July in Virginia is usually even hotter than August, but this year August might be winning. A week of highs approaching and exceeding 100 degrees is giving way this week to high humidity and daily showers. Better than drought, I guess? Of course, the sunny garden is an absolute JUNGLE at this point, and it’s too wet to weed it. Maybe next week.
Rudbeckia subtomentosa, a tall one that I should probably move. It’s in the boxwood garden and doesn’t get quite enough sun, but isn’t it bold and lovely?
The less dramatic black-eyed Susan has decided to sow itself in the back, but here’s one small clump in the side garden by the raised bed.
An anonymous sunflower sowed in the big blue pot. Again, not quite enough sun for the best show.
The silken flowers of the datura bloom early in the morning and fade like the twelve dancing princesses by mid-morning.
The native passionflower is a real problem. It pops up everywhere and aggressively twines around everything it can find. It even pops up in the lawn. But then I see how the butterflies and bees love it, and I let it go wild. I need to get a grip!
I imagine this bee got drunk on the nectar last night and is just beginning to wake up this morning.
I’ve moved the hummingbird feeder so that I can see it from the sewing room window. The hummers love the feeder as well as the zinnias. They don’t seem to mind the scruffiness of this part of the garden.
The Joe Pye weed is just coming into bloom, a bit shorter than usual since I gave it the Chelsea chop. And the butterfly bush is still going strong.
This one is a bit of a mystery. I think it’s Arisaema dracontium (Green dragon) that I got at the farmer’s market years ago. I noticed the seedhead and then not long after these little seeds. At first I thought they might be bugs!
The perennial pea from Mom is looking a bit worse for wear right now.
Looking forward to some better weather so that I can edit this wild landscape!
Caroline's Garden and Travel Record 