This and That: A Blog

 The weather has been up and down, and that will continue this week.  Nights can be in the 40s, and the days are 70s and 80s, upper 80s by next week.  Still, there are signs of autumn.  Besides flowers and vegetables dying back and the front yard starting to look unkept, the trees are starting to turn at the park. Fungus at the park. Puffballs - one still puffed, one already un-puffed.  I do keep my eyes to the ground while Mickey is sniffing around!  I've torn out three of my four tomatoes.  Sungold (a huge disappointment since it's usually an over-producer),  Pantano Romanesco (did nearly nothing and what it did do got blossom end rot), and Golden King of Siberia , seen below.  Bonny Best is still doing great, big red tomatoes with a good taste! This is Golden King of Siberia .  I don't know exactly what happened.  Maybe a combination of things.  Rain checking, bacterial spot... however, while the other varieties had their...

 Not a lot going on here.  It rained quite a bit for a few days, now it's warming up again. During the rainy period it was quite cold, and I pulled out Mickey's blankie.  Actually, it's "our" blankie, as when it's really cold we share! I scheduled my 'flu and COVID vaccines for Wednesday morning.  If you disagree with vaccines, go away.  Earlier this year I sprinkled a packet of Dollar Tree Wildflower Blend seeds in the "new" daylily bed in the front yard.  I got annuals,  alyssum, Chinese forget-me-not, globe gilia, calendula, and a lot of perennials that don't bloom the first year.  I see blue flax, anise hyssop, coreopsis, coneflower plants, and what looks like penstemon, which isn't one of the listed seeds.    I've sown these before, but this is the first time I got the China asters, an annual kind.  Lots of variety!  The Dollar Tree actually carries nice flower seeds.  I've not tried the vegetables. A few of the ...

  Floral Friday Fotos   One mystery purple daylily blooming with the Chesapeake Crablegs .

In daylily season it's hard to pick just one!      

 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 ...

 I hope you're ready for some daylily photos!   Left are some mysteries. The top right is Ned's Choice , a spider from, and bottom right is a new bloomer, My Reggae Tiger .  Or, it supposed to be My Reggae Tiger , but it's a spider and has more yellow.  It came in a three pack called Once in a Lifetime and it is the only one, so far, to bloom.   A nicer photo of the maybe My Reggae Tiger . One of my oldest, Scottish Fantasy , planted in 2020.  Top left: Insider Trading , right Moon Over Monterey Bottom left: Longfield's Pink , right Hyperion An unnamed (or unknown name) spider.  What makes daylilies spider forms?  The petals are four times, or more, the length of their width.  They often curl inward, like spider legs.  Heavenly Angel Ice is a spider as well.  Grape Magi c is one of my favorites, which came in a four pack from Walmart in 2020 for only $4!   Double Classic Top left: unknown, right is Bonanza ...