Saying Goodbye to Summer. Again.

I was going to say that summer is winding down but I guess I need to face it; summer is over.



Asters and calendula counterpoint.






A successful dahlia from a tuber I overwintered.












Clematis seed heads.






Garlic harvest.






Ginger in pot.












Joe Pye seedheads.






Reblooming larkspur.







Plume poppy seedheads.














Number One chicken.







Sunflowers in veggie garden. Probably our biggest "crop".













Datura - "Moonflower".






Finch on sunflower.








Monarda Bergamot.











Alice and friends.







Fireworks goldenrod.












Mums.







Porch pedestal.











Girls at their seedblock.




This summer, as most, went by way too quickly. (See this post for why.)

I tried a coordinated color scheme for the front containers this year.
Didn't especially like it. I think I'll go back to my hodge-podge norm next year. I also need to face the fact that our front container garden is now mostly shade and I need to stop planting things that need full sun. Gees. I like full sun flowers. Oh well.

Yesterday Kim discovered a nest behind a tomato plant in the fenced in veggie garden. The next was filled with 14 eggs. Chicken eggs. Now wasted chicken eggs. Ginger is the only chicken we have who is thin enough to fit through the veggie garden fencing. She must be the offending chicken.

Now we're like most people who raise chickens and realize they enjoy laying their eggs in places other than the proper nesting box. So we'll be checking this nest daily from now on. Bad chicken!

What have you learned over the summer?

Hummer Pics

We've had so many hummingbirds in our garden this year. It's been fun to sit around and take pictures of them with Kim's camera set on burst.


The crocosmia flowers have been a big draw for them.

The Magic of Photography

.......as Kim makes our garden look better than it is.

The front;
right side




left side




The Veg garden;






The back;









The crocosmia;








Tootsie;




Hope your summer is going great!

Things I'm Happy With

I haven't been online enough lately. Like most people I seem to have plenty going on right now.

For instance we haven't had a working kitchen sink for a few days now and it's a surprising inconvenience. Kim decided to paint the kitchen, then that led to being unhappy with the counter top which led to replacing the counter top which led to not liking the old faucet, drawer pulls, back splash, etc. That's what happens when he's left alone with a week off to himself.

Oh well, it's going to look great eventually.

Now on to Things I am happy with;

1. The nasturtiums in the hanging baskets on the garage. They're actually blooming. I usually don't get many blooms from my nasturtiums. These are Empress of India.




2. My foxgloves. I just love them.






See that short wire fence? That's all it takes to keep the chickens from eating them into the ground. Yes, I know foxgloves are poisonous but the chickens LOVE eating their leaves.











(I told you I love foxgloves.)




3. Poppies and iris. Although they're both finished they were great when they were in bloom.



Two different poppies with Constance Spry rose in the background.






4. Goldfinches.




5. Watching the chickens.




6. First Strawberries of the season from our plants.



What are some of your favorite summer things?