Flowers that Thrive on Neglect

I've heard that the acidity of the water you put on hydrangea makes the color.  So no water at all must mean bright blue. This one is at our old house, and I can barely keep up with watering at the new house in this hot dry year.

I used to have over 50 different dahlias, but I used to dig the bulbs every year and carefully identify them and store them in the basement.  When I quit digging them, the varieties narrowed to the ones that can survive in the ground all winter.  This is one of my favorites - Called Key West when I bought the bulb years ago.

This one is called Oenesta - very hardy and the bees love the abundant blooms.

This dark red nameless dahlia came from my friend, Bill.  It is very hardy, has abundant blooms, but kind of weak stems so it isn't that great for bouquets.

Plate dahlia - I've forgotten the name - very strong stems, lots of blooms, and it comes back every year.

Duet - I used to have a plate dahlia with these colors, but haven't seen it bloom for several year.  This one bloomed for the first time this year after several years without blooming.

This one might be a cross - don't recall it from the past.

My friend, Karen, gave me several lilies, and I'm just loving them!  Easy to grow, they smell wonderful, and they are very drought tolerant.

Gladiolas are showy and don't require much tending.  I have many varieties blooming and many more that haven't bloomed yet.  It really is my favorite time of year, even though it keeps me very busy keeping some water on everything.

Flowers, Fruit, Veggies, and Visitors

In the Pacific Northwest, summer is when we meet ourselves coming and going.  The days are long, so we don't sleep much, we cherish every day of sunshine, and sometimes think wistfully of winter when we can slow down.  The true sun worshippers live here - when the sun shines, we can't bear to waste a single minute inside.

A wonderful variety of flowers are in bloom 

My sister, Molly, introduced me to dahlias and gladiolas many years ago, and I can't imagine summer without them.

I used to dig the bulbs every fall and replant in the spring.  However, one year I didn't have time to dig them, so I mulched them good, and they have continued to come back year after year without digging.

Most of my flowers are in a swath along my garden fence, but I've moved a few to the front of the new house.

I've added a few new colors this year and planted some along the front of the new house.

When I choose bulbs in the spring, I usually forget what colors I've picked, so it's always interesting to spot new blooms and marvel at their beauty.

My friend, Karen, gave me a bunch of lily bulbs this year, and they just might be my new favorite flower.  They have come in a variety of gorgeous colors,

My entire garden is engulfed in the wonderful aroma of lilies this year.

With the spectacular weather we've had this summer, my garden is overflowing with produce.  The corn should be ready next week, and I already have 8 quarts of pickles in my pantry.

Wild blackberries are ripe, so I'm fully into my jam making season.

And it's the perfect time to enjoy some of our stunning parks and beaches with visitors.  Our granddaughter, Sara,  her husband, Dan, and their wonderful little munchkins came to visit last week.

We started in Granite Falls at the annual car show, "Show 'n Shine" and then went to Deception Pass State Park for a picnic and some beachcombing.

It's so much fun to watch a toddler choose rocks and sticks to collect. Even Grandma brought home a new rock collection.
We love summer!

Late August in Washington

Black lilies,

Star Gazer Lily, and

 Sweet William - all finishing up their blooming.

This Hydrangea has been blooming for about six weeks, and continues to put out new flowers.

Gerber daisies on about their third set of blooms.

Dahlias have been blooming for a while, and should continue until frost.

Key West

Onesta

Yellow star

Otto's Pride - the only plate dahlia that has survived the past 7 years of being left in the ground.  I used to dig and store the tubers, but now I just mulch them in the fall.

Pretty in Pink

Black beauty (and friend - Black Widow?)

Peachy

Sunflowers

 Pumpkin getting big and orange

 Hops

 Trumpet Vine

Oh oh, Fall Crocus - time to think about fall coming soon!