Monday, August 15, 2011

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 2011

My garden doesn't feel like it is full of blooms but when I walked around with my garden journal making a list of blooms I was surprised to see what all was blooming. It seems there just aren't masses of blooms. Blooms here and there. So here I am going to show a few of them.
Japanese Toad Lily 'Togen'. It is the only Toad Lily Blooming. I think it is because it is by a tree that I am watering to keep alive. This heat and drought is being rough on my garden. 
This is an unnamed clematis that I bought at a sell out at one of the big box stores. I needed a vine to go on an arch. This one wasn't even blooming when I bought it. It was the right price. Luckily it is not one I already have. It has a deeper color than what is in this photo. 
This rascally juvenile male Hummingbird has been working on the Hosta flowers. He is contemplating how to get at the nectar at teh base of the flower since the flower is too big for him to dip into. 
Smart boy poked a hole at the base and sipped the nectar. This is a big reason why I don't replace these old fashioned dark green hostas in my garden. They make a wonderful back drop for other plants and the lily-like blooms are gorgeous and the hummingbirds would be so disappointed. 
This last picture isn't really a bloom as yet. This night blooming cereus has already bloomed a couple other times. You can see the rag-like spent blossom in the background. I have another bud working its way to a blossom. I can't hardly wait. I don't know what has been different this summer other than the incredible heat. Maybe that is what it takes to make it bloom more. Usually it blooms only one time, often with more than one bloom at a time.

So what is blooming in your garden at this time? Anything unusual?? Below you will find a list of all that is blooming in my garden today.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is brought to us by Carol at May Dreams Garden. You can go here to see blooms from all over the world. Thank you Carol for supporting our habit.

Surprise Lilies; Clematis 'Ramona', 'Unnamed' 'Jackmanni'; Hostas; Tall Phlox 'David' 'Robert Poore'
'Blue'; Rudebecia; Geranium; Hydrangea 'Lime Light', 'Nikko Blue', 'Elegant', 'SNowball'; Corydalis; Cyclamen; Lonicera; Datura; Coreopsis; Bronze Fennel; Red Monarda; White CLimbing Rose (1bloom)
Red climbing Rose (2 blooms); Butterfly bush; Toad Lily; Yellow Trumpet Vine; Comfrey; Russian Sage; Curly mint; Lucifer Crocosmia; Beauty Berry shrub (just beginning); Perescaria; Butterfly Weed;Echinacea; Pink Anemone (just starting); Joe Pye Weed; Crepe Hardy Hibiscus; Annuals in pots.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Sunday Safari

 Early this morning the day seemed to be starting out hot as it has been lately. The windows were fogged but I noticed a distinct difference. There was a tiny snail meandering through the moisture on the windows.
I am such a weenie during these heat spells. Unfortunately this entire summer has been a heat spell. So I stayed inside after we got home from our usual Sunday bird outing.
I wasn't alone though. I had several visitors at my window. 
This guy wouldn't hardly take no as an answer to a request for me to come out and play. 
I haven't felt lonesome at all the last few weeks. The poor bedraggled House Wren is busy feeding her second brood outside my window. The poor dear is working her tail feathers off bringing food to the little ones. It won't be much longer and they will be fledging. I can hear them calling for food when I am across the room from them.
I hope you all had a fine weekend. For more Sunday Safari notes go to Sherry's here and over to Cheryl's here.

New Blogger, Old Blogger

     All I can say it is difficult to deal with change. This new Blogger format is not as user friendly in my opinion. I guess I will get us...