The Second Week Of July In The Backyard

I let ya off easy with the last yard updates.  This one is gonna be photo heavy.

Can we start with the most amazing white Dahlia in the land?  I'm sure you remember it from last year.  I think I posted weekly photos of it.  :)

As of this morning, it has three open flowers and it's still solid buds.

Love, love, and love.

My photos don't really show how big the flowers are.

I shoulda stuck my foot up there.

Those suckers are huuuuuge.

In amazingly beautiful flower news, let's take a look at the blue Hydrangea, shall we?

I love all the different color stages.

I have one in a vase right in front of me as I type, and it's solid dark blue.

And beyond beautiful.

Swoon.

The one my neighbor gave me last year is in the first stages of blooming, too.

I'm generally not a two-toned flower girl, but I love this thing.

Did ya see the visitor?

Annnnd, speaking of love, why, pray tell, have I not grown these in so long?!

I used to plant Cleome every year.

And then I didn't.

????

These are Royal Queen Mix and so far, out of six plants,  I have one light pink and one white.

The Rudbeckia that I divided from the parking strip this spring is blooming.

The unofficial flower of summer, Zinnias.

I planted a couple tray packs of different ones and these are the 'State Fair Mix.'

Just one flower on each of two plants so far.

Right next to them, a perennial Lobelia (Cardinal Flower) that I just planted this year is blooming.

This one is Lobelia speciosa, 'Fan Blue.'

I'd say it should have been called 'Fan Purple', but that's okay.

(Update: I don't have proof of the culprit, but I'm guessing The Dog broke it off clean to the ground, looking for a cool place to lay.  Grrrrr.)

Here are some shots of that whole area.

The geese are a walkin'.

White Loosestrife.

The yellow, peeking out in the above photos, is Loosestrife, as well.

The rose that just keeps bloomin'.

I put two Black-Eyed Susan vines in this pot, but only one is blooming so far.

This one is Thunbergia 'African Sunset' and the the other one is 'Raspberry Smoothie.'

Can we just take a moment of silence for the PeeGee Hydrangea?

Down in the dirt, where it gets absolutely no sun anymore, the Alstromeria that I've had since I was 20, is blooming in spite of itself.

All but a couple Hostas are done blooming.

This one is on its way out and the white one will be by the end of the day.

The Wild Impatiens are just starting to bloom.

I've pinned the real name of this from you, Grace, but I'm too lazy to look it up.

I've also heard it called Poor Man's Orchid.

Here are some shots of the fire pit area.

The Clematis on the arbor is blooming again, up high this time.

One of the little guys in my planted birdbath is blooming.

The Candytuft seeds I threw in pots are blooming.

Here are some shots of the shady corner.

The big planter on the deck has filled in a lot.

It has 'Purple Dragon Coleus', 'Landmark Rose Glow' Lantana, 'Vanilla' Marigolds, purple Verbena, and some Alyssum and variegated Sweet Potato Vine that are getting buried.

My new Graptovera Debbie succulent has grown a lot.

Here's a shot of the wine bottle path from the deck.

The Petunia in those two big pots is sooooo pretty.

You can't tell from that picture, but the leaves are variegated green and cream.

Love, love.

I'll look for it again next year.

It's called Surfinia Variegated Baby Purple, although, the flowers are more of a fuchsia color.
I suppose they do fade to more of a purple color.

You can see it better in this picture.

Check out Baby's pot.

Talk about growing a lot, you can't even see the pot anymore.

The white Cosmos are starting to bloom and, of course, more Morning Glory.

At the far end of this bed is where my Salvia patens 'Cobalt' came back.

I love this plant.

Look at all those seeds I should be collecting!

Here's a shot of that whole bed.
It still looks a little wiley this year.
I had mentioned last year that I wanted to get most of my veggies out of it, which I did.
But I still need more established perennials and some bolder statement plants to calm it down a bit.
One more thing to add to next year's to-do list.  :)

And finally, heading over to the south side of the house, here are a couple shots of the Butterfly Bush, and the 'Sunset' Clematis is blooming again.

And last, I put in a piece of my Echinacea, that I've had for yeeeeeaaaars, over there.

Same one I stuck a piece of down the in the parking strip that's doing nothing.

Clearly it likes this home better.

This one is called 'Magnus.'

You've officially made it to the end of the post.

Shameless plug alert:  

Just a little reminder that you can purchase my floral photographs in my Etsy shop.

If you see one in a post that isn't in the shop, shoot me an email and I'll list it for ya.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RindyMae

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