Today I'm going to ignore how hot it is because
some places are hotter.
I'm not going to worry about how dry the soil is because
some places are drier.
Today I choose to see what's right instead of what's wrong.
Everyday is a choice and I choose happy.
I have a tomato growing out of a crack in my patio.
It's from a seed dropped by the grape tomatoes that popped up in my compost last summer. I transplanted one seedling to a pot on my patio and some of the fruit was knocked to the ground. It's amazing to me that this plant is growing out of a crack between the pavers!
I water it whenever I'm watering my containers.
Supertunia petunias, ornamental oregano, and sedum
These petunias are fragrant and smell like lilies.
Hummingbirds have been making daily visits to the silene regia. This southeastern native can grow to four feet tall. The unopened flowers look like tubes of lipstick.
It grows in my dogwood garden near heliopsis and yarrow.
Tiny mystery butterfly on the roses
My Abraham Darby roses are thriving in the heat. They are growing in a big pot on my patio and are wonderfully fragrant.
Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars in the parsley
Very pretty blooms. I try not to complain as Colorado and them are always severe but most of my stuff is burnt up. Losing stuff so fast that I have pretty much given up this year. Hope things get better for all of us.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Jennifer has had several really good posts lately. I love that you choose happy...that's why I love visiting your blog. Your happy enthusiasm is contagious ;)
ReplyDeleteMariposa, your petunias are super in that hottest weather! I love old English roses, this color is very tender.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and post. It's amazing how well my gardens are doing despite the weather. I am so so grateful!
ReplyDeleteI had a columbine grow up in the crack of cement between the house and the front walk. Hardy little plants that come up as a volunteer. This year my best looking tomato plant is in my compost pile.
ReplyDeleteGood way to look at life!
Your happy poem was just what I needed. With the power outage, the hot weather, and my poor garden suffering because of it, I was feeling a bit out of sorts. However, there is lots to be smiling about just like the tomato seed that found its rightful spot in the crack. Weather will be weather, and the garden will survive. I have lots and lots of tomatoes. :)
ReplyDeleteThat tomato is wonderful. It always amazes me how resilient tomatoes are. Good on you for being positive, it must be hard to enjoy the garden when the weather is so hot.
ReplyDeletePetunias that smell like lilies - how wonderful! You do have lots to celebrate in your garden - the roses, the silene - and the butterflies and caterpillars are obviously enjoying it too.
ReplyDeleteThis positive spin is a big help for me today. We are not as blisteringly hot, but we are hot enough, our A/C compressor died last night, the power went out this morning (only briefly) and a lot of my garden looks limp from lack of water. But .... you showed me I can look around and still see a lot of gorgeous stuff.
ReplyDeleteThose white fragrant petunias look so crisp and fresh and were just the thing to perk me up!
Hey the little butterfly is a Juniper Hairstreak, good find also. Enjoyed this posting.
ReplyDeleteI admire your optimistic outlook, but I do hope you have a cool down soon. That intense heat is grueling. I just came in from an evening walkabout of my garden, and I was delighted to see that what I think is the 'Pregnant Onion' I inherited from my MIL eight years ago has finally bloomed in spite of the triple digits.
ReplyDeleteThe inconsistent weather is our teacher because this way we learn different kinds of gardening techniques, I'm trying to look on the sunny side of things too! I've just had a bug come into my garden and fixate/destroy a plant I grow throughout my garden. I let it go last year to see what would happen, I sprayed some of them this year and next year I'll probably pull them all out. I keep what works and ditch what doesn't.
ReplyDeleteThose Abraham Darby roses look massive - they remind me of the traditional old English roses.
ReplyDeletePetunias that smells like Lilies wow! I must take a note of that. I also like the Silene regia it's very pretty I love the color.
ReplyDeleteHow drought-tolerant would you say the silene regia is? Drought-tolerance may be my #1 criterion in choosing plants for next season!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely not a drought tolerant plant! It's tougher when the temps are cooler but once high summer hits, it likes extra water. Here's a list of wildlife attracting drought tolerant, xeric plants for your area: echinops (blue globe thistle), liatris, nepeta (catmint), native white penstemon, asters (depends on which one), ironweed 'Iron Butterflies', gaura, sedums, achillea.
DeleteI liked reading about your "miracles". A compost-volunteer tomato I have this year is the best looking tomato plant I've ever grown. I wasn't even going to bother with tomatoes this year since I tend to have trouble with them, but I accepted the volunteer's offer and he seems to still be happy. I agree with Randy Emmitt about your butterfly. I saw my first Juniper Hairstreak last year and I was really excited about it (shown here: http://sproutsandwildlings.blogspot.com/2012/01/butterfly-garden.html)
ReplyDeleteSo many things are beautiful in your garden, but the tomato growing between a crack on your patio is super cool! And you are so right, sometimes we have to choose to find the beautiful amongst the ugly and choose to be happy. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteAs terrible as it may sound, I'm happy I'm not the only one grimacing at the heat lol. It is always such a challenge this time of year.
You have a lot to be happy about. I love your little brave tomato, I hope you get some fruit from it. I once bought a potted penstemon, planted it in the ground and was amazed to find a huge tomato vine smothering my roses a few months later. Apparently it came in the penstemon pot uninvited. I got the most tomatoes from that plant.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry your roses have blackspot. Apparently, you either have to spray, or plant resistant roses (in some areas I have heard that only once blooming old roses are completely resistant). Here in California it is too dry for roses to get seriously sick with, so I don't have much first hand experience with blackspot. Sometimes when we get a wet spring, some roses would get blackspot, lose their leaves, re-foliate in the dry summer heat and that's it. We have much higher mildew and rust pressure, but they are not as bad for roses as blackspot it... I am sorry I can't help more.
Give nature even the smallest opening and it will act on it. That little tomato growing in the crack between the pavers is amazing!
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