Happy Summer!

Happy Summer! Or should I say happy sizzling summer? It's been in the 90s, and we're in a severe drought. I've been trying to water the bare minimum, and I fear our water bill will be expensive because the rain barrels are not re-filling. But I've been watering my strawberries. Despite two droughts and being trampled by foxes, I'm enjoying homegrown strawberries. I did have a few moments of wondering if they are worth all the work, including making sure the netting doesn't blow away, but when I'm eating those berries, the answer is yes! 

Below is a native coreopsis. The hybrid has finished blooming.

The first of the daisies I planted from seed are blooming. 

Yesterday I trimmed off the garlic scapes. This is the "before" photo below. See the curl at the top of the plants?  I'll use them to make a garlic spray. 

The hibiscus I trimmed back in April is bloomed yesterday (below). I'm glad I trimmed it back earlier as it seems to take two months to recover.

The lemon thyme blooms later than the regular thyme, but it could be location...one is in the front, one in the back of the house.

I've been making sure the shrubs get an inch a week (below). Yes, the grass looks dead. 

Below is a view of the vegetable garden with the strawberries in the upper left and weeds scattered throughout. 

I took a photo of the deck after our rain on Sunday (below). The geraniums look healthy and lush. 

Below is a bee flying over blanket flower.

The clearance elderberry survived and has two flower, which are quite pretty. I'll trim them off so the energy goes to the roots instead of berries.

I believe this is a swallowtail caterpillar below.

The prairie smoke below has earned its name.

This may be the only flower I get on the rose (below) because the foxes trampled it, and I haven't been picking off the caterpillars because it's been too hot. This is another one of those plants that I wonder if it's worth the work...but then I see the flowers.

The photo below is from June 10th, a nice mix of chives, Siberian iris, dianthus, native phlox, and lupine foliage. 

End of May, Beginning of June

We've got lots to catch up on! Above is dianthus and native lupine (close up below, May photo). The lupine looks  less lively today after our above average heat. 

Below is the rose (photo today) I planted with the bee grant, and it's the first time it has bloomed, probably because there are fewer rabbits. It's not looking so great overall, so I may be mowing it down. I'll give it another month and see how it does.

The first daisies (below, photo yesterday) are blooming. Officially they're zone 5 but so far they've survived, perhaps because they get enough snow cover.

The highbush cranberry/viburnum has finished blooming, but the photo below (May) shows how pretty it was. the heat took its toll on the flowers, but the foliage looks okay. 

The Bloomerang lilac survived (below, May). I'll trim some dead wood, and I think it'll need the burlap again this winter. 

I planted three pots, placed with chairs for effect (below). The shade loving plants include Orange Beacon impatiens, Cora Red vinca, Rainbow mix coleus, and self-started alyssum. The chairs are old, so I'm calling them vintage. (I did buy them new, so that gives you an idea how old I might be...but I'll never tell!) The chokeberries are blooming in this photo, though they are done now.

I grew up calling them chokecherries (below, May). 

The grape hyacinth (below, May) did really well, and I thought they may not have made it earlier. I'm hoping they naturalize.

Below are chicken feathers. Yes, chickens. The foxes are still problematic. I'll spare you the graphic images, but I suspect they have eaten three chickens, at least, along with other wildlife. They have gotten into my garden even with a fence and have broken off plant parts in every part of my yard, though they tend to avoid the street side. One person's theory is that a human is feeding them because they don't seem so scared of us. I did see one with what looked like a piece of bread in its mouth, but that could be from the garbage. They seem to dislike netting, so that has helped a bit. I continue to sprinkle cayenne everywhere and keep containers of vinegar in strategic spots. I don't know if that helps. Maybe? Or maybe they're getting bigger and moving away from the den. I can hope.