The Backyard: 7/23/15

Annnnd, I'm officially behind again.  As I type this, it's the first of August.  The FIRST of AUGUST.  As we near the end of summer vacation for the kids, I'm finding myself gravitating into that, "oh well", kind of attitude.  I guess if you're gonna be lax about things, summer is the time to do it.

The Dad left Friday morning for his Mancation.  I spent all day today at my sister's house, doing nothing.

Around dinner time, after naming every single restaurant in her 'hood (there are a TON), we ended up digging through her fridge to come up with dinner.  Cheaper and easier with five kids between us.  And it was delicious.  I am, however, still craving fried green tomatoes from Bernie's, somethin' fierce.  I guess I should just make some.

I somehow ended up hauling two extra kids home with me for a sleepover, and they are, at this moment, (9:12 pm to be exact), eating microwave popcorn and watching Night At The Museum.  What better time to sit down and attempt to write a blog post?

We're back up there in the heat department.  The last two days were over 100 and the next few promise more high 90's.  So I haven't been out in the yard much, other than early morning and late evening watering.

It shows.

 There are a few new blooms to share, and the usual pulled back views to show how things are filling in.

The big blue hydrangea, even in this heat, is continuing to bloom and bloom and bloom.

Keeping with the blue theme, the Gentian and Salvia are blooming now.

Here's another one of those Jewels of Opar.

This one was a volunteer that I dug up and moved early this spring.

Again with the limey green leaves, my fave, on the other side of the path is a Phygelius 'Sunshine', that I planted last year.

It's blooming for the first time ever and I love it.

I was told when I bought it at Joy Creek, that the flowers were orange.

I bought it anyway, because I loved the leaves so much.

Lucky me, he wasn't even close to being correct.

A volunteer Cleome came up in The Kid's pot, and I didn't have the heart to yank it.

My cute little Anemonopsis macrophylla is starting to bloom.

The first of the Japanese Anemones has started to bloom.

My lone Liatris bud, that the kids broke off several weeks ago, is blooming in spite of them.

In the same area, the purple Lobelia is blooming, and a no-tag Rudbeckia, that I stuck in the day before our open garden to fill a hole.  :)

The poor PeeGee Hydrangea took a beating in that two-day rain storm we had.

I still haven't dealt with it, so all of the flowers are horizontal, as well as the Bee Balm in front of it.

These photos are prior to the destruction.

To give you an idea of the size of this sucker, the six-foot high fence behind it is in a yard two feet higher than ours.

We have a GIGANTIC bumblebee that comes to visit everyday.

He's a solid three times bigger than a regular bumblebee.  I've tried several times to get pictures of him, that convey his size, but he bobbles around so much that I haven't succeeded.

I've named him Bumbles.

His back is solid yellow, rather than striped, and he LOVES the Bee Balm and one of the Cuphea.

He's like a furry teddy bear and I kinda love him.

The honeysuckle on the arbor post, that I planted three years ago, is finally starting to take off.

It's on round two of blooms this season.

Random deck photos.

I mentioned in the last Driveway Veggie post that we got some hand-me-down chairs.

I rattle canned them with a fresh coat of black paint, and we bought some new cushions.

So now the couch is in the driveway and the four chairs are on the deck.

The two old chairs that went with the couch are now down by the firepit.

Random shot thrown in for good luck.

And last, I got a piece of a Begonia at the spring Blogger Plant Swap, and it has finally taken root and is getting new growth.  

And a flower even!

I don't recall the name, but I'm sure at least one of you will know.

Until next time....