Wednesday Wandering

Zinnia Patch

where I saw the hummingbirds yesterday.  

While I was walking hubby around in the gardens a bit the other day we both saw a Giant Swallowtail in the Zinnias. It kind of followed us around for a bit. Later we both had the same strange thought...it was a visit from our granddaughter Kayla who died unexpectedly a couple of years ago from cardiac arrhythmia. 

I have not done a Wednesday Wandering post for a long time. Seems I haven't found the time to walk through the gardens to take pictures this year. Yesterday afternoon I finally went out with the camera. It was not the best time of day for photos. 

This was the first Monarch I've seen this year and it was nice enough to pose awhile so I could take a pic.  For some reason it liked that spot on the trellis I made of tubing from hubby's enteral feeding bags.  

I grew Sweet Peas on the trellis. Oh, they smell so sweet. 

Funny thing...my trellis is growing! I cleaned out an area that had a lot of woody growth of Elderberry and did not let the wood age before I used it as my trellis supports. Now if I wanted that to happen it would not have.  We used to make jam and wine from the wild Elderberries but haven't done that since the kids left home. 

The leaf hoppers have finally decided to leave my Dahlias alone, thank goodness. I first thought the earwigs were what was damaging them so put out traps for them - my old yogurt containers with a little soap and oil in them buried level with the ground. I put in four of them. Well, the next morning they were all dug out of the ground and damaged....darned raccoons! 

Dahlias are not hardy here so I will have to dig these up and store them for the winter after we have a frost. 

These are big Dinner Plate Dahlias so are worth a little work. I now have a permanent place I will put them in the veg garden since I don't need to grow as many veggies since hubby has G-tube and poor guy does not get to enjoy garden produce anymore. 

I love Coneflowers and no critters usually bother them so I put in a new Coneflower garden with several newer varieties of Coneflowers (Echinacea). I usually start most of my flowers from seed but I bought the different Coneflowers. I'm going to continue to collect more varieties and try to keep them all labeled. 

More Zinnias. One can never have too many Zinnias. Critters rarely bother them thank goodness. I save seeds each year so I can sow a lot of zinnias here and there.   My fav type is the cactus flowered. 

I know Autumn is approaching when the Japanese Anemones start blooming. 

As Autumn approaches the Sweet Autumn Clematis starts blooming.  Here it grows on a trellis with Morning Glories. The Morning Glories reseed themselves every year. Thank goodness they stay near the trellis and don't invade everywhere unlike the darned bind weed. 

Since I've been using Bobbex to spray on roses to keep deer away they are starting to really thrive. And the Japanese Beetles have not really invaded this year like they have in the past couple of years. Weeds are thriving too!

I meant to pick and dry the hydrangeas earlier but I did not see these since they were hanging so low. Maybe next year!

I also meant to pick and dry the Love Lies Bleeding ropes but I think now they are too far gone. This is the first time I've actually gotten Love Lies Bleeding to grow. I think I was always planting it and then later pulling it up thinking it was the wild amaranth (pig weed) that grows around here. This year I decided I would not pull up whatever came up that I planted between the two cages I have around roses. 

The roses in front of the Love Lies Bleeding. 

And the roses in back. 

Another rose across the path way. 

And a wild or species rose bush, the state flower of Iowa, that  I need to cut away that sprouted up near the little water garden. They grow so fast. I guess deer and rabbits don't like that kind of rose!

And sow on...

*****

CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

September 3 - My youngest brother's birthday. He's 68.   I'm very proud of him. Over 20 years ago he was addicted to cocaine and booze (Jack Daniels).  He has been sober since then, had a good job (chef) he retired from last year and replaced his addiction to cocaine and booze with an addiction to travel all over the world to learn the cuisine of other cultures and how they prepare that food. (He's eaten things I don't think I would even put anywhere near my mouth)!!! 

I was also the lucky recipient of a box of fabric and thread from Cindy and a box of scraps from Ann.  I am so thankful! Oh the quilts I can make!