I'm pretty much done with petunia's

Okay, I've decided that I'm pretty much done with petunias. They aren't my favorite flower to begin with but I do love all the briilliant colors they come in and I've always thought they could "take the heat". Now I'm not so sure. Two of my huge hanging baskets (they're not cheap to buy!) look completely frazzled and near death. I don't know what the problem is - too much water, not enough water, insects.....whatever. Anyway, I am going to have to toss them out and I'm pretty bummed about it. It's too late in the season to invest any more money in annuals that will be dying out in the cool temps that are coming up sooner than I want to think about. The plants that still look vibrant and beautiful no matter how hot it is, or how dry it is, are the geraniums. Next year I definitely will concentrate more on them. (besides that, I was able to "winter" 5 or 6 of them from last year which saved me a bunch of money this season!)

Hot......Very Hot

Wow - we are definitely into the hot days of summer - yesterday it was 102 degrees. I am not complaining (sweating, but not complaining) because I know that summer goes by all to quickly and then the long, cold winter will be here before we know it. The flowers are looking a bit fried however, and I can't forget to water them on schedule or they'll shrivel up and die in this heat.
The daisies are still standing tall and perky and the phlox have started to bloom. Beautiful!

Too Hot For Gardening

I had intended to go out and deadhead some blossoms on the geranium plants and the petunias but after being outside for only a few short moments I thought better of that idea. Talk about HOT! It's supposed to be 103 today and it feels like every degree of that and then some. I'll make sure to give an extra douse of water to the plants tonight because they'll need it to try to survive these very hot temps. Meanwhile, instead of broiling out under that hot sun, I've decided to come inside where it's nice and cool and have a cold drink and maybe write a little blog.....

I Don't Do Lawns

I haven't mowed the lawns for years. I used to do it occasionally when we lived 0n a much smaller lot, but this yard is close to an acre in size and a huge portion of that is in lawn so it's way too much of a task for me. However.....my husband has been ultra busy lately with a ton of "extra" projects (ie, helping our son and his family move from Arizona) and I'd really love to take a few days and get out of town but I know we can't leave until the lawn is moved (it's getting very high again) SO, I tackled it this morning and I'm paying for it now. I took it in stages, knowing that it would be a killer to try to do without breaks, but it was still a huge task. (and to be honest, I only did about a third of it) It's times like these that I am especially grateful for all the things my husband does (things that I unfortunately take for granted too often) I don't think I'll be too excited when the next occasion comes to mow lawns again. maybe it won't come for years again......

What A Deal!

Did I ever get a great deal the other day!! I happened to stop at this out of the way, hodge-podge store downtown and ended up being in the right place at the right time. They had just received a huge shipment of BEAUTIFUL annuals in hanging baskets and in 12" pots and they were marked at incredible prices. I purchased some of the most gorgeous zinnias (pink ones and yellow ones) that promise to give awesome color clear until the late fall. I also picked up an enormous, red geranium and a cheery hanging plant (I'm not sure what type of plant it is, but it is so pretty!). I made out like a bandit!!

It's Official!

It's official, daisy season has arrived. Oh how I do love this time of year, perky white daises are standing tall all over the yard and it is quite a sight to see. They have to be among the most cheeriest of all flowers. Looking at them just makes you feel happy. One caution though, even though they look wonderful, they don't smell great. It's like a dirty trick....you cut a bunch of daisies to bring into the house and you notice this really pungent, unpleasant aroma and sure enough it's coming from those adorable, white flowers. I'm going to enjoy the daisies, but just from outside this year.

Where Have All The Crickets Gone??

One of my favorite things about summer nights are the crickets. Laying in bed with my window open to the sounds of a symphony of cricket "chatter" is so relaxing. That is, it always has been until this year. It is now July 6 and still there hasn't been one cricket to be heard in my yard. I don't know if the snake population (I've seen a few over the years but don't know how many inhabit my yard on a full time basis) is detrimental to the little critters or not but if I have to pick between the two, I'll take the crickets any day. Here's hoping that some of them turn up soon.

Overkill

After 3 weeks off rain the lawn was looking exquisite. Emerald green would be the color to describe it; absolutely gorgeous. That lasted for about another week and then the hot temps and scorching sun began to take their toll. My husband (who is also my ever faithful gardening helper) decided it was time to fertilize. Oh-Oh. Now there are yellow patches here, there and everywhere on the lawn. An interesting look, but not exactly what I had in mind. Oh well, that's the story of life isn't it - too much or too little so much of the time.....