Honey Bees

My asters are in full bloom, finally. I transplanted them from the patio area to the side yard this spring. Last year they got so huge they blocked the sun from smaller plants around the patio.

This evening I noticed they were covered in honey bees.

Such beauty

Turns out I can't bear to leave the praying mantis as the lead photo of my blog tonight. So, I'm ending my evening blog session with a pleasant photo of the butterfly bushes and rudbeckia that are still in full bloom around our deck.

Colorful Bug

I didn't even notice this bug as I was taking a photo of a sunflower that is about to bloom behind my shed. But, when I started to crop the photo I took a closer look and noticed this oddity.

It reminds me of a tropical fish...

Hummingbird Feeder

The hummingbirds have totally ignored our hummingbird feeder this summer. Turns out they prefer the butterfly bush.

Finally, Rain!

~~ Nearly two inches of rain this evening. ~~

~~ The flower are very happy. ~~

Pollen Orgy

Stargazer Lily

Too bad the Internet doesn't offer scratch and sniff capabilities. If it did, you could enjoy the heavenly scent of my stargazer lily. This is the only one I brought over from the old farmhouse. It continues to bloom each year, but has yet to spread.

Weed Gardening

I have an exciting landscaping plan for the front yard, but it involves more money than I'm willing to invest this summer.

As I'm building up my cash reserves, I have successfully cultivated a prolific weed garden.

I've started harvesting my crop, but it's a bit more than I can use at this time. Let me know if you'd like some of my bounty. I'm happy to share.

Today's Garden Tour

~~~ Bruce caught me putzing in the garden, so I'll use this photo to lead you on today's garden tour. ~~~

~~~ Bee enjoying the sunflower. ~~~

~~~ Zenias Rock! ~~~

~~~ Tomato plants are around six foot high. ~~~

~~~ Butterfly Bushes finally in bloom. ~~~

~~~ Purple Rose of Sharon ~~~

~~~ Testimonial for Miracle Grow. ~~~

~~~ Perfect Coneflower ~~~

~~~ Odd bug on Queen Anne's Lace. ~~~

Today's Garden Tour

I admired these ceramic plant markers at the Master Gardeners' plant show yesterday so Judy bought them both and gave them to me as a gift.

I spoke with the artist who created them and got her email address as I'm considering placing a custom order for several more.

The zenias are starting to bloom. The first few are fairly pale so I'm hoping I see more brilliant colors as the summer progresses.

This sunflower started to unfold today. It's a volunteer, as I didn't plant any sunflowers this year. I guess the birds missed a seed last fall.

One of my garden staples is the purple coneflower.

This lightning bug (look closely at the daisy) is resting up from a hard night of illuminating our back yard.


I only use zucchini to make bread so I let them grow really large before I break them free from the vines. Today we peeled and shredded this zucchini and put it into a plastic bag in the freezer. The next time I go to the grocery store, I'll pick up some brown sugar, raisins and a few other ingredients and whip up a few loaves of zucchini bread.

Michiana Master Gardeners' Association Garden Tour 2008

Mom-in-law Judy and I took the Garden Tour today, presented by the Michiana Master Gardeners' Association.

Soon I'll be a member of this group, transferring from Marshall County closer to home so I'll be able to continue my volunteer work and education.

We visited 13 gardens from Goshen to New Paris to Syracuse. The crowd was a bit lighter than last year and I assume it was due to the morning rain. We were quite prepared with our large umbrellas and garden clogs so the weather didn't slow us down a bit.

There are too many photos to share individually so I've created a slide show below. Click on any of the photos to visit the Garden Tour photo album or see the photos in a larger view.

Catching Up...

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog. I finally downloaded nearly 500 photos off my camera from the past couple of weeks. So now, I'll try to get caught up.

I've been involved in a major work-related project that's kept me quite busy. Hopefully all my research and hard work will pay off soon.

I think I'll start from today and work backward until I get the blog updated back to June 26. Wow... seems a bit overwhelming, but I'll give it my best shot.

Tonight we enjoyed another tasty summer dinner -- BLTs, cottage cheese and cold baked beans. So easy to prepare and, with the windows open and the smell of freshly cut grass, its easy to remember why I love summer in Indiana.

Then, it was a round of watering the flower pots and taking inventory of the gardens to see what's changed since yesterday.

I wonder if this is the same toad that shows up about this same time every summer. He used to live under the bushes in front of the garage. Since we've taken out the bushes he now lives in the garden next to the chimney. Here he's taken cover under the hose reel.

The giant hostas in the back yard are in full bloom.

The Asiatic lilies, daisies and bee balm have filled in the back garden with lots of color.

Bee Balm Doing Its Job

The bee balm is holding its own around the obedient plant which is really starting to spread, but has yet to bloom.

Grandma Visits Wal-Mart and Garden All in One Day

It was a big outing for Grandma today. We took her to lunch at the OC Cafe and then to Wal-Mart to buy some sandals.

She was commenting on the flowers along the roadside as we drove through town so I asked if she'd like to stop by and see our garden.

She was up for it, so Bruce pushed her wheelchair through the back yard to the garden where she was amazed by all of the beauty.

Do my flowers miss me during the day as much as I miss them?

~~~ Today's rain showers perked up all of the flowers. ~~~

~~~ Patio Box Flowers ~~~
(Argyranthemum Frutescens, Comet Pink)

~~~ Container Garden ~~~

~~~ Fence decor remix. ~~~

~~~ Whoo Hoo! Tiny little jalapeños. ~~~

Today's Garden Tour

Can't wait for the Michiana Master Gardeners' Association Garden Walk.

In the mean time, I'm sure enjoying my morning and evening personal garden walks.

~~~ Wave® Petunias~~~

~~~ Bug ~~~

(I thought it was a Box Elder, but after some research, I'm not so sure.)

~~~ Delphinium ~~~

~~~ Thunbergia Alata ~~~
(Black Eyed Susan Vine)

Fence Embellishments

I've never been one to load up my yard and garden with kitchy decor.

But, the big blank fence was just begging for something.

Even though today is just the fourth day of summer, Kohl's has all of their outdoor products on 80% clearance.

That, along with the 15% MVC discount they sent me this week, they nearly paid me to take these new fence decorations home.

I may play around with the arrangements a bit more after I paint on the Thompson's Water Seal.

A Stroll Through the Garden

I'm really liking this new Animoto video creation tool. Thanks for the tip, Lori.

The only part that bugs me is that it doesn't have a starting photo when the video isn't in play. So, tonight's test is exporting my Animoto video to You Tube and then embedding it in this blog.

It may be just the fuzziness in my eyes, but the You Tube version doesn't look as crisp as the Animoto video I posted last night.

Spiderwort

I'm not a big spiderwort fan. I've removed quite a bit of it from the gardens around the patio over the past few years because it's so messy looking.

The only reason any of it has been spared is because I like the color of the flower... purple, of course!

This photo is another adventure into macro photography. I didn't even notice the fuzzy texture of the flower opening with my naked eye.

Finally... the Peonies Are Blooming

Ta Da!