Every Blooming THing: Late July 2022

Entering prime time for the yard when it comes to color.  Several hundred black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers are blooming as are hostas, bee balm, day lillies and some of the mums.

Between the heat and blogs, it is hard to get time to work on the yard.  Lots of trimming and weeding to do.  I didn't think it was possible to have so many weed trees growing.  

With a bit of a drought going on, I am able to skip cutting the grass for two weeks at a time.  It is better not to cut your grass during a drought (and really isn't necessary as the grass slows down growing a lot), plus, that saves on that super expensive gas.  (However, I should mention that a drought does not stop weeds from growing.)

Sadly, I have around fifteen milkweed plants that I was hoping would attract monarch butterflies, but have only seen two this year.  Even before the milkweed plants, I used to see several hundred over the course of a summer.  I guess they are right about becoming endangered.  I sure would miss them if that comes to pass.  They sure are beautiful insects. 

Bring Back the Monarchs!!  --RoadArch

Every Blooming THing, Early August 2021: Prime Season

I regard this period of time as the best my yard has to offer.  It is a blaze of color from one end to the other with the most blooms of the year.

Right now, the purple cone flowers, black-eyed susans, daylillies, hostas and tall phlox are blooming.  And, I have hundreds of each of them.  I also have some sort of tall mini sunflowers blooming right now and even a few bee balm are still in bloom but most are gone.

But, sadly, we are in drought conditions for a second time so I have been out watering a whole lot.  At least I haven't cut the grass in awhile.  It isn't growing, but the weeds are doing real well, especially over the one septic line that is used.

I have also been very busy cutting back bushes and weed trees that have taken over parts of the back yard.

I have also been busy planting all the annuals that I bought at Menard's when they finally put them on sale.

Always Fun and Games in The Yard.  --RoadFlower

Every Blooming THing, Early July 2021

Well, I actually had to cut the grass last week as after it turned brown during an extended drought, it had caught up quite well during the extended monsoon season we just had.  And, let me tell you, that grass/weed mix over the one line we use in our five line septic field was something else.  Took four passes to cut that mess down.

Right now, the mums are blooming their first bloom session (I have  to cut the blooms back in a few days in order to get that fall blast of color). 

The wild tall daisies are blooming.  Each one has anywhere between 50 and 100 tiny blooms on it.  (I don't actually know what they are called.)  Nor do I know what the pink or red flowers are that are blooming right now are called.

The daisies are blooming as are the tiger lilies, blue salvia, dianthus, potentilla and some spirea.

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GETTING READY TO BLOOM

hostas

purple cone flowers

blackeyed-Susans

daylilies

And, I have easily 100 of each, probably more.

Oh, yes.  The lovely Japanese beetles are back.  Just love those guys.

Getting Ready for the Big Bloom!!  --RoadFlower

Every Blooming THing, Late July: RoadDog's Achin' Acre

I always feel my flowers are at their height of color here at the end of July when four major flower groups start blooming.

Right now, some 300 black-eyed Susans, 200 purple coneflowers, 200 tall phlox and 150 daylilies are blooming.  Those figures, of course, are estimates, but probably close.  I have done a real lot of transplanting.  Plus, my hostas are blooming their blue spikes and I probably have 150 of then as well.

I am still trimming bushes (and I really planted too many of them) and also weeding, pulling up and cutting down spent flowers and keeping up with the grass and all that is really keeping me busy when it is not too hot  and humid outside.  We are one of the highest spots in the state of Illinois and usually get a whole lot of breeze, but not so much lately.  Plus, our temps have been running in the 90s for much of the last three weeks.

This has all cut down on my working outside.  Who'd have known that when you get older, yardwork is so much harder?

Plus, I just read that growing a lot of corn raises the humidity.  And, we are surrounded by farmland with mostly corn being grown on it.

Thinking of changing the name of my yard to RoadDog's Achin' Acre.

Ohh, My Aching Back.  --RoadSore

Every Blooming THing-- Early July 2020; Yard's Ablaze, Man

I took a walk around the house to make sure I got a list of all the flowers blooming right now.

clematis

wild daisies  (several hundred of them)

an orange perennial

some mums that weren't cut back

stella d'oro daylillies

Small, medium and tall daisies

spirea

bee balm

some dianthus

a blue perennial on a stalk

tiger lilies

lavender

Missouri primrose

some tall phlox

marguerittes

tickweed

blue salvia 

something with red flowers

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ABOUT TO BLOOM

daylilies

Asiatic daylilies

black-eyed Susans--  several hundred

purple cone flowers--  around a hundred

hostas

a pink perennial--  I have several hundred of them.

So, the Yard Is Ablaze With Color Right Now And Will Continue To be For Awhile.  --RoadFlower

 FOX HUNTING:  "Fox on the Run" was a 1974 hit song for which band?  

Sweet