Cancelled on Account of Heat!

Absolutely no work was done this Wednesday.  Heat has rolled into Central Virginia like July, instead of June.  All that got done was watering the veggie and herb gardens.

Don't know what variety this clematis is, but it's always the last to bloom.  Some of the early varieties are into their second bloom already.

But we are coming into the prettiest part of the summer, so i did make time to visit a few things. 

These water iris don't last long, but are so pretty for a few days.

The "red" day lilies are starting to bloom.

Had planned to do a bit more in the top of this planter,  but the heat caught me.  If it cools off, I still may add something else.   This is Echinacea 'Double Scoop' PPAF - gorgeous!  All those spring bulbs are underneath.

Even the shade plants are cooperating.  This hosta has more than doubled this year. 

Hope things are pretty in your garden, too!

Flowers in the House

Finally!  It's flower time and time to invite you in for a glass of iced tea and a bit of floral fun!  

Our friends Elizabeth and Charles were here for the weekend, so we had more flowers inside than usual.

On the dining room table there's a pitcher of mixed flowers - Bee balm, salvia, snapdragons, cone flowers and yarrow with Solomon's Seal for greenery. 

On the coffee table, the only mophead hydrangea we have so far - Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' PPAF.  It's an everyblooming variety that I hope will bloom again later this summer,  but this was literally the only flower on the entire bush.

In fairness to the hydrangeas of the world, I also did a vase of the other one that is blooming.  This is another ever blooming variety, but somehow I have never felt any excitement about it.  Lace caps can be lovely, but this one hasn't much color and just seems dull. [Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lady in Red', with white and purple salvia, and angelonia.]

Finally, a few zinnias on the dresser in the guest room, just so they would know they were welcome!

So glad you stopped by.  Hoped to have a little sweet* to serve you ... but we ate it all this weekend.   Thanks to Jane for getting us organized and pushing us out into the garden to cut a posey or two. 

* 'Berry Shortcake Fool from Marie Viljoen's "66 Square Feet: A Delicious Life", page 99.  Plates were licked!