Flower Garden - August 6/7

The lack of rain is starting to show it's effects on some of my perennials as well.  The blossoms aren't lasting as long and the plants are starting to droop.  A couple of things are actually starting to look like they are going to die.  Fortunately, perennials are fairly hardy and it takes a lot to do damage to most of them.  Here are a few pics from the past couple weeks.

The rubekia is giving a splash of colour all over the garden!

Rubekia.

Not the best photo, but after about five years, this monk's hood finally decided to bloom!!  The other one still has not!

Columbine seed pods . . . once again, I just let them do their thing, so there will be lots of little white columbine around next year!

Tiger Lily, the last lily to bloom this year.

Happy to see new growth on this clematis, it started off really nicely this year and then died back almost to nothing, but growing nicely now.

Despite the powdery mildew problem on my phlox, they are all doing remarkably well!

Phlox

They are starting to look a little ragged, but these echinacea have lasted for a LONG time!

Purple Phlox.

Red Phlox

Vegetable Garden - August 6/7

I have to admit that I am getting a little discouraged with the vegetable garden.  We haven't had hardly any rain in weeks and it is really taking it's toll.  I actually broke down and bought more hose and a sprinkler this week so that I could water the garden.  This is the ninth year that I've had a garden here and it is the first time I've ever needed to water it.  

The red potatoes have all died back to nothing, so I decided to dig some today.  They are small and very few.  I dug 4 hills, which is half the row and barley got enough for a meal.  The cucumbers are very slow and the lettuce is already starting to get bitter.  And today I noticed what appears to be blossom end rot on my Roma tomatoes.

I have my fingers crossed that watering helps in time to still have a plentiful garden.

On a brighter note, we did have grilled zucchini for dinner last night and it was very yummy, the few cucumbers that we have had have been delicious and there are beets that are ready to be used.  So, it's not a complete failure!  

The Vegetable Garden

Nice looking beets that will make some yummy "purple pickles".

Zucchini.

The peppers are doing well!

I had one ripe tomato earlier this week that with this lettuce and cucumber made a very yummy salad.

Roma Tomatoes were looking good until I looked closely . . . 

Many of them, including all the ones that were starting to ripen seem to be suffering from blossom end rot.  Hope some of them make it!

Disappointing red potatoes, four hills and only enough for one meal.  Hopefully the white ones are better.