Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits

Ordinarily, I don't like to prune my shrubs much, preferring their natural shape, but the burning bush is so unruly this year.



It swipes at cars that get too close. It swipes at me when I try to get past it. It crowds the barberry and gold mop. Time for a trim.



Burning bushes have very interesting bark (which I neglected to photograph), and pruning it up reveals the striations.



But now I have another brush pile.



(I was not convinced the trash picker-uppers would pick up the brush I left for them this week, but they did. Whew!)

Remember the bee balm I transplanted a while back? It is now blooming, some purple and some white.



I thought there was a third color, but I must be mistaken. Still not much bee activity. There was one sitting on unopened milkweed blossoms, looking lethargic. I jiggled the leaf and it fluttered its wings, so it was alive, just not very perky. What is going on?

The coneflower continues to mature.



I remember the first time I planted coneflower. And replanted it. And replanted it. I kept yanking it out of the ground because I thought it was a weed. Then I would jam it back into the dirt and throw some water on it. It survived and even thrived.

This tomato doesn't look too happy, though. We have been having some very cool nights.



Last night's storms split to the north and south, but we did get 0.5" of rain. Now it is clear and cool.