Sunday, August 17, 2008

Sunday Stroll - Growing Like Weeds


Self-Sown Beauties
I grew annual trailing red verbena last year in the front garden, but this year opted for pansies and lavender petunias. The verbena came up from seeds from last years plants, and has just started blooming.
The Queen Anne's Lace is blooming amid the mums, which are blooming a bit early this year. How can anyone call it a weed? A wild flower, definitely, but a weed?


I have pulled ragweed, and quack grass, and even some dandelions in the vegetable garden, but I've been leaving the wild mustard. The yellow flowers look cheerful and bright amid the rows of veggies.

Still Blooming
The leaves of many of my early bloomers have browned and withered and I will not see them again until next year. The iris are patches of sturdy leaves with dark pods, and some of the orange daylilies, which have finished blooming, have already been cut back in the first steps of cleaning the garden up for summer's end. The yellow hyperion lilies are still blooming, though only a few buds remain.

Night Beacon has exhausted its buds, but these Autumn Red Daylily are still blooming. Many of the pansies planted in the cool days of early summer are still blooming and colorful.

Final Touch has been blooming for a week or so now, but this is my first picture of it here. This was a bargain bin daylily, purchased for a dollar, that did not bloom the first several years after it was planted. Our patience is rewarded with these lovely flowers.

In the butterfly garden, the balloon flowers are still blooming, though the brilliant orange butterfly weed nearby has gone to seed.

Just Beginning to Bloom

The zinnias at the end of each row of the vegetable garden are in full bloom.








Two little sunflowers came along for the ride when I transplanted some white lilacs given to me by a neighbor. The lilac in this spot did not survive summer's heat, but the petite sunflowers are are thriving in the country sunshine.


photography note: All photos by Aisling, August 17, 2008 These were taken with my daughter's Nikon CoolPix L4. The macro photos have a slightly different quality than my usual close-ups. I'm saving for a new camera, because my old one "gave up."

7 comments:

L'Adelaide said...

So many beautiful colors in your garden...how lucky...mine is mostly shades of blue, green and brown, my favorite! :/

I just bought a little Olympus Stylus 1020, which I really like for my purposes, mainly point and click. It has a great zoom on it and a macro and super macro, so you might like it...it actually has alot of options I haven't begun to learn yet ~ $300 about.

xo

Marcie said...

Linda, I'll have to check that camera out. I'm just beginning to think about it. I would like it to be just a little step up from what I had, since I enjoy photography so much. Because mine was about 5 years old (can't believe it gave out already!), many cameras are available with higher resolution, more features, etc.

I think your garden is very pretty, despite what you consider a limited palette. Just wait until all of those new roses go in!

Everydaywoman said...

Aisling,
What lovely late summer colors you have! I'll be interested, too, to see what you settle on for a new digital camera. I believe it's time I upgraded. I love my little Kodak EasyShare, because it's always in my pocketbook and very portable, but it lacks a powerful flash, which I sometimes need for distance shots. Absolutely love your gardens!
Ruth

Marcie said...

Ruth, Thank you! It has taken years to get my gardens to have 3 season color. I'm still working on the "Winter Interest" concept. Of course, it is all still a work in progress, but I am happy when I get out with my camera and find beauty to photograph in every direction.

Your photos have been very nice, so your camera must do a pretty good job. It is going to be a hard choice when I get ready to buy.

Thanks for visiting, and for strolling along again. :)

Nan said...

Beautiful bargain lily. What a gift. I still have a few daylilies, and they never cease to please me. I'd like to see the scope or span of your land. I can't quite imagine where everything is. There is a filmy, dreamy quality to your photos that I love.

Memaw's memories said...

You make me want to get out and walk, until I realize how hot it is outside.

Your post is very good today.

Marcie said...

Memaw, Thank you very much. It was a bit hot here the past few days too, so I waited until evening today to get out in the garden and plant my new blue spruce. Thank you for visiting! :)