Well, gardens - I've kind of been done with you for awhile!
The caterpillars, killer moles (or, I've started to be afraid that I now may have a vole...some of my plants have been decimated 😩), and worst of all: the rain.
In July we had almost 12 inches over our average. About 7 over in September. Overall I've heard numbers of 300% more rain that usual. It's been nuts!
When it wasn't rainy (and sometimes in the 60's!), it was 90 and humid. And the MOSQUITOES!
So I've largely just let the gardens go.
And then we started DIY major house renovations a few weeks ago, so here's your catching up and kind of the "final" garden update of the year through a million photos...
Deck Pots in June...
So much color!
Mid-Summer Flowers...
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| Gorgeous hibiscus flowers bloomed non-stop! |
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| Enormous calle lilies up front |
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| Gorgeous Four 'o Clocks took off! |
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| Love the Bee's Balm! Unfortunately so do caterpillars :-( |
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| Little burst of Four 'o Clock down near the arbor |
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| Black-eyed Susans! |
Shade Garden in July...
The Phlox is spectacular!
But it also started succumbing to either a vicious mole and/or insanely wet soil.
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| Accidental Cardinal flowers stretching for sun |
August Color...
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| The gorgeous zinnias starting blooming! |
And while the diversity in the wildflower garden wasn't as fabulous this year, there were some great colors.
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| One more little clematis which made me hopeful that more were coming, but alas :-( |
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| In fact, it started looking really sad at the bottom :-/ |
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| So many more peppers than I can use! |
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| And the cutest little zucchini you ever saw! |
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| Celosia starting in the front |
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| Honeysuckle is hanging on and the accent flowers around it are looking great! |
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| Beautiful color in the shade garden...so overgrown after rain! |
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Some of my plants like the lamb's ear up front is looking really sad...again -
moles? vole? rain? caterpillars? :-( |
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| The avocado as tall as the birdhouse |
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| Elephant ear looking pretty good |
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| Random lone gardenia flower |
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All summer long a beautiful flower would pop, a little zucchini
would start and then wither away...and repeat. |
September's Looking a Little Sadder...but still Color...
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Hibiscus bursting even as I am unable to keep up with
de-caterpillaring |
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| Those few hydrangeas hanging strong |
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| A few little guys came out to say hello at the end |
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| The non-producing blackberry bush went feral |
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| Slightly sad pallet, but yay for succulents!! |
I decided to help give us more privacy in the backyard, I would plant a new bush.
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Figured that smack in the center of where I cleared the grass,
I start digging the hole and there's a giant tree root.
Oooooof course.
Had to move the hole about a foot over and then I was good. |
The same kind up front is like 15' tall now (it's a Red-tipped Photinia). However, I realized that with much more shade aaaaaand essentially planting it in a swamp (that's one of the last places in our yard that drains), I may have made a strategic error :-/ But it's been putting out new growth!
Edibles Still Going in September...
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| Fall crops in: broccoli, brussel spouts, spinach, etc. |
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| Pretty sure the cucumbers are done |
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| Still tons of cherry tomatoes, though! |
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| And little green peppers! Which didn't get bigger than that :-/ |
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| Stowaway Cardinal Flower hiding behind the Cannas |
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An early departure of one of the hostas...again, mole?
vole? overwhelming saturation? my yard hates me? |
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| Um...I really need to find a use for habanero peppers! |
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| Baby zucchini!! |
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| March of the Celosia |
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| Still green and flowering! |
October Starts Looking Different...
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The jungle. Still baby tomatoes. And mums are in bloom!
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| My fall crop - skeletonized. So. So. So angry. |
The zinnias and cannas are out of control!
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| Goodbye, cardinal flowers |
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| Hello, enormous elephant ear! |
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| What the overgrown craziness?! |
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| Are you going to fit in my house? |
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| Last color hanging on |
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| Looking a little sad |
However, temperatures in the 80's and then sudden overnight drop and we're in the 60's and sunny and suddenly flowers start blooming again!
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| Hardy geraniums up front peeking out! |
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| Snapdragons made a comeback |
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| One of the only times this dahlia has bloomed since I planted it! |
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| Honeysuckle started putting out new growth |
More Accidentals...
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I saw this plant/weed growing out of one of the deck pots
and thought, I really need to pull that. It started flowering.
Huh.
Then this little guy popped out. [facepalm] |
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I planted that little purple the last 2 years...
it apparently reseeded itself and decided to wait until
October a year and a half later to sprout! |
This Week...
Can only be described as dying while still in bloom!
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| Lovely pink Guara bloomed again |
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| Elephant ear out of control |
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| Holy spikey, Batman! |
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| Geranium came to life |
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| Petunia blooming and canna putting out a new leaf...while the rest dies! |
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| Lovely! |
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The Bee's Balm is putting out its new growth and that
crazy red-leafed annual has gone nuts and is starting to flower! |
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| Zinnia and Canna garden! |
Welp - there you have it. There are just no words.
Weirdest - year - EVER!
I intend to rescue the elephant ear bulbs aaaaand that's about the extent of my winter prep / clean-up. Other summer bulbs just get to stay and fend for themselves.
Just let nature take its course and hate myself come spring! 😄
