This Week in the Garden, July 12

I see that my last post about our gardens was June 22. I suspected that this might happen. In addition to my own schedule and writing woes, I have a friend who says "Facebook Killed My Blog." It is pretty easy for me to just throw my garden pictures up on Facebook for many, many more people to see, as compared to those who will read my blog. Then again, not everyone uses or enjoys Facebook.

Anyway, I digress. Our gardens have been wonderful! I cannot complain. I have found perennials on half-off sales and plunked those in the ground, I have found perennials at full-price, which I just had to have, I have found perennials which I didn't especially like, but which had good color, and things which have sprung to life which have been more wonderful than I ever remember from a previous summer. I think that's the way it is with memories though, which is quite the blessing, come to think of it! So, on with the pictures and my attempts to identify the plants in our gardens. 

This is our most established perennial garden. I call it Perennial Garden - 1, but I think that it needs a new name. Any takers?

Peas! Yes! This year I grew peas. I ate them all in about 2 days. These were snap peas.

The wonderful wild flower seeds that Neil planted have been very successful. They are just the way Neil likes flowers - looking like an abandoned garden. Life after humans, perhaps, Kristin and Alex?

I paid full price for these foxglove plants. I love them. They're making a tough transition, but I'm sure that they'll be great next year...even though the one from last summer didn't come back. We won't think about that now.

The black-eyed Susans are back and looking wonderful and simple.

Some of the wonderful lilies that I got 3 years ago from Reny's.

Wild black cap berries along our river. They taste wonderful!

A blue hydrangea we got from our wonderful neighbor, Richard.

The much coveted Powwow Coneflower!

Our Stewartia tree has been a bit of a disappointment. We got it because of it's late season blooms, but only about one-third of the buds blossom and only briefly at that.

Our wonderful dayflowers. I understand that they are invasive. Go ahead and invade. I love you anyway. We also got these from Richard. They bloom only in the morning and are very lovely. I sort of wish that they would take over all parts of the yard needing flowers. 

This is Perennial Garden - 2. It's looking a little sparse, but it's new. It will come along for sure!

This is a plant called Yarrow. I don't really like it, but it was 50% off and offered some yellow color for Perennial Garden - 2. We also now have a purple lupine as one might notice in the back!

The sunflowers are coming right along. The ones in the large dahlia bed always do the best. The sun must be best there. This one is about 4 feet tall so far.

These are what I always called tiger lilies - how about you? We also got these from Richard 2 summers ago.

Grapes, grapes and more grapes! To think that we bought this grape plant in 2009 and Drake, a puppy, ate most of the plant. We thought it was dead. For some reason, we hung onto the pot and the little stub of a plant. One year later it started to grow - and this is what we have now. It must span 15 feet!

More of the wonderful lilies from Reny's.

Wild flowers in front, hybrid hydrangea in the back.