Editing

Black-Eyed Susans hiding amidst the yarrow.

It is that time of year when gardens can look their tattiest. The heat is oppressive and (usually) there isn't enough rain to keep things lush. All the plants are tired of kicking up the chlorophyll to keep their leaves a deep, dark green- instead they are a spotty yellow.

Once again- due to a summer of abnormally high rain fall- things are not too bad. The lawn is thick and lovely. The plants are still standing erect. My personal battle- Black-Eyed Susans.

I have always had a problem with pulling a plant in the wrong location that is otherwise healthy and desirable. It seems to have a right to live and blossom. The Black Eyed Susans grow wild. They pop up in my yard and garden. Today was a day of ruthlessly pulling them out. Order was restored and I am happy.

The garden was beginning to have that overall sameness with lack of definition. Everywhere you looked was another sunny yellow flower with a brown eye. Editing is hard but in the end the product is easier to look at and understand.

My Morning Walk

I see some pretty nice things on my morning walk with Henry, but I never bring my camera so I don't get to share them. I finally remembered to tote it along. This is a home about a mile from me. The gentleman who did it is a certified heath/heather nut. He has a starting garden out back where he cultivates these beauties. He has done such a nice job of combining the evergreens and heathers to create a sea of texture and color. It is a very understated and formal look.

While I wouldn't want to garden in it- not enough variety for me- I love looking at it. I also couldn't have the heaths and heathers as they are so susceptible to wind burn and my home is unfairly exposed to the cold winds of winter. Although he is only a mile away he has the protection of surrounding trees.












This is just a rhododendron that is growing in the woods not too far off the road. It is so perfectly placed - hanging over a small stream - that it seems impossible that it is random. The nearest house is through some fairly dense pine trees and pucker brush, so perhaps when the area was more open someone planted it. The color is the most subtle lavender/white. I have dubbed the color "moon glow." Every spring I look for it to bloom.

Now this ... is clearly a weed. There are several that grow in a certain spot and it is the most interesting plant. These little umbilliferate forms will pop open into blossoms soon. It has tendrils that grab onto adjacent plants in its quest to get closer to the sun. I think it is absolutely beautiful. I have taken a bunch of photos and hope (some day) to paint a picture of it. Does anyone know what it is?