Gifts from high heat and humidity:

 

Korean Bells and Cherry Bells Campanella's blooming in this week's heat.

Tag said campanella.  I thought blue balloon flower.  Surprise!

Prickly Pear blossoms surprised me this morning.  

More as the heat of the day progressed.

Thank you, Ruby Anc.

Begonia which is wintered over in the basement.

A miracle that they know just when to restart, although not watered.

All life is a miracle.

Thank you, Ruby Anc.

Happy to see Gloriosa daisies beginning to bloom.

They bloom all summer into fall.

Identifiable by their fuzzy foliage.

Milkweed blooming.

Host plant for monarchs.

Daylily

Morning sunlight highlighting this fern frond.

Calendula came up from seed planted a previous year.

Seeds from Carol Brewer.

Scotch Thistle popped up by a compost bin.

Taller than I can reach. An advertisement for the benefit of compost.

Yellow finches love these seeds. Chances are they planted here.

Neglected to direct this clematis upward when should have.

Sweet pea seeds originally given by my Gram many years ago.

Wild Daisies

This foxglove self-seeded in the vegetable garden.

Hydrangea will bloom soon.

Looks like many roosters will crop up in the hen house this season.

Ditch lilies in abundance this week due to the heat and humidity.

Borage.  An edible flower.

Bees love it.  Allow to grow wherever to entice bees to visit.

Whoever stated dandelions were a spring flower wasn't paying attention.

Dandelions pop up in the fall also.

The local weather station had forecasted rain, rain, and more rains,

the beginning of the month but they were hit and miss.  Missed here.

I had believe the report.  Squash seeds did not germinate.

Ended up purchasing 3 types of squash plants.

Happy, happy!  Joy, joy!

Will be looking for visiting honey bees early mornings.

This is a zucchini leaf.

Plan on tying up plant and wrapping base in tinfoil to discourage squash vine borers.

Although butternut, summer squash, and zucchini did not germinate,

these spaghetti squash seeds I saved from last year did.

This fall and winter will top with tuna or chicken, mushrooms and peas. Yum-o!

Plan on preparing a location near the compost bin to plant these next year

as last year I had to trim often as over ran other vegetables.

Stella Dora reblooming day lily from Lesley.

Many plants in the garden from Lesley.

While taking photos, saw blue birds and yellow finches

and heard many other bird songs.

Too quick for me to take photos.

Reminded me of this verse.

Flowers appear upon the earth

and the time of the singing of birds has come.

Song of Songs 2:12

 

Gymnastics

Snow peas climb

up the trellis limbs

in the shape of a teepee.

You can eat the pods of this pea.

Gardeners climb out of bed

for there’s much to do in their head.

Each morning they start their day filled with glee.

At the end of the day they might have sore knees.

Up the fence

pole beans stretch

as they twine

in the sunshine.

Gardeners stretch

before they fetch

to warm up their muscles

then lift a bushel full.

Cucumbers vault up a pole

where they are seen daily grow

when yellow blossoms turn into cucs,

perhaps to be pickled in crocks cute.

Gardeners jump through hoops

when the hose is left out – oops!

Wearing gardening boots they trip

on their way to find a cool sip.

Spinning round and round

are cabbages round.

Though they stay in place,

everyday is a race.

Gardener’s heads spin

with ideas within.

So many goals to accomplish,

which takes planning, more than a wish.

Winter squash vines run

under the noonday sun.

There’s no room for foot traffic

so be careful where you step.

Gardeners may not run

under the noonday sun,

but they walk for miles

often with a smile.

* * * * *

Though we often concentrate on getting enough physical exercise,

there is another exercise to daily partake in if we are wise.

The exercise of becoming godly,

to be set apart, what God calls holy.

To strive to live life God’s way,

instead of going our own way.

To know right from wrong

and to remain strong.

To display a testimony

that will bring God glory

which will advance His story

becoming history.

And in the end

life will begin

in heaven with a crown of righteousness

after living a life of faithfulness.

Train yourself to be godly.

For physical training is of some value,

but godliness has value for all things,

holding promise for both the present life

and the life to come.

I Timothy 4:7-8

Now there is in store for me

the crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous Judge,

will award to me on that day – and not only to me,

but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

II Timothy 4:8

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

First Day of Summer

There were "heavenly fireworks" in the middle of the night.  At that time thought the not dear deer would not visit due to the fireworks.  I was wrong.  One also sampled the potato next to this sunflower.  Thankfully it left the bud, though other sunflower buds were gone.  There is netting around the sunflowers I purposely planted.

Surprised to see the currants needed harvesting.  More surprised to find so much spoilage. Thinking the high humidity contributed to spoilage.  Currants were planted here by my grandparents about 40 years ago.

Thankfully the high humidity contributed to another daily harvest of fresh greens:

Weeded the vegetable garden yesterday.  No sign of carrots sprouting.  Noticed this morning the high humidity and last night's storm contributed to germination.  Vegetable seeds I planted this year have been sparse in germinating and others attacked by insects.  Ended up purchasing squash plants last week.

This prickly pear will have lots of blooms this year.  Thank you for your gift, Ruby.

Didn't direct the clematis to go upward when I should have.  It's on top of the fence that surrounds the shrub next to it.  Some shrubs are fenced in due to unwelcome deer population.

First ditch day lily of the season.  A favorite.  Remember seeing them in the ditch on the way to school when I was a teenager.

Mom's gift of Dusty Miller is also in this bed.  Will be taking photos of the ditch lilies with lacy-looking dusty miller as the backdrop.

There's a rooster in the hen house this morning!  Neglected to take photos of the hens and chicks.

Foxgloves came from a friend's sister's garden in NJ.  They self-seed abundantly wherever but don't winter over abundantly here.  Common to see bees sleeping in these tubular flowers at dusk.

Common milkweed, a host plant for monarchs.  This flower's scent is pleasing.

Verbascum, known as a weed, but I think they're pretty so allow to grow wherever.

First single red poppy to bloom.  They have self-seeded in the hostas surrounding this pine tree.  Nature comes up with prettier bed fellows than I do.  Was thinking of something bold for this area but didn't want to provide more for the unwelcome garden guests.  Deer are not attracted to poppies.

Had previously sprayed this hosta after it was a midnight snack.  Thankfully wasn't chowed down last night.  These blooms will turn into thousands of seed pods that germinate prolifically.  

First Stella Dora day lily of the season.  (Reblooming)  Thank you, Lesley.

Begonias beginning to bloom.  Magical, though really a miracle, how they know when to sprout up after hibernating the winter in the basement.  Thank you, Ruby.

Rose campions (a biennial) have invaded many flower beds.  Will have zillions of seeds to share.

Though deer have chowed down many gloriosa daisies, they haven't found this one.

Last night heard the wrens causing a commotion.  Thought the neighbor's cats were about.  Didn't see any cats.  This morning when harvesting currants I realized the baby wrens had fledged last night.  The commotion was the parents guiding them.  The parents were corralling them next door this morning. A lot of wren clucking or chattering from the parents.  

Thought of this verse when heard the wren parents:

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of the singing of birds has come,

and the voice of the dove is heard in our land.

Song of Songs 2:12

How does your garden grow?

 

Abandoned

The wrens who built a nest

abandoned that nest,

once filled with hopes and dreams

where they worked as a team,

when I resumed yard work eagerly

after being waylaid by surgery.

I felt sad when they left,

feeling a little bereft,

missing their comical entertainment,

unaware they were the source of amusement,

as they stuffed twigs in the hole.

Industrious little souls.

They would figure out how to maneuver the twig,

then arrange it carefully in their new digs.

If the twig fell to the ground

they would quick nosedive down.

Determined they were,

these little creatures.

And for each accomplishment

they sang an accompaniment -

filling the air with song,

righting any wrongs,

bringing much cheer

with music dear.

Sometimes, though, one’s spouse wasn’t happy with the placement

and with the other would have a disagreement.

You could tell by the tone

of their discordant sound.

Fortunately the disagreement

would only last half a minute.

Don’t know why the nest was abandoned

after working so hard to make a home.

Perhaps the neighborhood cat was seen

crossing the yard on grass of green.

Nevertheless, I miss their song

as the scale was song quite often.

How I missed them,

those little wrens.

The nest abandoned

through rains and wind.

Through sunny days and chilly nights

the nest sat empty day and night.

This week a couple of wrens are back

building a nest in the birdhouse out back.

It seems he searched for a home in a safe neighborhood,

then she joined in working beside him as a partner should.

Last night I heard mama wren scolding him

as I hammered away causing commotion.

I was fearful that they would abandon

this birdhouse that they chose for a home,

but thankfully this morning I heard his song –

a melody of musical notes strung out long

for each bird has their personal bird call,

a happy chorus that never sounds dull.

The nest, once abandoned, will be full of happy memories

and, I’m sure, will elicit more comical bird stories.

Can’t wait to hear the babies cheep, cheep, cheep

or maybe they will chant tweet, tweet, tweet.

In the meantime I’ll listen for papa’s call

when the day begins at dawn and ends when dusk falls.

* * * * *

Do you think God ever feels abandoned?

Don’t we leave God out of the equation,

until troubles around us are pressing

causing us worry and ceaseless stressing?

When we’re at the end of our rope we try praying

asking God to hurry up, to send us His blessings,

but in the meantime God is abandoned

until we find we want something at random.

We know

in our soul

that despite our abandoning God, God will never abandon us.

We know we can always trust that God will faithfully hear us.

Yet, time after time we abandon

He whose heart would be gladdened

if we were consistent in our relationship

with Christ the Lord who is worthy to be worshiped.

Abandon could have a positive connotation,

one of unrestrained daily, passionate communication,

simply by making our every thought a prayer

by thanking and praising God who’s always there.

Which definition of abandon will you choose?

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

Psalm 105:3, 4

I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

Proverbs 8:17

You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

Revelation 4:11

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

Regarding wrens: one year the birdhouse they chose fell apart due to rainy and windy weather. Four little hatch-lings were clustered together in the remains on the ground. It had to have been a jolt to land. All day mama and papa wren were enticing their youngsters to relocate. I heard them in the window well, under the deck, in the side yard, in the front yard, in the forsythia, finally in the thicket across the road by the creek. It was an exhausting journey, not only for the 4 youngsters, but for mama and papa to corral and encourage with noisy musical notes to try a little harder, to fly a little further. These young ones were feathered out, but had not developed their wings. These parents were determined to provide a safe environment for their family. I’ve thought many times that birds have much to teach us about life. These parents, though not always the kindest birds to others in the bird kingdom, were the best parents they could be. That birdhouse has been repaired with Liquid Nails. Will their little bird brains remember it’s not a safe place to raise a family? I’ll just have to wait to see.

It must have been a favorite place to raise a family, there under the red crab apple, for this year another family took residence there. My backyard was filled with a symphony from many visiting birds and bees.

HUMMERS

 

HUMMERS

I was almost bombed tonight

when a hummingbird set his sights

on my red shirt

when I was digging in the dirt.

We had a stare down

before he turned around

to sit on the garden fence.

I watched what would circumvent.

It spit twice.

Was that nice?

Then caught a gnat.

How about that!

Little did we know

that lurking was a foe,

or maybe it was a date

who was looking for a mate.

Perhaps a mating dance ensued,

then maybe a proposal pursued.

Their little heads turned right and left.

I wonder if they had any sense left.

I was dizzy

from the activity.

Then off they went

across the fence.

One was female.

Was the other male?

I did notice their emerald colored tails

as the sun shone on them in my little dale.

Up into the sky they flew

with wings of emerald too.

I'm sure they will be back

for I have bee balm out back.

* * * * *

Red bee balm attracts hummers

and bees, who are also hummers.

All day long music can be heard

from humming bees and singing birds.

Take a minute to listen.

Perhaps this minute will lessen

any frustration

you're possessing.

As the birds and bees work

take time from your busy work

to enjoy God's wondrous innovation

for it is for you, His work of creation.

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak...

those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:28-29,31

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

Today's Partial Garden Tour

 

Moon flower, blooms at dusk - like watching a miracle open.

Photo taken early morning.  Not true color.

Primrose in pink.

Primrose nicknamed sundrops.

First rose campion bloom of the season.

Shared by a former neighbor.

Rose campion have self-seeded abundantly.

Biennial.  Blooms the second year.

This bed is filled with rose campions.

Foxglove originally from friend's sister in NJ.

Self-seeded in several locations.

Doesn't winter over well in this zone.

The end of the iris for the season.  

All iris' given to me.

Love-in-a-mist seeds came from a rummage.

I believe the blue darkens as they age.

Rosa - fragrant.

Thinking the fairies had a wedding last night and threw rose petals.

Heat blooming many blossoms:

Snow-on-the-mountain through the looking glass,

from Aunt Sophia.

Will remove blossoms soon to keep foliage looking nice.

A gift of baby pink peony.

See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 

was dressed like one of these.

Matthew 6:28-29