Summer Blooms

    It's been been a hot and dry summer here, and many plants are stressed out and some are even dying. You can even see the effects of the drought in the native plants and trees. I can't recall this ever happening before and I've lived in this area my whole life. 
     My dear friend gave me some hollyhocks seeds a couple of years ago, and they are blooming now. I've never grown them before but they are pretty, and very tall! This would have been a great year to try growing cantaloupe or even watermelon but by the time I decided to grow some it was too late to start them from seed. Maybe next year. Anyways, I spotted a new plant at my garden centre called a cucamelon, and I decided to give it a try.  They produce little "cucumbers" that look like little watermelons. They taste like cucumbers with a hint of lime. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them since my family isn't crazy about them, ha ha. There's a photo of them down at the bottom. 

Butterfly Bush and Nigella

Dahlia

Hollyhocks

Daisy

Pinks

Echinacea

Lily Lollypop

Hibiscus

Shirley Poppy

Shirley poppy

Shirley Poppy

Cucamelons

July Blooms & Caring Parents

        Here are some photos of flowers blooming in my yard this month, along with a few from our trip to Manning Park last month. I just love the way the little Colombian ground Squirrel parents stood watch over their young. They couldn't even be lured close with peanuts, one of their favourite foods. We ended up giving away most of our peanuts to the brave Clark's nutcrackers. They took the peanuts right out of our hands. Some of them can even catch the peanuts when you toss them up into the air. The peanuts were tossed, not the birds, ha ha. It's a whole lot of fun and worth the drive out to Manning. I'm linking up with Tootsie Time for Flaunt your flowers Friday. 

Colombian Ground Squirrel

Parent Guarding its young

Clark's Nutcracker

Daylily

Daylily Strawberry Candy

Daisy

Nigella self-seeded from last year

White Nigella

Nigella and Butterfly Bush

Gladiola

Echinacea 

Poppy

Lily

August Blooms and a Wedding to Plan!

     Here are some flowers that are blooming in my early August garden. First off is my newest shrub, Hibiscus Blue Satin. I bought it so that I would have something blooming in my front yard in September. It started to bloom at the end of summer, even though it is quite small. I hope it will still be blooming in September.
      Next are a couple of photos of Cosmos, one of my daughter's favorites. I am hoping these will still be blooming in early October, for her wedding. Yup, my oldest child met an amazing man and is getting married and leaving the nest! What a change that will be. Then I will be the lone female in this household. Scary, ha ha.
      I'm growing a dahlia called Crazy Love this year. It was supposed to have more pink on it, according to the package photo.  Happy Gardening!

Hibiscus Blue Satin

Cosmos

Cosmos

Dahlia Crazy Love

Gladiola

Unknown flower

Echinacea Bright Star, having it's best season ever. I know, still not much, ha ha

Lavatera Novella Rose, a nice short variety

Daisy

Hydrangea bloom

Birds & Blooms in my Summer Garden

The Summer weather has finally arrived much to our delight here in the Pacific Northwest. A visiting chickadee considers a bath, since the water is just about perfect. This is my first time growing Cerinthe, and I am happy that the hummingbirds like feeding from it.   The Monarda looks like a flower one might find on an alien planet. Last of all is the one Jay who figured out how to get the peanuts, from the bird IQ test (feeder) I made recently.  What birds & blooms have been gracing your space lately?

Chickadee considering a bath

After his first dip

Cerinthe

Monarda or Bee Balm

Perennial Dianthus

Balloon Flower Bud

Shirley Poppy

Dahlia

Stellar's Jay