Surprise!

Look what I found by the garage window

near the Russian sage!

A sunflower I didn't plant

but it looks great there!

Squirrels?

Early August in My Own Garden

Back from vacation, we're still having a wonderful summer with rain, and sun and gentle breezes.  It shows in the garden. It is as full and lush as it has ever been, especially in the past two years during the drought.

Froggie measured 3 inches of rain in the last week!

My neighbor did not have a lot of watering to do

while we were away.

The planters are overflowing.

And some vines are really growing--

now that it's late summer.

Black-eyed Susan Vine

The pansies are actually re-blooming with

the cool evenings, regular watering

and shade under the deck.

But the blooms of the Hellenium or Sneezeweed

shows that we're approaching Autumn.

Prince Edward Island Gardens

On vacation in Atlantic Canada or The Maritimes, we saw beautiful plantings everywhere, but this garden was uniquely spectacular at The Dunes on Brackley Beach.

Surprisingly, they had a vegetable garden

and a hay field on the property.

The water can be seen beyond the hay bales.

The flowers were inter-planted with the vegetables and herbs.

But there were whole beds of blooms too.

Striking colors against the green of the land and the blue of the sky

A pond with water lilies

and shady walkways were a welcome respite from the sun,

but the cool ocean breezes kept the heat away.

A rooftop garden with an infinity pool

to match the water in the distance

and a view of some of the property.

Even the parking lots and the restrooms

were splashed with color.

A true garden of Eden on beautiful PEI!

Thanks, Irena, for the tour of one of your favorite places.

Late Summer Flowers Appear in the Bouquet

In addition to the mid-summer flowers,

I now can stick some Black-eyed Susans

and Butterfly Bush in the ongoing

summer cuttings arrangement.

The Black-eyed Susans are making their way

up through the Daisies which are the last 

of the first blooming.  A second bloom will appear

below the Susans next.

The butterfly bush is attracting Painted Lady butterflies.

Also many hummingbird or hawk moths

And the stunning Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

Outside, that is!