My July Garden ...

Here we are at the end of July and the garden is at it's best! Purple Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans are the mainstay and make it pop! There is also the deep purple of several Japanese Maples, orange lilies, a host of herbs and other plants tucked in here and there.

We've been very dry again and I continue to use stored rain water to keep things looking fresh and happy. As August approaches this garden and most others in the region will begin to look a little worse for wear. Continuing heat sears the flowers and leaves and lack of rainfall makes for pitiful wilting, especially during long afternoons. But soon the sedums will bloom and there will be some semblance of color once again as their pale pink blossoms turn darker until they are a shade of deep red-mahogany.

Having tucked a few veggies in a corner of the fenced in yard next to where the dogs roam free, the deer and groundhogs have decided not to bother with the battle this year. The smell of dog seems to leave them cold. We're enjoying 4 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, green peppers and lots of culinary herbs. I've heard great things about a new water spritzer on the market that is activated by a motion detector that comes on when an animal approaches. It comes on suddenly and scares the you-know-what out of them. After a couple of attempts they decide it's not worth it and stay away. So I'm already hatching big plans for next summer. I'm planning a new bed, where I can add some eggplant, squash and cukes. Who knows what else I'll find in those seed catalogues that start arriving in the dead of winter when I'm dreaming of getting my hands in the soil.

As I write a surprise thunder storm has opened up overhead and its raining hard. Time to shut down this machine and tuck myself in a cozy chair with a good book.