A Survivor

It survived the storm and opened this morning - name is Home Coming.  I'm impressed... haven't had any mostly white glads before.

Grasshopper Problem

In the Front House Garden. I just keep going through and knocking them off which seems to be working. Along with Didi and Maggie attacking them as they fall when I do knock them off.

For Kelly

Just now getting to clearing out the bushline in the front. Turns out the groundcover underneath is some kind of juniper. The branches are long and run under the mulch but not rooted into the soil. Everything here is growing on top of landscape fabric. Yuck! Anyway, there are quite a few of them, whatever they are because that is it running all the way back at the top of the photo and the rock you can barely see to the left is a big boulder and there is more of it on the other side of it towards the lawn.

Hurricane Earl in the Backyard

The worst seems to be over now and we were only without power for 3-4 hours.  There didn't seem to be too much major damage till Kelly came home and told me about the tree down next door.  All the glads out front were broken or snapped off, whether they were staked or not.  The dahlia that we staked faired better but it's a darn good thing we staked them.  Many of the plants were blown around so much that the earth looks scooped out around the bottom of the stalks.  I'm hopeful that most will recover.  My hibiscus had 8 big blooms on it this morning and they are all shredded.  The new glad in the back that is about to bloom survived.  Most of the papyrus was snapped off down low on the stalks.  All of my bamboo trellises holding up clematis were totally trashed and snapped off but all the plants seem to be still in the ground.

Dark Pink

The darker colours of hollyhock are opening. Seems like the lighter were earlier. Dark Red is also opening but it is low, in back and I couldn't get a decent shot.

Morning Glory Volunteer

Well I don't get many volunteers because I'm yanking things up before they get a chance to grow.  When I saw the distinctive first leaves of this morning glory growing in the front garden, I was smart enough to leave it alone.  The little seed must have survived 4 years in the compost pile.  Great that it bloomed before the storm.  Kasasagi dahlia bud is starting to colour up and will open this weekend if it survives.

Bright Spot

On the corner of the deck.

Annabelle in Green

I can't stop thinking how pleased I am with this girl now that she's found a new home in our front garden.  In previous years, all of these blooms would have been dragging on the ground (and eventually cut off) long before this point.
The day is another scorcher and it's just been way too hot to be outside for more than a few minutes all week.

Freesia

This is the first but I think there is one other that will bloom. They were a mix so I am not sure what the other will look like. You are right, the smell is super!

The Big 10 Inch

I caught this wide open this morning and it is fully 10" across - I measured.  The blooms only last a day but they sure are showy.

Christmas in August

This was definitely a moment today... when I walked around the front and found this hibiscus bud pointing at me.

Look what I found!

Dahlia 'Taratahi Ruby' in the Front House Garden.

Becky on a Good Day

She's almost lost among the fescue and coral bells in Kelly's garden.  Hot here today!  Sprinkler this evening.

Dahlia Bud

'Kari Fruit Salad' today. Slow to colour up and open.

from the window

Rain today so I was contemplating my view. If I am looking for the positives in the thrip infestation, this would be it. The infected glads that were cut down blocked my view of the Zinnia in this garden so I now know for next year that I need to plant something shorter than glads there.

Have a Bright Day!

I love the way their petals are all curled up.

So Sad...

...my 'Hunting Song' were not saved despite how good the buds looked. But aren't they going to look great next year!

Tree Sedum

In the early morning sunlight.

My Hero for Today

Sean came by today and went to the store to get a huge list of essential items we were out of. As a result, I was able to spend the whole day in my garden.

Longwood Dainty

Small and cute... and obviously a favourite food for something in the garden.