What's blooming now

My yard seems to have a gap in late spring bloomers, but now that summer is officially here, others are stepping up.

The cardinal vines planted in pots under the redbud trees are starting to blossom. The flowers are smaller than I expected (this is the first time I have grown these), so I'm hoping they make up for their size with profuseness. The vines seem to be doing okay in the clay pots but need daily watering.

The stalks of the yuccas shot up when no one was looking and are now blooming. I once tried to dig out these plants, but only succeeded in goosing them into multiplying. I give up and will cede the bed to them.

I plant bees friend in the vegetable garden and orchard, in the cement blocks that form some of the raised beds. I had never heard of this plant, tried it, liked it. More importantly, the bees really like it, especially since it is more resistant to fall frosts than other flowering plants.

A few hardy coreopsis continue to perform, this one 'Zagreb'. They need to be divided, but it was the 'Autumn Joy' sedum's turn this year.

That sweet smell I detect comes from the common milkweed that pop up here and there.

I have always had at least some milkweed in the yard, but I have NEVER seen a single monarch caterpillar. Maybe it is because of the occasional aphid infestation? I've read that monarchs will not lay eggs on plants like this one.

Not all the plants are infested, so I will try to eliminate the danger and see if that makes any difference. My expectations are low. Maybe there has to be a certain density of milkweed?

I had a vision of white shasta daisies blooming against a background of red climbing roses. Unfortunately, the roses are in serious decline by the time the daisies pop. (I don't know why some of the daisies flopped.)

But now I am thinking the daisies would play nice with the orange tiger lilies I divided this year. At least the bloom times would match. Anybody that tries to flop could be tied to the chain link fence.

Orange you glad we bloomed?

I read that the new Triumph Elm in my backyard may be susceptible to Japanese beetles. It's a good thing I plant hollyhocks as a trap for those shiny buggers.

I purchased the seed for black hollyhocks many years ago, so I was somewhat surprised last year when it germinated. Of the four plants I started, only one survived the winter. I'm thinking maybe I should start some more this year, as they are biennials that bloom the second year.

Maybe these would like to join the tiger lilies and daisies?

Must be August

In June, the gardener knows it will be a while before she reaps. In July, the harvest begins. In August, more of the long-awaited crops come to fruition, plus the fall plantings start to grow.

Onion harvest - Copra and Red Zeplin

Burpless Beauty cucumber, growing vertically

Matt's Wild Cherry and Black Cherry tomatoes

Honey and Cream sweet corn

The pumpkin in the tomato bed keeps getting bigger and more orange

Pumpkin vine trying to escape the confines of the garden

Purple Pod pole beans, for fall harvest (fingers crossed)

I love mixing some flowers in amongst the veggies. The bees friend finally bloomed, so now we know what they look like. The zinnias will add color through the rest of the season.

Bee's Friend

Lilliput Mix zinnias