Monday, June 11, 2018

Miscellaneous Monday

I am happy to report we have received a good share of  Miracle Moisture that I have been complaining about not having. I won't mind a bit of some of those 25% and 45% predictions of more Miracle Moisture show up.
The garden has certainly responded. It is such fun to find perky plants instead of droopy dull plants in the garden. Just step through this path off the patio and I will show you some other miscellany.
This flower bed has a bit of color in it now.  The first daylilies, a tall lily and a oak leaf hydrangea blooming up a storm. The blooms are small this year but it is good to see them. You can embiggin the photos if you want a close up look.
We have a tulip poplar that popped up at the edge of a flower bed. We have been trying to get one to grow out in the side lot for several year. We haven't had any luck. This I think of as a gift. Maybe I will leave it here since this is where it chose to live. 
Annie seems to be inspecting the Nikko Blue hydrangeas. Do you notice anything odd about this picture? These shrubs are normally several inches taller by this time of the year.  It seems a lot of plants are struggling this spring.
The Miracle Moisture also brought out jelly fungus.
It turned the white fungus that was growing on the rock below black, yuck.
The Miracle Moisture also brought out other creatures. This garter snake was keeping an eye on me.
It was a pretty bright color. Look how wide her mid section is. It is either pregnant or it had been eating something yummy. 
This past weekend I bought a few native plants that the Knox County Invasive Species Control Association was selling at the Farmers Market. This vine, Yellow Passionflower Pssiflora lutea, will hopefully climb up a pole it is planted beside. Will I be sorry about this? We will see. I also bought a Woolly Pipevine aristolochia tomiatosa, Foxglove beard tongue, Butterfly weed to add to what I have already. 
Speaking of butterflies. I had a Red Admiral  and this Eastern Tailed Blue Butterfly in between showers. Neither would hardly sit still for a portrait.
Lastly but not least we finally got a new top for our gazebo. It is so pleasant to be able to sit out in the early morning or late evening and not be eaten alive by mosquitoes. 
How is your garden getting on now? I hope you have had enough of the Miracle Moisture to keep things blooming.

30 comments:

  1. Glad you got the needed 'miracle moisture' ~ and what cute critters you have in your garden ~ love the doggie and what a great shot of garden snake ~ and neat other photos too!

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  2. Would you belive I am finally seeing a couple of Hellebores making an appearance!

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    1. Oh my gosh Linda. This seems very late. I am glad they survived for you.

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  3. Rain impacts the garden like nothing else and I'm glad you got some. I'd be ecstatic to get some miracle moisture myself but that's improbable to say the least in my part of the country. We've been getting a some "June Gloom" and I'm thankful for that as it keeps our temperatures down. If we're really lucky, a tropical thunderstorm might stray our way in late summer. I can dream...In the meantime, no one's shut off the irrigation (yet).

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    1. You do live in a dry part of the country Kris. I need some gardening tips from you. Here it seems it is feast or famine as to moisture. I will take the feast now as we need it in this part of the country.

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  4. I'm happy that you got some miracle moisture. Perky plants and lots of fascinating life in your garden. Hooray for a new gazebo top so you can be out there enjoying it all!

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  5. Fun to have a water gauge ~ hope you are getting the rain you need.

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  6. Wow! A snake in your garden?That is something I have never seen ( luckily) But I can use some of this miracle moisture as well. The soil is dry after the sunny weather of the past week. Groetjes,
    Hetty

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    1. Hi Hetty. This little snake is not harmful. It actually eats a lot of the snails etc in the garden. I am always glad to see it around.

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  8. I'm happy that you finally got rain. We really are at the mercy of the weather! We seem to be seeing lots of garter snakes this year.....no complaints, just a curious thing. Enjoy your gazebo!

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    1. Hi Sally, this garter seems to be the only one I have seen and she is fat.

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  9. Dear Lisa,
    your garden seems to be doing fine! Everything looks lush green. At this time of the year I have to water a lot as the lawn and also some plants turn yellow otherwise. We too had some rain today and as you I am happy about it as it has been rather dry and the plants are in need of water. As always, I am amazed by the wildlife in your garden. Regarding your hydrangeas, mine are also rather small this year. I have several in very large containers and they have been doing very well for years now. This year they hardly grow. I think it is due to the mild and then suddenly very cold winter we had in Vienna this year.
    Best wishes,
    Lisa

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    1. Hi Lisa, yes, I think this crazy weather has done all sorts of odd things to the plants in the garden. I just hope they all survive.

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  10. What a beautiful snake! Happy you got rain. I wish we had some here. It feels like it's been forever since we've had significant rain at the house.

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  11. That is the way I was feeling before all this glorious rain Rebecca. It is now supposed to get hot enough to make us feel like boiled lobsters now. Summer is coming barreling in.

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  12. Hello Lisa girl ! Sorry I haven't been in a while .. life keeps getting in the way ? .. I had to really look at that baby Tulip poplar .. so an unusual leaf (ok .. I have to admit it .. I thought it was a weed before I read your commentary .. LOL) but yes! it is a gift and it wants to live there !
    I'm happy for you that you have gotten the miracle moisture .. hopefully it will keep up with a regular appearance there !
    My garden is doing well considering the losses .. I just have to keep up with it MORE .. haha

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    1. Hi Joy, it seems like this time of year we can't be in the garden enough. With this marvelous rain came the weeds, in scary quantities. Do take care and not overdo.

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  13. Beautiful snake Lisa.
    Poppi and her Mum are terrified of snakes.
    I never tell them I have grass snakes in the garden, I think they may not visit if I did :))

    We havn't had rain for a while but it is so dull here.
    We have the occasional burst of sunshine but mostly it is grey skies. Don't get me wrong I do not want a heatwave but I would love to see the blue sky more often:)

    Dear Annie, she is such a majestic dog.

    Your garden looks good Lisa. It has been a strange year for weather. My garden is as confused as I am.

    Have a good weekend my friend.

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    1. Hi Cheryl, It is amazing what a shot of sunshine will do for the spirits. Sunshine we have had a plenty but up until a few days ago rain was not in the forecast. Luckily we are about caught up with rain. Everything looks happier.
      I hope you have a great weekend filled with sunshine.

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  14. I am happy for you that you got some needed rain! Perky is so much prettier than droopy.

    My favorite photo is of Annie inspecting plants. I love her tail, it's like a question mark.

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  15. I love to see other gardens, and the snakes of those gardens also kkk.
    When we arrived at the place we looked under the bed .... k
    Good continuation of the week
    janicce.

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  16. Wow - great picture of the Eastern Tailed Blue - I have never seen one of those. We've been having plenty of rain and plenty of clouds - I'm beginning to miss the sun.

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  17. So glad yo got your miracle moisture. It's amazing what a little rain can do for a garden and the critters in it! Your garden is looking lush, and I also love that close up you got of the snake!

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  18. Hi Lisa, everything started out very slow here too, and we got a little rain last week to perk things up. You can water and water, and it won't do much until you have rain. Irrigation just keeps things alive it seems.

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  19. Great photos of the snake--I'd much rather see your photos than see one visiting my garden:) We had plenty of rain last weekend--5 inches!--but the heat is drying out the pots very quickly. More rain in the forecast for the coming week, so maybe I won't have to water as much.

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  20. Thanks for coming by and commenting and hope your garden is doing well ~ and you also ~ ^_^

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  21. We've had loads of rain this year so far! No complaints, except for when the basement flooded a bit but even that was minor and survivable. I think your garden looks great!

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  22. Thanks for visiting again and commenting ~ Happy Sunday to you ^_^

    Happy Week ahead to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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