Garden Gander

My garden is going too fast again this year. It seems as if we went from 60s to high 90s overnight, and then last week we had our first triple digits of the year. Whew! I think I'm melting!






The day lilies are finishing up early, but having any at all is a miracle this year because a July 4 hailstorm shredded almost my entire garden. The day lilies were particularly hard hit because they are such a huge target. Some of the unopened blooms were six inches long. The hail sheered many of them right off.




Also falling prey to the hail were my delphiniums and lupine. Most were almost done, but one lone delphinium was just getting started. (It doesn't get as much sun.) It's finally beginning to grow back now. Oh, and I planted an entire package of colorful Russell lupine in the bare spots last weekend. I'd planted an entire package of dwarf lupine a month ago, and some of those infant plants survived because nearby taller plants sheltered them.






This is the third time we've had hail at my house this year. This is the first time in ten years it has done damage. We have three new dents in my car. I'll have more photos of hail damage in an upcoming Snowflake Monday post...


These are not my roses, but I enjoy them as if they were. Most domesticated roses in Colorado should be blooming in August. The wild roses are a July plant, and most of them were done in June as soon as the temperature began to rise.






Many of my sunflowers are already blooming. They are supposed to be August flowers. Fortunately, most of the ones blooming now are from seeds deposited by last year's flowers or by birds (meaning they got an early and risky start, with the May 15 snowstorm).  Thankfully, I planted more sunflowers in June and in July to try to keep the garden from going bare before the first frost. (I planted an entire package of red sunflowers over the weekend!!!)


I couldn't resist a little sunflower Thunder Moonrise reflection on our 14th anniversary.


I've been telling everyone we are Colorado's newest 14er. Tee hee hee!




I cheated and planted a dahlia indoors in March. I moved it (permanently) out onto the porch near the end of May. It began forming a bud about four weeks later, and I was so excited! But then the temperature got so hot, most of the leaves and the bud fell off.

My backyard garden dahlia is the first one on the scene this year. I planted it in May, and the bunny tunneled under it but didn't eat it. It's blooming pretty early, especially considering the abuse it has taken, but it's taking my breath away! I clipped the first bloom and put it inside in a vase because that supposedly helps the plant make more blooms. A second bloom is opening now, and a third one is forming!


Funny story behind the dahlia and its closest neighbor... Because the bunny tunneled beneath the dahlia AND the chicory (and completely devoured my first-ever peony), the giant chicory fell/leaned over and sheltered the dahlia from the devastating Independence Day hail. Some people consider chicory a weed. Not only am I helplessly in love with the gorgeous one-day color of my leaning tower of chicory blooms, that plant is my garden hero this year!


The daisies are almost done. They aren't as early as they've been the last few years, but they are supposed to be an August flower here.


I think the bee balm is about on time. I think.




The mini morning glories and bluebells are a bit late because I intentionally planted them a bit late.






My spiderwort has thrilled me almost all summer long for three years now. I hope the tradition continues, and I hope another white one blooms eventually!


This is one of my white spiderwort from 2017. I spread seeds throughout the garden because they were my favorite of the four colors I have planted. New plants don't bloom the first year. This is the second year since I scattered seeds. Four plants have boomed so far this year, and I have six more plants that have yet to bloom. Fingers crossed at least one will be white!

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