Nigella

     Nigella, also called Love-in-a-Mist, is a pretty annual flower that grows to about 18 to 24 inches high and has airy looking foliage. It self seeds itself readily, so if you don't want hundreds of seedlings, take care to cut off the some of the seed pods, especially if they hang over a path where you do not want them to grow. This will also keep it blooming for a longer time. They prefer full sun but will also do okay with part shade and are not picky about soil. Some people dry the seed pods and use them in flower arrangements. They come in shades of blue, purple, white and pink, in singles and doubles and everything in between. This is the first year I've ever seen pink growing among mine. Here are some photos from my nigella this year.

Seed Pods

Seedlings

June Blooms

Hello fellow gardeners! We've had an unusually dry June, with several temperature records broken. Other than a few poor seedlings that I forgot to water (oops!) and my sad looking peas that aren't enjoying the heat, my garden seems to be happy. I worked on my fairy garden and added the accessories my daughter bought me along with some blue rocks for the creek. I still want to add a little patio but the pebble one will do for now. Here are a few of my favorites this month.  

Daylily 'Strawberry Candy'

Daylily with unknown name

Dianthus just opening up

Feverfew

Nigella or Love in a Mist

Miniature or Fairy Garden  

Fuchsias with Lobelia

Spirea 

Buddleia or Butterfly Bush

Peas while they still looked green 

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

July Blooms

 We've had lovely weather so far this July, with most of the days being comfortably warm but not too hot. The biggest chore in my summer garden is remembering to water.  So far so good, but watering is one of the few chores I tend to forget. Then of course there is the ever constant need to weed. Good thing I rather like weeding.

      I'm sharing another photo of Anemone De Caen, one of the few flowers that wasn't chomped on by a hungry snail or some other creature. I think I will have to buy some more of these lovely bulbs for next year, and place them in a spot with less likelihood of being eaten. Next is a photo of the buds on my spirea,  and the teeny tiny flowers on my True Elfin Thyme, which is in my miniature garden. Next up is the airy and delicate annual called Nigella, Bachelor Buttons and a Daylily.

Anemone De Caen

Spirea

True Elfin Thyme

Nigella

Bachelor Buttons 

Bachelor Button

Bachelor Button

Daylily