Today's Garden Views

As I was photographing I could see grasshoppers coming at me
left and right! I'm being invaded! This
beautiful daylily is Orange Vols.

The red daylily is Red Volunteer

Princeton Point Lace

Star Struck

Solar Fire Tomato

Sadly, most of the tomato plants in this bed have
a virus and this is probably the only
crop I will get. I do have
several plants planted among some of the flowers
and in another bed and they
seem to be doing okay, so far!

Russian Rhapsody

Navajo Princess

Blooming Now and Paper Butterfly Daylily

We had a really good rain. More shots of
the lovely Barbara Mitchell daylily.

Navajo Princess daylily after the rain.

Paper Butterfly daylily just opened today.  This is another one I
moved last summer to the shade garden. I thought it would
good with the fern behind it.

Warrior Prince daylily. I moved this one to the
sunny area where I have a red, orange and yellow
flower theme. This one doesn't fade much
from the hot sun. 

This is Echinacea (coneflower) that I planted from
seed last year. I love how the unopened flower looks
in this photo.

Russian Rhapsody daylily color is even more
enhanced on a cloudy day.

Barbara Mitchell Daylily

Barbara Mitchell daylily. I moved this over to the
shade garden last summer. I have mostly
pastels over here.  I think the pink
daylily's, in the Texas heat,
 keep their color better with some shade.

I just love the green throat and the lines of a darker
shade of pink on this variety.

When I first moved to this home in the Fall of 2010, all the
plants I brought with me were  just
lumped together  because the flower beds were
not dug or prepared. That is why I'm always talking about
having moved a plant here and there. This is the
new spot for the Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia uvaria).
It really looks like it is glowing red hot. The hummingbirds
like this plant.

Day 2 for Russian Rhapsody dayily.

Russian Rhapsody Daylily

Russian Rhapsody daylily bloomed today. It is
very early compared to it's bloom time
last year which was in the middle of June.
 Navajo Princess daylily is in the background
along with continuous blooming Evolution Salvia.

Winter Sowing update - this is some of the lettuce that was
started in January - Little Gem and Salad Bowl. 

Winter sown beets are coming along as well
as green beans.

My hydrangea was blue last year. So I
guess I will try adding some aluminum sulfate
to the soil. The pink is very
pretty though.

I usually get hosta flowers in June, so I guess everything
is a little early this year.  I transplanted this one
to this spot last summer along with the ferns and purple
oxalis and ajuga.

My new grand-kittie is trying to get the
baby birds out of the round bird house.  

I see you "Buddy" trying to sneak a baby bird.

Summer Has Arrived Early

I think summer has arrived early. The temperature has been between 95-100 degrees daily for the past couple of weeks. I may start posting less and less as the heat takes it toll on the garden. I usually go out and work in the garden around 7 a.m. and try to finish up by 9 a.m. It is just too hot to be outdoors much, unless you have a swimming pool. It is sad to see all the beautiful blooms melt by afternoon. I will try next year to incorporate a larger variety of drought tolerant plants.  I have been planning ahead for fall already - digging more flower beds and trying to decide where to put new shrubs and trees that will be purchased in the fall. I moved one of the Junipers to an area along side the fence by our gate. My aunt gave me a daylily from her garden about 20 years ago. I call it a "wild" daylily and named it "Ella" after her. This particular one multiplies like crazy and can withstand the heat. I am planning on planting a whole row of these along the outside fence along the road. They look beautiful in large masses. My husband picked our first tomato this morning. Delicious! I think it was "Celebrity" variety. The tomato plants have gotten SO large and couldn't find the tag under it.

These are so beautiful in the morning I just can't walk by them without
snapping a photo. "Janice Brown" daylily

One of the zinnia beds left side of photo. This one will have purple
and lime green zinnias.

The same goes for "Navajo Princess" daylily- so beautiful in the morning.

"Abraham Darby" David Austin rose with the Evolution Salvia.

Big Blush sunflower

Beautiful Queen Elizabeth grandiflora rose with daylilies.

A turtle visited the garden.

Juniper in another new spot.

Area outside fence that I will plant the row of "Ella" daylilies.

"Ella" daylily

"Orange Vols" daylily

"Chamonix" daylily. The color on the petals I think has been attacked
by thrips

Golden Prize daylily

Russian Rhapsody

Another shot of "Ella" daylily