Happy Birthday, Etelka. It sounds like you had a wonderful chat with your family. My sibliings and I always call each other on our birthdays. I so look forward to that. I am glad you had a good day.
June, clematises and chat
Thanks for the compliments on Smitty.
He was all ready to zoom down to Etelka's to give her a present but I didn't think she'd like it! He likes this spot in the car but he goes to the back seat. It would be much too dangerous for all of us for him to remain up front with us.
Love your hydrangeas, Etelka! The color is wonderful. Tonight I did paint my outdoor wire frog red but that's the closest I'll get to painting the town. Now young people go out for the night at the same time I go to sleep.
That's exactly where Suey loves to ride! She gives me a glare when I tell her to stay in the back....
As soon as we say, "Get in the back", he gives us his sad face but he does as he is told.
Etelka, I'm glad you had a great birthday. Your hydrangea is lovely, and is that an Acuba to the left of it and the Laurapetalum on the right side? We had Acubas at our last home, but for some reason, we haven't planted them here, and we loved them. I'll have to reming the DH of this!
We continue with the daily rain here with no end in sight for the next week. The slugs are in heaven ;~{
All of the group 2 clemies have now been trimmed except Josephine. I'm glad I was able to do this for this summer, since it didn't get done last year due to my back surgery.
Here are a few pictures from yesterday. Josephine is periodically blooming still, and once she's done, I'll do the trimming. The "viticella Rubra"? is also blooming as well.
Etelka, I'm glad you had such a good day. I hope it lasts all year for you.
We haven't had rain since an unbelievable downpour July 3rd. I think it did in the last of the clematis. The humidity goes hand in hand with the heat which for us northerners is hard on the constitution but seemingly good for the caladium, coleus, begonias and tomatoes. The lilies don't seem to care as long as they have good drainage.
This container with ipomoea, witch doctor coleus and petunias needs water twice a day in this weather.
Marcia
Arlene, I wanted to share this with you. Hotline is blooming right in front of Pink Champagne. I love the color edge of Hotline, that's similar to the color in PC. I remember you talking about Hotline a while back, and it's a welcome addition to the garden, however, the blooms are smaller than I expected for an Oriental lily. I've got the bulbs planted on either side of PC.
Carolyn - I've seen other dogs smile but Smitty loves giving me "snarly face" if I try to get his orange squeaky bone. Such a pill!
How I wish we had some of your rain, Annette. I'm jealous! It's so hot that after an hour of work outside I feel exhausted. My best time now is after dinner until 9 PM. Have to find my miner's helmet soon. I've been pruning the montana Grandiflora weekly and yesterday (with the help of a patio umbrella) removed another bag filled with trimmings. It just won't quit with the new growth and attaches itself to a rose and another clematis on one side and a tree on the other side. I only trimmed Liberation because it's next to the montana and I had the shade from the umbrella to do it.
Marcia - the heat, humidity and mosquitoes are in full force here. Your container is lovely! The lilies have been terrific this year and Eyeliner (photo 1) amazes me daily with more perfect blooms. It began in mid June and still has more buds to open. It is much taller than I expected but it's so regal.
Annette - Old age is a big pain. I can't remember where I planted Hotline. For all I know it may be potted and in the dog's pen/garden room - Smitty and I share it but I love it while he just endures it. Anyhow, it is gorgeous and when it blooms I'll be so happy to share photos. It should be fabulous with PC!
The lilies have been their best this year! Jack comments daily on their beauty. Love Forever Susan (photo 2) with that dark purple streak down the center as well as these spotted ones (3 and 4). If anyone knows the name of them I'd appreciate your letting me know. The heat has my brain fogged up!
The Jackmanii's are all in bloom and Reiman and Venosa Violacea as well as a nameless lavender and Ville de Lyon. Wish I could do better in the heat to get more photos.
Gorgeous Arlene!
I was able to take quite a few pictures earlier this morning, but it was about 6:30 am. It didn't take long for the day to heat up.
We have been having rain every single day..... The plants love it.
Arlene, the lilies are beautiful, but the last picture is magnificent! What a gorgeous combination of plants, and such a show of color. Your family must thoroughly enjoy sitting in the area, with such a lovely view.
Wow! Eyeliner has been going and going. Love that outer trim, like the pink on Annette's lilies. That thin border is exceptionally pretty.
Yes, the weather is devastating, Arlene, but it is late and STILL hot outside. Some plants were watered twice today.
Carolyn, we could use a bit of your rain. Are you being plagued by insects?
Thanks to both Carolyn and Annette.
Tonight I was out until 9 PM and finished with the two jobs I wanted done. When I checked the forecast, praying for cooler weather, I was stunned to see the "break" in the heat would still leave us with 83 to 89 degrees each day this week. That's not gardening weather for me!
We don't sit outside in this heat, Annette, but enjoy the view from the French doors in the living room.
Now the show has begun at the fireplace garden and the Triumphator lilies, old echinacea, yarrow and hydrangeas are all putting on a show.
Marcia - The deer didn't devour any of the Eyeliner. Maybe, with all the rain we had in June, they have enough food to keep them happy and out of our gardens. Might be wishful thinking.
Today I watered many containers twice. Wish I were young and playful and could still go under the sprinkle of a hose myself.
Many mosquito bites on my ankles from late night weeding and had a Japanese beetle in my hair. Caught several of them on daylilies and some earwigs, which are the creepiest of all the bugs for me.
I was thinking the very same thing about the deer having so much vegetation due to the rain. After all, the weeds have really taken off.
I think some of the epsom salts with warm water might diminish the itching from the bites. It seems that everything has little holes or "bites" from all the insects. They have eaten some of the calla blooms but not the foliage, and most of the caladium foliage is in great shape. But they are really having dinner on the coleus and ipomoea plants that are in partial sun/shade. I cannot stand earwigs. They hide in all sorts of damp places: mops; under pots; water cans and more.
We have been in hot weather disaster mode for 5 days as the a/c went out in the car, and Mark had lots of service calls. Hopefully he can fix it tomorrow morning. We took an outrageously expensive rental for the weekend to get us through.
We've only had our AC fail once during the last 18 years and the guy came within a few hours and got it working again. Once we're used to AC there is no turning back to fans!
Yes, earwigs strike me as sneaky and I detest them.
Not too many Japanese beetles since I remove all roses and rose buds on July 3rd, their date of arrival here, but they did get Henryi and massacred the latest blooms.
The caladiums are fine here, just not as big as in former years - probably weather related from our strange May highs and lows. Coleus are fine, too, but the black spot on some roses is horrid.
This afternoon my digital picture card was acting up so I had to use an old one. Had to laugh at the image on the left compared to today's photo of the exact same shot! It did feel cool and refreshing to see it.
What a great comparison shot. I does make you feel cool to look at. I wonder if we got snow that week.
We are so spoiled. We have always had a/c in the house. When it goes in the car, it is deadly, so we had an interesting week. We are still working folks at our advanced ages.
As I drifted off to sleep I realized my error was in somehow thinking you meant the AC in your home even though you clearly said it was your car. Jack lost the AC in his truck and if he takes Smitty with him to the barber or the post office it's just too hot. He really should get it fixed but doesn't get around to it.
This supposed break in the heat is a laugh. Instead of 90 and 92 we're due for 85 to 89. That's no help for gardeners.
Not gardening weather at all! I don't know what I enjoyed more, the hot Asiatics, or the cool pink & white photos...both outstanding! I have become enamored with the candelabra lilies, have planted many in the past few years. The Japanese beetles are eating everything, I was stung 3 times by a bee, have ant & mosquito bites, & today...poison ivy! Oh, well, it's summer in CT!
Hi Robin, I have to watch when I deadhead the zinnias, the big bumble bees got me last time, all the zinnias having black spots from all the rain. Have you ever grown a Philipino lily, I was given one last year, somebody said it will get about 7 feet tall before it bloomes. Now it is about 4 1/2 feet hoping to see it bloom. My first dahlia is blooming, never found out its name but gave some tubers to a friend and she loves it. I bought one dahlia that is burgondy, but it is still in the pot, trying to find a room for it. The clems are sleeping except the Sizaja Ptitza, it is ful of blooms. Should I trimm my #2 clems or just leave the leaves on and hope for bloom when it gets cooler. Thanks for the nice pictures. Etelka
Such nice blooms, Marilyn. They each have their own beauty. Wow! You've had more than your share of bites this year. Is the last one Dimension/Dimention? Love the depth of color. Hate those Japanese beetles! They should be done with their sex and feeding frenzy in six weeks.
Etelka - that's a wow dahlia! Haven't grown the lily you mentioned but would love to see the blossoms when they come.
Too hot to garden. Now the best time for me is after dinner. I probably do more in 90 minutes then than I could do the entire day with this heat.
Pirl---What beautiful picures. What a joy it would be to tour your garden!! Too bad that it is so far from Texas to New York.
Thank you. It's probably not much cooler here and feels dreadful to gardeners. Has this been a hotter than normal summer for Texans?
Actually, no. We have had far fewer 100* days than the last 3 years by this time. The high has been 108* but then it cooled back down to the mid 90's for a few days. One thing here is that when it gets over 100* for a few days, things are so dried out that our humidity may be 15-20%. There is usually a breeze, so when you walk outside, it's like walking into a convection oven!! I have learned to take my walk about 9, work in the garden until noon, then come in and do housework, laundry, etc. I know, 9 is not early, but from 7-9 I sit on the patio with my DH, drink coffee, and enjoy looking at my flowers.
Sounds blissful except for that 108 degrees!
Etelka, that's a beauty of a dahlia....none of mine are even budded yet.....Pirl, that's Mrs. Angela North....I have Dimension as well. Beeziec, oven is right....but not any better here with the humidity...it feels like someone has thrown a wet blanket over your face! A little breeze today, I may go outside around 5 or 6 tonight......
Thanks, Marilyn. I'm heading outside now to see what I can get done in otherwise sunny spots.
The joke is one me this time. That lovely, spilling sweet potato is now half its size, thanks to a midnight visitor. Absolutely sheared off half of the loves black leaves.
Also took off a few cucumber leaves (why would they do that?), but missed the tomatoes. I don't think it could be anything but a deer. And who else would step on the other plants?Now netted. (Closing the barn door.)
Same thing here! They got the daylilies and cucumber leaves but the tomatoes are in pots in the dog's pen/ garden room so they're safe. If I only had a gun...and could shoot straight...without shaking...
Don't you hate that! I could just scream when I come out to half the flowers missing off my lantana (why would they do that!). They also love my bat face cuphea, and my daylilies and they are even eating my black eyed susans. I am like you, if I thought I could hit one and kill it, I'd shoot! .
We need more mountain lions!
Mountain lions that don't like the taste of pets or humans.
I didn't know the deer ate lantanas. Thanks for the tip. I'll be moving mine.
Deer ate part of a hellebore I planted......I didn't think they ate hellebores!
When they're hungry they will eat anything. I would guess that applies if they're lazy as well.
Pretty doopey to go after the cucumbers. The leaves and stems are spiny and must be painful. First time ever they ate my ipomoeas.
The insects are going after coleus like crazy, too. I don't know why they don't prefer weeds.
Agreed! The cucumber leaves are so rough you'd think they wouldn't enjoy them but they do eat the rose buds and all top growth, including thorns, but the thorns/prickles may not be developed enough to be as sharp as the older prickles. It's almost laughable that they don't like fuzzy gray plants but the cucumber leaves are viewed as delectable.
Haven't noticed any insect damage on the coleus but the ones I put in full sun are doing much better than those I planted in shade. I find that odd, especially with the heat we've had.
In our area, they are so overpopulated that they can't find enough to eat. And, since we are an island, they don't have anywhere new to go. You would think (hope?) their numbers would eventually decrease, but we just aren't to that stage yet. It is a terrible problem, with rampant ticks, deer flies, etc. because of their large numbers.
It's just as bad in the Hamptons, the east end of Long Island, where I used to garden. I hear they're even nibbling on Montauk Daisies, which they had never touched before.
So far, where we are now there is enough room for them, and they rarely bother my plants. But this week it is dry and I forgot to spray before I left yesterday so I have my fingers crossed. Last year they decimated phlox and a few hosta during a dry spell.
Can the deer be hunted on your island? We are not allowed to hunt here, but 15 miles away there are hunting grounds where it is allowed (we abut New York state) and hunters can often go certain times of year.
An agriculturist recommends hanging t-shirts doused with perfume. He swears it keeps the deer away from his vegetation, and he grows organic vegetables for sale.
Marcia