Fertilizer Friday Flowers

This week has flown by not to mention that the month
is gone.
The old saying "the older you get the faster time flies "
is really true.
It is Fertilizer Friday and time to flaunt those flowers
again. Everyone go on over to Tootsie's over at
"Tootsie Time" and join in in 'Flaunting your Flowers'.
After the stormy night and morning we have had
there will be no watering of plants. In fact I had to go
out this morning and dump water out of containers
and pick a few up off of the ground.
My shepherds hook was on the ground along with the
two hanging baskets it held. The flowers are all dropping
in the beds from water logged blooms.
While others in states are in drought and heat waves
we are still cooler and wetter for this time of the year.
Some of the flowers are experiencing mildew from
the damp cool nights.Too bad we can not spread it all
around so everyone could be comfortable.
Here are some flowers that are blooming now in the
garden. Some of them that were cut back are getting
their second round of blooms. My pansies finally had
to be cut off this week but they were will worth their money
and bloomed for a long time.




The poor verbena in this basket is suffering from mildew
and is yellowing.



The Flowering Shamrocks are blooming. The bulbs were
free with an order of flowers and it has been fun watching
these since they were new to my garden.



The 'Lavender Simplicity' rose is blooming. Poor baby,
I moved it twice this year and it is lucky to be alive.







The 'Crimson Bouquet' rose never lets me down
and is getting a new flush of blooms. It will continue
until frost. It is one of the best roses with a heavenly
fragrance.



The monarda ' Petite Pink' is still blooming and
spreading as it is dead headed.



White 'David' phlox is now in full bloom. I love the white
to brighten up the beds, but it is not as fragrant as other
phlox that I have.



" Nora Leigh' variegated is blooming wonderfully
for her first year and will fill out in a few years. I
have decided to plant some 'Nicky' purple phlox
behind her this fall to make it stand out.




Also 'Blue Bird' delphinium is blooming again after
being dead headed but the blooms are not as thick now.



Helitrope 'Marine' smells like vanilla. For some reason
this is the first year I have grown it from seed and I like
it so well it will be back.



This is a new baby lavender phlox and it has one bloom.
The 'Moonbeam' coreopsis is about done and is in need of
a shearing.







This Japanese 'Painted' fern just gets bigger and prettier
each year. The ferns are liking the wet feet.



While the ferns in the shade beds get prettier the hosta
is getting smaller.It gets fertilized too so I do not know what
the problem is. Anyone got any ideas to perk it up?



The Latana and Verbena are going strong. At least the ones
that are not touched with mildew. I do not remember my
verbena getting mildew before, but the ' St. Geroge'
red is new to me and because of it may not have a return
visit to my garden.





Happy Gardening Everyone! Have a wonderful weekend
and flaunt those flowers. All to soon now they will be gone
and replaced with fall flowers.

A Year With Blotanical

I had an anniversary yesterday celebrating at being
one year on Blotanical.
When I first started blogging in the Fall of 2007 I
could only find a few people through on line search
engines for those who were interested in gardening.
Then I happened upon one of those blogs to see the
logo for Blotanical and found a place dedicated to
gardening. Thank you Kylee!
I registered and checked it out and have
enjoyed the experience so much.

White Giant Siberian Lily

It was so good to see all of those wonderful, giving
and knowledgeable gardeners who had blogs. I felt
right at home and a kinship with them.
Through it I have found some wonderful friends who
have taught me so much.
I am so thankful that Stuart started Blotanical and made
a home for all of us who have a passion for gardening
and nature.



Thank You Blogger Buddies and,
Happy Gardening Everyone!

Adding New Perennials

This is the time of the year when stores and nurseries
are selling their perennials, shrubs, and trees at bargain
prices.It is so fun to go and find half price and below
plants that you can add to your growing flower beds
and landscape.
I was able to pick up a three new ones last week on
my quest at the clearance sales.



This is one of the phlox that they had on clearance.
I really love tall phlox in the garden and after going
around and giving them the sniff test, this one I had to get.
"Laura" phlox as you who have it in the garden is
the most fragrant flower and I was hooked from the start
and carried two of them home with me.




I got this little Mandeville vine for half price. I have
always wanted one but they are priced a little high
and then there was the possibility that they may not
survive over wintering in my home. But at half price I
thought it would be worth a chance to have a flower
I had been wanting for so long and experiment to see
if I could keep it going. It needed some tender care
and sunshine but it has a few buds coming out on it.
Now I am waiting to see the "Crimson's" blooms open.





This is another beauty I was able to get two of.
Campanula ' Sentimental Blue' and its blooms are
really a true blue. They are a lower growing and spreading
type. I have Chattle Charm and a White Peach bloom in
some areas of the garden but they tend to flop over and
need some staking at times so I was glad to get this one
to add to the front of some flowers.
The blooms are larger also than my other campanula's.




With the cooler and wetter July we have been having in Ohio
the new plants seem to be doing very well adjusting to
their new homes.
I only wish now that I had gotten more of the "Laura" phlox ;-)

Happy Gardening Everyone!

After The Rain

The rain we have been having the last four
days has been so wonderful for the gardens
and flowers.
Flowers are dropping a little with petals full of rain
drops but it only adds to their beauty.
After the Rain.......



































Happy Gardening Everyone!

Flaunt Those Flowers

Today is 'Fertilizer Friday' , so Flaunt Your Flowers !



Everyone go over to the hostess Tootsie's blog,
'Tootsie Time' and look at all those that are flaunting their
flowers today.
Tootsie's yard and flower beds are a riot of color now in the
summer beds. She has some of the greatest garden decor
and ways to flaunt her flowers. Her yard is beautiful.

This has been the most frustrating day to get this posting up.
This is my third attempt at it since two others have
disappeared right before my eyes as I added a picture
to the posting. I even trying saving the last one as I went to
make sure it did not fly off into the unknown but that also failed.
Oh dear, stuff happens I guess.

We have gotten some much needed rain here in the Hocking
Hill's the last two days. My water barrel and cistern were
getting low.

I live upon a very high hill and old homes such as
mine were built with cisterns to catch rain water.
Back in the day when money was so scarce and hand
digging 450 feet was impossible they used cisterns
for all of their needs.
Over the years of learning to ration water I do not
take water for granted still today.
After we could afford to get a water well drilled I still
kept the cistern, pumps and waterlines in tack to use
to water the garden, flowers, the fountain, the bird baths,
around the potting bench, etc and an occasional washing
of the car.
Now the last few years I have had a rain barrel hooked
up to the cistern with a large plastic pipe attached to the
barrel's over flow spout which runs the rain water straight
into the cistern.
Other than a good soaking rain the garden plants
and flowers love the rain water from the cistern.
If we get a rain every week or two there is always
plenty of water for my plants and flowers.
Last summer we had a drought through July and
August and I had to use the cold water from the deep
well and the flowers did not like that cold water on a hot,
dry summer day.

Now to flaunt some flowers that are blooming around
the yard.

The Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' that were grown from seed is
starting to spread out and bloom all over the containers
and beds where they were planted.




I added some to the pot around the Poinsettia
I had at Christmas time. It is growing so big in
the sun and big pot.
It is grown as an annual here at holiday time
but I wanted to try to keep it and get it to bloom
bright red for me again this winter. It is worth a
shot and nothing lost in the trying.





Also coming in bloom from seed is this Helitrope 'Marine'.
It's dark blue tiny blooms are so pretty and it smells good too.
It has been slow growing for it though.





For those of you who occasionally read my postings, the weird
petunia ' Orchid Mist' is still blooming with three different
colors of blooms on the one plant. I was wondering if the blooms
would change all back to pale lavender after it had grown for a while
but it is still blooming with the three different colors of double blooms.






The Rose of Sharon are starting to bloom now.




Much to my dislike the pesky little Japanese beetles have found
the blooms. Nasty little critters.




The Knockout Roses never let you down for a adding
color to the garden.



The Rainbow Knockout Rose is a pretty peachy pink
with a yellow center.





I love this pink single bloom one.

The Morning Glory bushes are still blooming and spreading
out to overflowing their containers.

This is my first year for trying to grow 'Stock' and I
love the fragrance of them. The few that survived my
seeding attempts are purple. I have a couple more of the
slow growers and I am hoping they're a different color.

The Gaillardia blanket flower is living up to the name
and spreading down over the bank beside of the garage.




The Echinacea are still in full bloom.
This large coneflower smells so terrific and all of
the little friends love it.

Shasta Daisy ' Becky' is also in full bloom with its bright
white skirt full of petals.

I have all sorts and sizes of containers full of Impatiens
that are now bounding and over flowing their containers.
They are a must have around here to bright up all of the shade.




I have them hanging on fences.



In containers.





And even hanging in baskets on trees.




Imperial Ivy geranium is so pretty now.
And this is the only hydrangea bush that is blooming so
far this summer. I do not know what is up with the others
but I hope they are just running late. A couple of years ago
when we had a severe winter they did not bloom the next
summer.Ihope that is not the case this summer. I am so
crazy about their blooms.





Happy Gardening and Flaunt Your Flowers!