showing close ups of the inhabitants in my gardens, and I've been asked a time or two what things look like in the gardeness of it all, so I thought...

...I'll wait till a sunny day and take them on a bit of a tour. Click on any of the photos to see the details if you'd like. First stop? My humming bird feeder, which when I had the camera ready, not one of the cheeky lil' buggers would come winging by! Dern...

I've shared this spot before as it's one of my favorites, but I got caught up in the light cut into two extremes; I liked the effect. I adore this water feature of ours. The sound is so soothing, yet we don't have to deal with the aspects of upkeep since it's a pondless water fall. I'd highly recommend it if you have children or, don't want to deal with the upkeep that's required of water features.

Here's our back deck. We spend a great deal of time out here, but honestly, since we put up the under-decking, I prefer sitting on the patio below. It's always shaded and comfortable. And, when it rains, I can sit out there and enjoy the sound and the smell. Wonderful!

If you stand on the deck and look to your right, here's the view that will greet you. We are blessed with outstanding neighbors, many of whom are very much into gardening. Western PA has some beautiful natural areas. The Laurel Highlands is one of those. Nice, huh?

I've never had a veggie garden before and this summer my next door neighbor and I decided we'd share one. It's a great idea; it's not as much work as trying to do it on your own, and it's fun to share the excitement of growing things with a friend. Cindy and I are always amazed when we go out and it looks as though it's jumped up another foot!

I had absolutely no idea that green bean plants could be so dainty and pretty. I like to stand in the garden and watch the flowers open. Soon, they're going to yield us some very tasty Blue Lake Green Beans. Yum!

And, this is one of our tomato plants that I placed in the center of the garden to act as a sentinel. It's becoming quite impressive in size, but it doesn't scare the chipmunks who go jetting in and out of the garden as though it was a game of Super Market Sweep.

Even the marigolds are getting visitors. And the very last of the spinach makes a nice counter point to the vivid color of these little gems...

Across the yard from the veggies, is my other garden and the wall that Fiona and Rory like to walk along. Very brave Scots I have; nerve wracked mother I am, yelling, "Come down, Come down!!"

Honestly, though, everything has grown so large that I often feel as though I'm in Jurassic Park...everything is encroaching on the next plant and there is absolutely no order in the garden this year. Those really tall things you see? They're Casa Blanca lilies not yet bloomed. The stalks are taller than me! Whoever heard of lilies growing so tall? The English lavender is no slouch this year and has become a bee blanket.

The grasses are wild and the sunflowers have yet to bloom but are over seven feet tall! Wowzers...

Some of my hosta have become quite bossy expanding into new spaces...and the lilies on this side are also impressive; they'll need to be staked to keep them from crashing down before the blooms open. There is nothing like the fragrance of Asiatic lily in the sultry evening air...ahhh!

This rare sunny day was the chance to weed and take a stroll in my newest garden, installed this year, at the far edge of the property. I was lucky to find a Forest Pansy Red Bud tree. I love red buds, but this form is really quite lovely as the leaves stay this delicious merlot color all summer and turn red in the fall. It's really a gem.

This isn't the best shot as I've discovered that bright sun flattens out images, so it's hard to pick out detail, but here's the newest garden. There's the Forest Pansy standing on the right looking all full of herself. She knows she's pretty and expects to be admired.

There's more to see, but I don't want to wear you out. Why don't we stop here? I'll share more later. If the sun has made you a bit tired, let's sit under the deck with some iced tea and chat. Or, if you'd rather take a little snooze like some in the garden seem to do...I don't mind, go right ahead. I'll just sit here with you and watch the garden grow while you do.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly