Well, not a lot to add for this Bloom Day.  It’s been hot and dry for June and July but we finally got some rain last week.  I thought it was worth mentioning the Rose of Sharon above because these shrubs represent some of least difficult and always rewarding summer shrubs.  That particular plant is a chance seedling from a plant that I brought up from Alexandria almost fifty years ago.  It spread so rampantly that I took many of the progeny out, but I’ve saved this one in the front yard and I’m increasingly becoming a fan again.

Another worthwhile mention for summer flowering are the Crepe Myrtles.  They are flowering everywhere in our area including two big ones in our yard.  On the hillside last year I put in a new one that I thought we might have lost to the dryness, but, lo and behold, it is not only growing but looks to have a very dark flower which would be special.

I also noticed one of my favorite glads “Margaret Rose” and it came from one of the small offsets from it’s parent bulb.

 

In the yard we have a new lily that was a mother’s day present to Beth this year.  The color is beautiful but it’s very thin branched and wants to bend down.  I’m hoping it’s stronger next year.  This is a second planting because the deer ate off the first planting in the center bed of the front yard.

In that bed in the center of the front yard there is a nice yellow daylily that is evidence the deer don’t care for daylilies.

I should mention the front yard also has a cute little Lobelia in both blue and white versions.

For the rest of the garden and yard things are pretty much as normal.  Lot’s of Zinnias and other annuals.  This Cestrum continues to flower and I wonder why I don’t see more of them around town.

There is in the woods a strange little Hosta that I bought by mistake this year (thinking I was picking up a Trillium).  It has survived our ultra-dry weather and is now putting out very nice flowers

Let me close by noting that we are busy picking fruit at this time of year.  Things seem to be early because of the hot weather.  Usually we have the wasps eating the pears and telling us they are ripe but this year the crows got in on the act with no wasps in sight.

I also discovered the figs are both abundant and ripe.

It makes for wonderful lunchtime sandwiches