Baby, It's Hot out Here!

The July heat has come already. I am reading the calendar right, aren't I? It's only mid-June? Fortunately the full blast of humidity has not come yet, so we are still able to sit on the deck early in the morning and in the evenings to enjoy being outside. But mid-day? Don't be silly!

There are good things that come with the heat. Like daylilies. It took me years to warm up to daylilies. I was used to the orange ones that grow all over the south - along roads and ditches and fences, pretty much wherever one looks. Then I discovered that they came in yellow and other colors, too. I particularly like these that are a really clear yellow, without any orange.

Another special one I have is Hemerocallis 'Richmond Spider'. I bought two "pieces" nearly 10 years ago at a local garden show (at the daylily society's booth) where I was told that it was a locally developed plant. It qualifies as a red daylily, altho it is more coral than red. [In case you aren't up on your small southern college trivia, the University of Richmond is one of our local colleges. Their teams are the "spiders" and their colors are - wait for it - red and navy. Now you have all you need to understand this plant's name.] This is a big prolific plant. I have divided it almost annually and given sections to everyone I know, but it still grows in huge masses in my garden, with each clump having 20 - 30 new blooms a day. Whew! I highly recommend it and would be willing to share with good homes!

The monarda is going great guns, too, with bees - and the occasional humming bird - everywhere. It must make good honey! At least this little guy and a hundred of his best friends seem to think so! This is 'Raspberry Wine' and aptly named.




And, I can't leave you without sharing this first blossom of hybiscus. Mitchell adores hybiscus, so we have several. This one is 'Baltimore", I think. We have several others, but like so many things this one is blooming early.

So let's all move slowly, and enjoy the blooms! Happy weekend.