We've had the house and deck
power washed. Then the patio pavers
were relaid to level it out for chairs.
We've used the deck and patio
several times this summer
social distancing with friends
and family during Covid-19.
The stone walk to the patio
had to be raised to match
the new level of the pavers.
We did it ourselves!
I like the combination of pavers,
local stone, landscape and pea gravel
with the mulched plantings.
The only true fall-blooming plants
are the liriope or lilyturf, a
groundcover near the faucet.
and the Black-eyed Susans.
The marigolds are at their
peak now too.
The annual butterfly weed
is dispersing its seeds
like a milkweed plant.
A neighbor gave me a
hint to increase bloom right now
on the cusp of fall as
the blooms in the garden decrease.
She uses 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts
in a gallon of water and sprays
everything blooming or not.
I tried it and got great results.
The fuchsia in the hanging
basket revived.
The zinnias bloomed
despite the slug damage.
And the balloon flowers
popped up again.
The dahlias in their
pots rebounded too.
I didn't spray the huge
butterfly bush. I haven't
seen many butterflies
recently, but the fat-bottomed
bees are prevalent.
Oh, no! Are we on the cusp of
deck repair now. This bee is also called
carpenter bee because it burrows into
wood structures...
