Monday

Did some shopping earlier then home to plant some vegetables. Ordered them and hand delivered. Was concerned about how some look and know they won't make it. Later notified by company that some were damaged from over watering of their sprinkler system. Glad they spoke up and will probably send more plant starts. Today I planted Swiss chard, carrots, beets, collard greens, kale, sage, thyme, and dill. I'm taking a change with not a lot of sun but soon the canopy of trees will have falling leaves. It's recommended that carrots and beets be direct sown. I took a chance. 

My elephant ear is lovely this summer. Until frost and it goes dormant. Then back to the basement until spring.

Oak leaf hydrangea purchased yesterday. Doesn't look pretty but I think I've found a hydrangea that'll survive in the yard. Planted another earlier in the summer and it's doing well planted in the ground. 

Thyme, sage, chives, and dill.

Sage and my 3rd year chives. I need to cut and add them to some salad.

Thyme

When will the cardinal flower be planted? Learned that impatiens love water. They've been sitting in a tray of rain water for months due to no holes in the tray. They've thrived and bloomed the whole time. I now know how much cardinal flower loves water and neither have rotted. Maybe I shouldn't buy anymore cardinal flower. It may end up like the ligularia planted earlier this summer until it went to sleep. Hopefully it's sleeping due to heat and lack of water.

Insects are suddenly hungry and have started eating the native ginger and hosta. I may let them continue. As always I didn't water like I'd hoped to and many perennials went to sleep before they should have. Hopefully they'll return in the spring before the tree canopy leafs out. I'm working on a rain barrow for the yard. That should help. I may mulch the beds, clean up perennials like phlox that has powdery mildew, and some lilies that were damaged in a storm and didn't bloom. Trying not to mulch though until the leaves fall. This year I'm planning on shredding the leaves and placing them in the flower bed to add organic matter to the soil.

Not the best pictures today. Need to rake the yard and pick up fallen twigs from the trees that fell during the storm a couple of weeks ago.

Covered to hopefully protect the veggies from the cabbage butter fly and carrot fly.

Couldn't work out in the yard without this for mosquitoes.

Different variety of sunflower opened. It's taller and a pretty girl. What a beautiful pose. Just for me.

Jenny continues to grow.

Gloriosa liliy continues to bloom beautifully.

Sunflowers are so beautiful. The blooms have drawn tons of different bees and birds this summer. I've seen a few butterflies but not as many as hoped for. Can be missing them because when I see them they're usually flying away.

Finches and Plant Delivery

Finally after waiting patiently to see what birds were eating my sunflower heads, today was the day. I heard chirping when I went outside on the sun porch. Eating and plucking shells, were 2 finches. One bright yellow and black, and another muted colored. The first time I've seen a male and female. The picture isn't the best as it was taken through the porch window. Also received my plant ordered in July from Planterina. The only size available was small so I ordered it. Made the mistake of not buying a large one earlier this year at Home Depot. Of course it wasn't there when I went back. This one is small a single plant. Maybe that's the charm and I be able to see it grow into a large plant. That's funny because for me they're slow growers. The most important part I've learned to keep them alive in my house is not watering them often. I've killed a few this way. Now I water maybe every 3 weeks to a month. Decreased watering has not helped mine grow faster. Until I see another one in the nursery, I'll be happy with this one.

Can you see him (lower right). Sorry for poor picture quality taken through the window.

                                 Aglaonema 'Wintery Winehouse'

Single plant but healthy and lots of new growth opening.

Ordering

With seeds being in short supply due to everyone gardening during the pandemic, I ordered some seeds early for next season. Seeds came from Renee's Garden, Botanical Interests, and Johnny's Seeds. Still have to order coleus which I'll start indoors during winter. The others all are for direct sowing. I ordered bulbs already in the spring from Colorblends, Dutchgrown, and Johnny's. I've never ordered bulbs from Dutchgrown a company in a county outside Philadelphia, or Johnny's. Haven't been to the plant nursery since last winter and probably won't until corona virus is under control. So won't be buying more like I usually do. Hard to resist when I see them in the store.

My zinnias haven't done well yet this summer. The first ones started indoors and transplanted outdoors died in a late frost. I direct sowed more but so far only 1 bloom. It may be due to the crowding in the flower bed. Next year I leave a patch only for them. If I can. After a long winter when plants start arriving I forget and want what I want.

Didn't realize I'd bought 2 sets of dwarf ones. May sow some in containers now for fall blooms. I ordered multiple packs of each.

Nasturtiums I sowed this season did well and had beautiful blooms. Hopefully they'll bloom until fall.

I've grown the foxgloves before. This will be the first time for hollyhocks although they won't bloom until the year after sown. Won't start but a few because you've seen my tiny flower bed.
But my sister has lots of room in her garden and I'll take the extras there.

Four types of sunflower seeds including white and chocolate. Planted some of the chocolate ones already for fall. Hope they make it. That color would be beautiful in Autumn. They take 60-75 days until bloom.

Collards were supposed to be for now to sow in my sisters garden along with the red carrot seeds. Have to get them started. Borage for next summer and Camelot Foxgloves that are supposed to bloom the first year so they'll wait until winter or spring to start indoors.

Tried to get sunflowers that branch out like I have now. One plants has more than 12 big sunflowers in bloom with more forming.

Sunflower Views

Summer belongs to sunflowers and zinnias.

Bird discovered the sunflowers and have started eating. First they picked off each petal then began with the seeds. One sunflower plant with 12 open flowers and more to open. I sowed some chocolate colored ones for fall that I ordered. Have you been ordering seeds. I have before they're sold out again. Also ordered 3 house plants. Will show you what I ordered when they arrive. And can't forget bulbs. Ordered more than I'm going to want to plant once again. But when spring arrives I'll appreciate them.

Balloon flowers didn't do too well this summer. Over crowding. That's what happens when you only have one sunny flower bed and you want to plant everything.

Dead headed the foxgloves and I have a small seedling for the 3rd year. I sprinkled many seeds but haven't seen any other tiny seedling yet.

Learned that yarrow likes moist soil.

Heuchera burn from the sun. Awaiting her orange autumn color soon.

Just noticed that some tiny zinnias have survived. When will they bloom. Supposedly they are only 4 inches in height but full sized blooms. Time will tell.

Going to need to attach something to the brisk for the honeysuckle to trail on. It's now taller than it's trellis.

Annual salvia and Heirloom Cosmos Chocamocha  from Select Seeds, circa 1879. It develops a tap root like dahlias and it's recommended  you over wintering it indoors as it's not hardy.

Blooming well all summer.

A native perennial. Can't remember it's name. Ordered from Bloom Box. Can't wait to see what it does next summer.

Vinca needs to be cut before it reaches the steps.

Blooms have slowed down with the heat.

Can you believe a gourd throw among the ivy last fall germinated. Thought it was too shaded. Lots of blooms but no pollination. If I got 1 gourd I'd be so excited.

My watermelon coleus seedling turned out beautiful.

Cardinals from my yard have also discovered the berries from the honey suckle. I was surprised to see them in the front of the house.