Oh yeah, here's the basil.  I have to go out there really early, before the sun gets on it.  And I take a container of water with me, because if I don't put it in water immediately, it is wilty by the time I get back to the house.  

 

And, I needed it to stay fresh all day;  which it did.  Yay!!!

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

 

I went out to the garden to cut some basil for our dinner project, and everything was so pretty!!!  Look, there's dew on all the leaves, and well, you can't hear it, but it was so still and quiet.  

 

The Jalepeno peppers are absolutely loaded.  I only planted three plants, but there are going to be at least a hundred peppers.  I have no idea who is going to eat them all, but they sure are pretty.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is my neighbors' Crape Myrtle.  This color is definitely my favorite.  Mr. Bridges preferred Natchez, the white one, probably because it is mildew-resistant and works so well in landscaping.  But I love this lavender one, because, well, it's  lavender.  We see the lavender ones all along Interstate 40 in mass plantings, and they are gorgeous.

 

Have you ever heard Crape Myrtles called "the tree of a hundred days?"  Well, I have searched and I can't find my reference for it, but I have.  It blooms from July into September, and if you can prune off the old blooms before they go to seed, they will re-bloom.  What a gorgeous tree/shrub.  I hope you get to see them in your travels.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

Look at this beautiful butternut squash, next to a squash blossom.  Next cage over is swamped with morning glory.  Anyway...

 

As you can see, this squash isn't anywhere near maturity:  it's still green.  Each one takes about 90 days to mature, and at the end it turns a gorgeous shade of pink.  In the meantime, I get to watch them grow from tiny babies into these 1-3 pound beauties.  There are about 20 in some stage of growth, and I love checking on them every day.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!! 

 

Oh, yes, the Morning Glories:  another "weed" in my garden.  

 

I know better, but I don't care.  I love the morning glories when they bloom, so I let them grow up the tomato cages along with the butternut squashes.  

 

What are a few weeds among friends?

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

It may look a bit weedy, but this is Downy Scullcap, Scutellaria incana, and it is a native wildflower in the mint family.  

 

We saw it the other day in the park.  When I looked it up in my wildflower book, I learned that this one is very typical:  blooming mid-summer, in a shady woodland setting.  

 

I hope you notice flowers on your daily walks.  There is always something interesting in bloom.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

I know I shouldn't, but every year I let them grow.  I don't let them ALL stay, because the vines can take over the tomato cages, the pathways, the fence, the yard, and yes, the world!!!  But I love these flowers so much, I let some stay.  

 

As you can see, the leaves are kinda chewed up, but that's ok:  I'm not looking at the leaves.  I only see the flowers.  Maybe that's why it's called Passionflower:  we love the flowers with a passion.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING !!!

 

 

 

 

Here is my Arugula planting #3 for this year.  I haven't been leaving it long enough to mature and make its own seeds.  I just take it out when it starts getting ugly.  Then clear the bed and sow new seeds.  

 

I buy arugula seeds by the pound!!!  No really.  I bought a pound of arugula seeds for sprouting from Amazon back in 2023, and I just ran out this summer.  Got another pound.  

 

Have I told you that we love arugula?  Yep, it's true.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I thought you might like to see what's happening with the green beans.  They are loving all the recent rain.

 

In the front of this picture you can see the full grown rattlesnake beans.  Toward the back, to the right, you can also see a fading flower and to the left of it, a tiny bean.  It will be ready to pick in a couple days.  

 

It is so exciting to go out every day and see something new growing.  

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

 

 

When we got to the park the other day, this is what we saw!!  I have always heard them referred to as "fairy rings."  

 

A fairy ring is a naturally occurring arc of mushrooms.  My understanding is that they spring up from old tree stumps.  The mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the fungi that are working to decompose the old tree, and they just keep getting wider and wider as the fungi grow.  However, when I looked up Fairy Ring in Wikipedia:  it mentioned the fungi and its growth over time, but said nothing about tree trunks or stumps.  It did go on and on about legends and myths associated with fairy rings.  

 

I like my description better, because it makes perfect sense.  You can borrow it if you like.  

 

OK, when I put the Seek app on one of the mushrooms, it came up with a description that included the words:  vomit and gastric distress.  OK, that's all I needed to see.  Step away from the mushrooms, don't even touch them.  Good to know.

 

I hope you get to see a fairy ring sometime, and have to explain it to your grandchildren or somebody.  You will remember my story.  Or go look it up yourself and make heads or tails of THAT.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!