High 80 F
Low  55 F

New plants appear each year in the garden centers and the one above, Hibiscus 'Haight Ashbury'  is a great hibiscus for color although of the two I purchased only this one still has this mottled coloration.  I noticed at the garden center, in a block of  several of these plants, that some had reverted to solid mahogany.  Still pretty but not as interesting as this one which would have bright red flowers along the stems if I had it in more sun.  Another interesting annual is Alternanthera ‘Red Thread which looked great with the bat faced cuphea until the Japanese beetles ate those to shreds.  It has filled the pot nicely though and now stands on its' own.  This morning glory is threading its' way around the bench at the fish pond.  It is no substitute for the true blue but since it has volunteered for the job of color, I can appreciate it on its' own merits.   This is the bottlebrush buckeye which is just about finished with its' blooming. It is one of those shrubs which doesn't garner too much attention but it is quite interesting in form whether flowering or not.  I like the way it 'floats' in the corner of the garden under this large oak.   The light is changing in the garden as summer's peak  passes.  There is no denying the shortening of the days and the lengthening of the shadows.  What is prettier than the dappled light on a lawn?

Wordless Wednesday, 8-06-08

High 66 F
Low  62 F
Rain .44"

Hearts afire at The Dynamic Duo's

Wild things!

High 80 F
Low  60 F

The garden was full of life this weekend.  I sat by the left handed mitten garden trying to get a shot of the hummingbird and the butterflies and much to my surprise, other creatures appeared.  It was rather pleasant just sitting and waiting with the drone of the cicadas  and the sounds of the birds in the background.  It is hard for me to sit still for any length of time, just waiting although I am very good at taking a nap lying down.  The hummingbird definitely knows when something is not in its' right place and it took quite a while to get this shot which, since I don't yet have telephoto lens, is not too bad.  She is looking right at me while sipping the nectar. All I see in this picture is the stick of bee balm which should have been cut down to the two leaves.  I'll do better next time.   I did pick a few weeds while sitting in the chair and a slight movement in the center of the bed caught my eye.  Someone else was lying in wait for a noon treat.  I know snakes are beneficial in the garden but I truly hate to be startled by them.  This one is wrapped around the stem of a delphinium, long past.  I did notice that the seeds should be ready for harvest although I wasn't about to reach in and grab them until this guy found another perch.  The butterflies would seem an easy target for the lens with their gracefully arching drifting in the breeze but they are remarkably fast.  I have found that it is better to wait for them to land and start feeding before you venture near.   They do love the coneflowers and the butterfly bush flowers. The bees also like the coneflowers and this one seems to be napping.    Over by the pond, the dragonflies were zooming about like  helicopters in flight. They hover and lift like helicopters.  Then there are the frogs.  I like the webbing of their feet and their incredibly muscular legs.  No wonder they can jump so high.  A day in the garden among the wildlife is a great day don't you think?

Rendezvous!

High 81 F
Low  62 F

As Heather stated over at Heather's Garden, it has taken us many months to finally meet but on Saturday she arrived with VPH in tow.  All of you who have met a fellow blogger know the thrill of finally meeting in person.   The joy of being able to share the garden with another who appreciates the hard work and the finished,  or should I say evolving, garden.  No garden is ever really finished as it is the process rather than the product.  Plants fail and new ones arrive and combinations of colors are tweaked.  Two gardeners with remarkable similar foot wear and nail color!  How could these two fail to be friends?   I had set aside the above pictured bee balm which seemed quite appropriate given Heather's wardrobe choice for the day.  Besides her beautiful smile and VPH (a very charming man) she brought along this wooly thyme which is now planted in the corner of the Florida bed.  I think it will do well there and the picture I took was dappled with sun and shade so I will have to take another.    Tucker was quite the host and his good behavior is indeed just his nature.    He was  excited to show Heather around. We did have a chance to chat for a while as it started to pour as soon as Heather and VPH arrived so we passed the time discussing all manner of gardening until the rain slowed down.  Pictures do come out so much better in the filtered light of a cloudy day.  Also, the wetness enhances the colors and other than wet feet it is more comfortable to walk around the garden without the bright, searing sun.  Thank you Heather and VPH for stopping here at Ledge and Gardens.  I look forward to our next visit and I have now added the calendar back to its' rightful place on the wall by the computer.  It has all of my starting dates for the tomatoes, peppers etc. so it is going to have to be archived. What a great picture this one is for August! I have added a note on the 2nd of August which reads "Heather and VPH visit for the first time".  If any other bloggers ever visit RI,  I would be honored to share my garden with you in person! 

Vegetables

High 86 F
Low 63 F

The veggie garden is producing. The tomato vines are incredibly full and tall and I am harvesting vegetables every day.    The beans need picking.  The EM has been away in Maine for a week so I have not really cooked a full meal as Tucker would rather eat chow out of a bowl and cucumbers right from the vine.  Tomorrow morning these will be picked along with squash.   I did find the inevitable 'baseball bat' zucchini today.  Somehow it escaped notice. This one is small and ready for harvest. These have not really produced much zucchini...words I am sure that I may live to regret!  I planted Christmas beans on the tuteur in the first picture but only two germinated.  I wonder what that was about.  There are so many variables in nature that it is hard to pinpoint just why something has failed.  Did I fail to water at the right time or was this just bad seed.   Christmas beans are very pretty and if I get any, I will show them to you. The Bhut Jolokia pepper is the hottest pepper on record with over a million Scoville units on the heat index.  I think a Hazmat suit will be in order for harvesting and I intend on using these for a deer repellent.  Don't get mad, get even!  A gardener from the radio show mentioned this pepper as a very ornamental plant  and since the EM likes things hot he requested a few plants.  The seeds are expensive because each pepper only has a few in the cavity.  The will turn bright red if the season is long enough.  The other pepper plants, Hungarian wax, Spanish piquillo, and the bell peppers are looking healthy and lush.  Time to harvest a few for the grill.  The hungarian wax are especially good grilled and the intensity of heat varies from pepper to pepper.  I am inundated with cucumbers at the moment although the vines are starting to show a bit of wear and tear.  I planted the above pickling variety and then a long, slicing variety.  The taste is so much more compelling than the store bought.   The basil is lush and full with some of the biggest leaves I have ever seen.  I started these from seed and can't remember the variety. Better notes next year!  The tomatoes....worth waiting for!   Now there are ripe ones to pick every day.  So far, the red lightening are the most tangy and delicious but the Mortgage Lifter, which is big and, sorry no picture as I ate it too fast, was almost as good.  The cherry tomato 'Sungold' also has exceptional flavor.    A basket of veggies is a very satisfying sight don't you think?