More Roses

It is definitely the season for roses and both Judy and I have many blooming in our gardens now. I have 5 rose shrubs that need to be replanted so I have decided to start a new rose garden in the unplanted circle at the end of the house at the front. Right now the circle contains two peony; one light pink and one dark, both double. Since all the roses I have to plant are pink or yellow, I am going to add them to that spot and have a new rose garden. It should solve the yearly weed problems there too. Today I finished the fence side of the path in the bird sanctuary and I also did about half the weeding in the Combine Garden before it was too sunny to keep working and I abandoned it until tomorrow morning. While I was weeding there, I came upon an empty hummingbird nest. It was just like the one from last year... full of Suzy and Sandy's molt hair forming a fuzzy, downy bed inside. Too cool. I found a mutant hollyhock in that garden too but did not get a picture before I lost the light. I will try to remember that for tomorrow when I am over that way.

Sweet Smell of Summer

The last two days have been perfect for gardening. The weather has been dry but cool. Afternoons have not been too hot. The dahlia and seeds have started to bloom, giving me a taste of what it will be like next year if I can get it all in a little earlier. Funny how the gardener in me is always thinking of next year, or the year after. At least I don't do that at the risk of missing this year. I take my cues from the cats and enjoy my garden every day, usually more than once. Today, the hummingbirds came several times to the Nursery delphinium and we watched them for quite awhile. One even ventured as close to us as the Dropmore off the deck. We have stopped putting hummingbird food out because we finally have enough flowers to bring them and get them their fill. Then, when I came around the corner on The Road Less Traveled, the smell of sweet clover and vetch was undeniable. We are right in the middle of summer, the time the yard smells the best. Not because of the roses, the lily or even the summer phlox. But because the ditches are full of blooming weeds. It won't be many days before someone from down the road comes along with a big, billowing piece of equipment and mows them all down. Sadly, it has to be done. Many of the local fields are hayed and weeds do not make good winter feed. What they do make is sweet smelling air that I am on a countdown to enjoy and planning on making the most of it... this year.

A Note on Weeds

I can think of many, many reasons to not bother staying on top of weeds around here. For one thing, the fields come right up to the yard. For another, tall weeds provide shade for the dogs as well as some protection for the frogs. Today, another good reason popped up. If I pulled all the weeds, I wouldn't have seen this and this was worth seeing.