This morning I went out to pick some arugula, and right next to the arugula bed, the four o'clock flowers were still open.  I wish you could see this bush.  It is as tall as I am:  5 feet, and at least as wide.  Not as wide as I am, but 5 feet in diameter!!!  It is huge!!!  It blooms around dark, and the flowers stay open until the sun hits them.

 

This bush is glorious.  Each branch is strong and full of flowers, and I have collected at least 200 seeds.

 

Wanna grow four o'clocks in your garden next year?  Come get the seeds.  These are fabulous.  

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

 

 

Here they are, climbing my tomato cages.  And I love them!!!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Here is another early fall color change for you.  It is the burning bush, Euonymus alatus.  This one is on our walking path, but they are planted all over.  There are a few great huge ones in the Home Depot parking lot in Blairsville, and lots of towns plant them in the median strips on their main roads.  

 

Locate them now, and watch as they change color into fall.  Fabulous bushes!!!

 

 

HAPPY ALMOST FALL!!!

 

I love seeing the Black Gums this time of year.  They are some of the first trees to show fall color.  

 

Notice them now, and watch them for the next few weeks.  You will see them go from sprinkled with red leaves to full blown bright red.  Great trees.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

When I took out the dead dill last month, I sprinkled lots of dill seeds on the ground.  I figured they would hang out until next spring, then come up.  Well, look how lucky I am.  They came up already, and we may have another crop of dill before winter sets in.  Yay!!!  More pickles!!!

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER STILL!!!

 

Today is another special day in our world:  it is Jon's birthday.  

 

And yes, he gets flowers too.  Fireweed!!!  

 

 

HAHAHA!!!!

 

While I was looking for flowers for Julie, I took this picture of the eggplants.  There are tons of new blossoms on every bush.  The leaves are a bit weary, but they are still working to keep the plants producing fruits.  

 

Don't you just love this color?  Me too;  it sorta glows.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Can you believe it?  I am still using this grapevine wreath that we made in 2005.  It's kinda faded, but the shape is still good, and I love it hanging beside our front door.  It greets us with sunshine coming and going.

 

I change the flowers and ribbon with the seasons.  Next addition will be autumn leaves tucked in among the sunflowers.  But not quite yet;  we have a couple more weeks of summer.  

 

Today is a special for us:  it is Julie's birthday.   She needs pretty flowers to start her day, and these are the best looking ones I could find.  

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE SISTER!!!

 

 

 

 

 

I went out to check on my cucumbers yesterday, and when I reached for a dead leaf, I noticed this praying mantis.  I love them!!!  This one was in camo mode:  looking more brown than green.  So I spoke gently, took its picture and moved on around the corner to the other side of the trellis.  THERE!!!  I saw another one!!!

 

If you look closely you can see its buddy on the other side.  That one is upside down.  

 

I can hardly wait to go out this morning, and see if they are still there.  Doubt it, but I can hope, can't I?

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

If you look closely, you can see several cucumbers growing up.  The cucumber vine has grown UP the sunflower stalk!!!  No, really!!!  There are more cucumbers growing up there, out of our reach.  

Jon was able to reach that big one, but he's going to have to take the ladder out there to get the others.  

This is what we commonly refer to as a "first world problem:"  over abundance.  

 

I love my garden.

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!