Deadheading Day Lilies and Daisies

August begins tomorrow, and this week I've been busy deadheading daisies and day lilies.  The rest of the garden has the look and scent of autumn as spring bloomers die back and leaves turn to brown tissue.  Even the leaves of the lilies are tissue brown at the crown on ground level as the blooms explode daily high above. The daisies have new buds down the stem 12 inches or so and the leaves look green and supple.  The dead flower heads darken and dull the "fresh as a daisy" effect of the clumps.  To face the heat and humidity of August, we want to be as cool as possible!  So, it's important to get out there and deadhead those old blooms.

The deadheaded blooms on the day lilies leave a small scar on the stems which will be covered up by the new buds one day soon.  And in a week or two with the heat of August, the whole stem will need to be cut back as the blooms cease and the season for day lilies passes.

I worked at deadheading in my garden, my two neighbors' gardens, my daughter's border, the community clubhouse and the town gazebo with a fellow garden club member. It has been cool in the evenings and early mornings.  A hint of autumn that the flowers must sense also even though we face the two hottest weeks of summer as early August approaches.  Not a time to plant or prune!

The hydrangea blooms are spotty this year. Some hydrangea bushes with little sun have not bloomed at all this summer.  My 'Endless Summer' looks fine, but it has a whole day of sun to bring on the blooms.  My neighbor's in full sun has the most gorgeous color but only one bloom.  This one bloom of hers makes my multiple blooms pale in comparison. They were pictured here on the blog earlier in the season.

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My blooms ( a dozen)

Bonnie's single bloom

My 'Limelight' hydrangea looks great and is blooming right on time as it blooms later in the season than the blue hydrangeas.

But the "Queen" of my garden right now is a Cleome that has self-seeded and grown right through the slats of my iron garden bench.  It's color is so deep compared to the others that are struggling closer to the house in the shade.  It still had a visitor (lower right) after 7 p.m. this evening.

Each plant has its time to shine!

And a gardener can sometimes help it along with some TLC like deadheading.

And other times, we just have to enjoy Mother Nature as she is.

Garden Moments in Jessica's Garden

I think I like the first one best.

The ripples take center stage!

I like the contrast in textures between the Japanese Maple

in the foreground 

and the vertical trunks and horizontal branches of the pines

in the background.

The light bench in the dark center incorporates both forms.

An evening at Jessica's Garden for ice cream 

and a moment to sit near the fish pond and enjoy the environment

is definitely a summer treat.

Now This is Summer!

The temperatures have been in the 80's with sunshine and mild breezes.  Until today, the humidity has been low.  The moon was full last night.  The garden is at its prime for the season.

The False Indigo or Baptisia is forming pods that are drooping,

while the Liatris or Blazing Star is forming blooms and rising up.

The butterfly bush or Buddleia is budding even though I cut it back severely in the spring.

The Blanket Flower or Gallardia are spreading in their third year in the garden.

A single Coneflower or Echinacea spreads its petals.

I divided the Black-eyed Susan or Rudbeckia also seeks the sun.

A blue balloon flower or Platycodon spreads its umbrella.

The lilies are resplendent in their colors and petals with ruffles.

It's just a great time of year to sit on the patio and enjoy the garden and summer.

Battling Aphids and Arthur

The aphids came first on the hibiscus in the planter on the deck.

And then invaded the Mandeville vine near the hummingbird feeder.

I sprayed them with Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew with not much success.

It's organic and would kill the aphids for two days, but they would return on the third day

and the plant would fail to bloom again.  The hummers would not use the feeder near the vine 

and the birds seemed to stay off the rails of the deck.

I need to find something better or get rid of these plants!

They are double trouble with their pests and the way they deter my favorite visitors.

Then Arthur came up the Atlantic seaboard and missed us with a direct hit, but

drenched us with humidity and winds and some rain to begin the 

Fourth of July weekend.

The grass was like sandpaper in texture and color, but the rain 

brought the grass back to a soft, green carpet again.

The garden looks fresh again with the new buds and blooms of mid-summer:

The sunflower is free of pests--for the time being!

The hydrangea is starting to bloom but may need a soil acidifier to brighten the blue.

I really like this delicate blue that develops from a cream and greenish center.

The fairy wings Epimedium is growing well behind the garden bench.

Its delicately colored petals look ready to take off.

I appreciate that some plants have found the right spot in the garden to fend for themselves.

The hollyhocks are budding and blooming.

They don't seem to have the rust I've found in previous years.

It's still early in the gardening year.  I'm sure the rust will appear.

I am not going to fight it this year.  Aphids and Arthur have taken the fight out of me!

High Summer

This evening is cloudy and breezy but I took a walk down below the cliff to see the wildflowers in bloom.  Here are some photographic impressions of what I found.

Foxglove or Digitalis

A summer-blooming shrub I like but can't identify.

It reminds me of fireworks.

Sweet William or Dianthus

It seems to have the same "traps" as the laurels!

Mountain Laurel or Kalmia

Coreopsis and White Yarrow

Three impressionistic versions of the wildflowers.

It's definitely high summer in the meadow below the cliff behind my house.

First Day of Summer 2014

And it was beautiful all through the weekend!  Clear, cool, sunny, blue skies, white and puffy clouds--a perfect summer combination.  The garden looked great too.  And family and friends were here to enjoy it.

The last of the peonies left after the rain earlier in the week.

The poppies still have a few blooms left.

The roses look great after a slow start and some All in One solution!

The shade garden is looking good. 

Hostas are ready to bloom and the Astilbes are blooming.

And the planters are starting to fill out.

Love this combination in a tall planter on the patio.

Flag Day 2014

The rain had stopped and we are drying out a bit. At least enough for the flags to fly.