Daisies

Daisies of many varieties, or at the very least, similar to them.

Blackeyed Susan

Coneflower

Coneflower

Blanket Flower

African Daisy

Shasta Daisy

False sunflower

Chocolate Flower and Mexican Hat

hmm not sure on this annual

In the Garden July 2008

Don't wear perfume in the garden - unless you want to be pollinated by bees. ~Anne Raver

This time of year it is such a joy to sit back and watch and smell the garden. I walk outside and can smell something everytime. Sometimes it's the milkweed, roses, chocolate flower, lavender, lilies, or even the cornfields near by after it rains, but mostly a combination of them all. Too bad we can't post the smells in our blogs.

Rose of Sharon

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'

Black Eyed Susan

Echinacea purpurea

Purple Coneflower

Salvia sylvestris 'Blue Hill'

Blue Hill Sage

Berlandiera lyrata
Chocolate Flower

I Garden Because.......

My favorite Coneflower "Sundown"

I started this blog with the intention of being able to reflect back and have a journal of sorts with pictures and a record of the progress in my garden. I have learned a great deal from other garden blogger's and very much enjoy the "garden blogging community". Blotanical has been a great place to meet new people and discover new gardening blogs. If you have never visited this is a "must see" garden website. I only wish I had more time each day to read all the great blogs, but I'm working on it :).

Gardening for me is a sort of therapy, it brings me joy and is an outlet for when I'm stressed. Everyday after work I take a walk through my garden to wind down the day. I love seeing the changes that happen, some even daily, truly amazing I'd say.

In October of 2004 WJ and my eldest daughter (who was 16 at the time) were in a motorcycle accident. They went for a ride around the block on US 40 and a semi pulled out of a laundry mat in front of them. Needless to say they suffered very serious and permanent injuries and are blessed to even be alive. It was and sometimes is still tough to deal with, most times they both handle it better than I, and I have to say I am very proud of them both.

In 2005 we moved out of the city to the country, in the home we are living in now with the huge lot and blank slate for gardening. It is what saved us all. It motivated WJ to get outdoors and live life again, it helped my daughter to meet new and wonderful people of our small community, and gardening was and is my therapy.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to realize what is important in life and to slow down and take a look around you, and that is when I started gardening more passionately.

Why do you garden?

Here are some pictures of random things as I walked through my garden in July.

Cosmo

"Grandma's Rose"

Unknown name Lily

Coneflower "Sundown"

False Sunflower

Busy Bee in Hollyhocks

Bee Balm

Daylily "Pandora's Box"

Pink Coneflower

Coleus "Freckles" with Orange Sedge

And finally my much "needed to be weeded" veggie garden

What's Blooming?

marigolds

This is a new flower bed I created on a whim. The area was hard to mow or even grow grass, it mostly grew weeds. I will fill in with plants this fall or next spring. I dug out the border and the rest of the area I covered with newspapers and mulch. It is bordered with allysum and around the bird bath are a few coleus. It's a very nice area to relax in the hammock.

Tulip Tree

Begonia and Shamrock

Iris unfurling its petals

Weekend Walk Through.

Just a few pictures from this lovely first weekend of May 2008.

The Rose Bed - Part 2

<-------- Aquilegia Colorado Violet & White I had a case of a Waltz in the Garden as Carol from May Dreams describes in her post. This picture doesn't do it justice, it's such a beautiful deep violet/purple color. This is planted in my "Rose Bed project".



"Before"
The pictures with the rock in it were taken about three weeks ago.




"After"
The picture below of the corner trellis is newly planted 'Abraham Darby'. Picture on the right is another view from the deck, oops the brick is a bit crooked.

Below the picture on the left is Altissimo in front of the trellis. I'm not sure about the shrub rose beside it, when in bloom it has tiny white flowers. Also planted by Altissimo is newly planted Aster 'Woods Blue' (another impulse buy). To the far left of Altissimo is 'Rose of Sharon' with pink blooms. The picture below that shows some more roses, I'm not sure what species the rose on the left side of the picture is, but when in bloom it looks like 'Rise-n-Shine' . The little guy next to it is newly planted 'Pat Austin'.

Another view of 'Abraham Darby' with lavender and a white blooming hydrangea in the corner , oops I see another out of place brick.

Everything is coming along and growing fast.

I can't wait to post pictures when all is in bloom!