This and That: A Blog

 I'll start out July (July?  Already?) with some random things. There's been a very nice break in the high temperatures for the past week.  We even got quite a bit of rain one night!  They're slowing creeping up again, but no 90s expected until Friday.  Blazing Star (Liatris)  Bees go crazy for this flower. I think the chives look pretty even when the purple flowers are gone.   The oregano is starting to flower.  I don't cut it back, I leave it for the pollinators.  In the front yard the bees pick the blazing star, in the back it's all about the oregano. I forgot I planted some grocery store Oriental lilies until this popped up through the Moonshine yarrow and Phenomenal lavender.  It smells so nice.  The lily I mean, even nicer than the lavender!   Mickey knows how to nag for a walk to the park. Sprinkler drops on a small piece of tree that broke off.  This was at the park.  Mickey got his way! Someone forgot a ...

 Now that April is over, and the A to Z Blogging Challenge with it (other than the Reflections post coming in a few days), it's time to focus on what's happening in the garden. May hit and the blooming began.  It feels that way, some flowers opened without my noticing they were even buds! Sharing these photos will have to be spread out over a few days this week, there are that many.  I'll start with the front yard, since it ties with the herb garden area for " Best of May " so far.  This is minus the bearded iris, which need their own post, and a few small things like the violas . Chives of course, the onion type. They seem extra purple this year. Breeder's Mix hardy geranium has flowers a bit different from the others in the mix I grew from seed. One of my favorites, Persian catmint.   Some sort of pink and sea thrift. Sweet William.  I don't know where it came from.  Maybe some random seeds I tossed out there.  Some take.  The columbin...

Garden Miscellaneous   Lovely plump sweet wild blackberries! Virginia Creeper berries are turning earlier than last year.  That doesn't necessarily mean an early winter, although it can.  It can also be a stress response to heat and drought as a survival mechanism.  I'd love cooler temperatures, but not an early winter! The berries can be eaten by wild birds without issue, but can be harmful to humans.  The berries and leaves contain oxalate crystals which can cause swelling of the tongue and throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and in rare cases difficulty swallowing or breathing due to the swelling of the throat.  Good thing they taste bad and children don't want a second taste!  Pet birds, particularly parakeets, may have reactions as well.  European Paper Wasp These invasive wasps made their first appearance in the US in the 1970s in Boston.   It's thought they arrived in cargo or packaging material.  They are aggressive to the nati...