Midwest Gardening: What's Flowering!

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Good Morning, Friends. 

I took these photos July 21 and then forgot about them. So this is a quick catch up for July! 

This Lily was just trying to open when I caught it in the lens, very striking.

July was simply HOT-HOT-HOT! Some of my plants were happier than heck, others simply bloomed and disappeared in the same day.

Liatris I started from bulbs. These are pretty versatile and will spread each year, behind it is small lilies, and beginning to bloom transplanted Giant Sedum, which goes from pale pink to dark burgundy in Fall. 

The Day Lilies seemed to have a tough time. Too hot and some shriveled before they even opened. Watering was continual...everything got watered in a cycle, and pots sometimes twice a day.

The pond was sometimes very hot. The front edge I planted with succulents. The roses quit blooming, I hope they are holding back for a fall showing.

On the stairs by the pond I had this long planter of Nasturtium seeds and 4 0'clocks, which I had never grown before. They are huge and blooming constantly.

On a ledge this poor hanging pot got attacked in the middle of night and fell, then the Potato Vine in front was chewed off as well as the red Caladiums. Here it is after a week recovering in a safe place.

This is the dryest, poorest soil on the property. I have Sweet Peas, Iris, small Day Lilies, and Sedum in here, plus weeds...always weeds. This area needs to be dug out and new dirt put in---later towards Fall. 

You can see how droopy and cooked everything seems to be despite watering. I have Sweet Peas, Iris, Del Oro Lilies and Creeping Sedum in here and a few Giant Sedum. This bed really needs total clean out and new dirt.

Across the  patio is the East fence with alternating veggies and flowers.  ZINNIAS have been very vigorous. Grown from seed as well as transplanted from starts, Zinnias have been a real success.

Sunflowers...not so much---here, three half circles of seeds, never came up at all, or were totally munched on right to the ground? 

Working toward the backyard is this stump with a basket...having a tough time, very hot here, despite afternoon shade. The lime perennial on the bottom, also stunted. 

This pot is very pretty right now...just 10 days later the Impatiens don't exist. 

Boiled in the pot.

We have lemon grass and peppermint plants around the patios and work areas. Great bug/bee repellants. Just break a frond or crush some leaves and rub them on your clothes. 

The Caladums exploded after this. I'll share next week.

The gnome garden is in complete shade, so the plants are happy long as they are watered. We have perennials and coleus in here.

The squirrels rearrange them, this is their favorite tree in the backyard.

This hanging pot---I couldn't tell what size Coleus I was putting in there, all the bulbs will be labeled in Fall according to size and color, so next year the yard shouldn't look like such a hodge-podge.

Our problem area project is coming along. The Caladiums are very happy here. The paving is constantly dirty and full of leaves. I could clean this everyday and by night it is yuggy again.

We have been working on this area...I will share later in the summer when everything is done and stained. 

I have 8 very large 10" or large pots of Caladiums and Impatiens-pooped out, here next year I want to try some hanging ferns and tall grass here also.

And I'm going to white wash these pots....since they are covered with dust anyway.

This 12" pot is in mostly shade, and surrounded by Day Lilies.

In the back of the yard, we have the trough pond. After I took this photo, I scooped out all those rose petals, apparently the birds don't appreciate them. Sometimes there are 4-5 birdies on the rim or on the rocks having a coffee klutch in their gathering place.

The front West side is always shady, I have lots of Hosta there.

A pretty white Caladium in a pot brightens up the area. Our ground cover is a creeping Sedum which is indestructible. I'm really showing you only half my pots. Different ones for next time.

Zinnias and, sunflowers which are not blooming yet, greet us from  the stair planter, also some shorter marigolds, and of course my rusty Dragonflies! 

Don't You Just Love Summer Flowers!

Please excuse the underlined sections---new blogger is uncooperative at the moment. 

And I'm too frustrated to deal with it! 

Join me at these fine blog parties:

Friday Favorites

Silver Pennies Sunday

Inspire Me Monday

Over the Moon

Metamorphisis Monday

All About Home

 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

I will read and happily respond to every comment and answer every question.

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi