An August Day In The Garden

The coleus that I potted from pinched tops are
coming along nicely. I will
eventually put these by my front door.

Bloom on "William Shakespeare 2000" David Austin English rose.
It's growing right in the middle of the
zinnia patch.

Purple Fountain grass. I just love
when sun shines through
it in the mornings. Comes across
as golden shimmery lights.

I moved the decorative
bird house over here. The birds
have been eating on the sunflowers.

If you look closely, in the middle of the photo
is a tiny crepe myrtle growing. I took an offshoot
of the mother plant last fall from my old
house and kept it in the garage all winter.
 It was about an inch
high. I planted it in the cantaloupe patch
because I didn't know yet where I wanted to
put it permanently and I didn't want the mower to
get it. It is now 6 inches tall and has flower buds on it.
This variety is "Dynamite", a brilliant red.

Another shot of "Dynamite" 

Small purple flower on the liriope.

Here are some snapdragons I grew from seed.
I'm hoping they will bloom in the fall.

This morning's little harvest. The melon on the right
is "Charentais". This is the first one I have
been able to bring in the house to eat. I've thrown about 6 out to
the rabbits. The bugs have been getting
them just as soon as they are ripe, but not this one.
I got two little tiny bell peppers - hey it's hot here. I
guess you could call them "bite-size".  I
will mix this okra with yesterdays harvest and cook up
some fried okra tonight.

Waiting

The garden is at a point of "waiting" for the next wave of blooms. The iris finished it's last bloom today. I'm always so sad too see them go and can't believe it will be a whole year until they come again. I do get to view them in the winter (or whenever I'm in the mood) - I have been putting my garden from beginning to end on video since 1997 - it started out as a video journal as to what blooms when, weather cycles and so on. So I view the videos in the winter time when I am longing to be outside. I also receive some insight on where to move things when spring comes. I've already moved some of the iris around according to color (remember I lumped all my iris in one bed when we first moved here in the fall) (you're not suppose to move iris until July-fall, but I've been doing it for years in the spring if I don't like were it was planted). I moved the light purple iris over by the bluish hydrangea. We will see how it likes the new spot by next spring. When the daylilies finally bloom I will be moving them all around the yard also. Dug up another spot for more vegetables and some melons. Planted okra,  melon "Charentais, watermelon "Crimson Sweet" and melon "Muskmelon/Cantaloupe Hale's Best Jumbo". Remember, I'm new to vegetables and fruit - so I may not get anything this year - but I've been reading up like crazy on the subject and learning a lot of what not to do. I am letting two of my grandchildren have their own vegetable/flower plot. The oldest grandchild is 9 and she just picked out the seeds that she wants to put in her space. I just added two new coleus to the flower garden - "Dancing Gypsy" and "Henna". I posted a spring photo of the "Firehouse" Nandina to show how it goes from it's fall color of red to it's current color of a pretty green. The zinnia, red hot poker, lupine, nastursium, columbine, sunflower, coneflower, alyssum, hollyhock, herbs basil, cilantro, and rosemary seeds are all progressing nicely.

"Feature Attraction" iris I moved over by the Nantucket hydrangea

"Dancing Gypsy" coleus

Unknown lily. It came with the property. It really is a striking one.

"Firehouse" Nandina with it's green color

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Added another garden spot for the okra and melons. The grandkids garden spot will be here also.

"Henna" coleus

Lupine seed is coming up

"Mystic Spires" Salvia next to the Shakespeare David Austin rose

"Electric Lime" coleus

Nastursium leaves - I love how they have the white veins running through them - looks like a light shining out of the center.