The heatwave that we're in the middle of belies the fact that summer did not officially begin until today. It's been quite a stretch of temps in the 90s, without the relief that afternoon thundershowers are sometimes known to bring. It's yet again one of those patterns where the skies darken, and all around Winston it seems there are showers and downpours...and we get nuthin'.
So I'm in a routine of watering every morning, starting around 6:30. After all the planting I did back in May, I really need to nurture and tend to these new additions to the landscaping. I'm not worried now about the grass...which hasn't required cutting since May 25th. It looks worse for the wear on the north side of the front yard but is hanging in there on the southern side.
Downtown living provides its own entertainments, and a regular element of my morning watering is to be panhandled. Spring Street is a popular thoroughfare for homeless folks, down-on-their-luck folks, halfway house dwellers, street people, addicts, methadone clinic patrons, day laborers, and so on.
The panhandling always involves an extensive story from very polite folks who could use some help, although every once in a while, the asker gets a bit accusatory and pissy. Those are the ones I just tell to move on. I stopped watering one recent morning to go inside and fix a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for one fellow, and another did a quick face wash with the hose. Then I go back to watering.
My signs of summer include the evening song of cicadas (which I first noticed last night) and the first sighting of a goldfinch (from June 14th):
The week leading up to the summer solstice brought about a burst of blooming from most of the remaining quarters of the yard: the daylilies along the front, at the back door, and on the north side of the house:
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| Strutter's Ball Daylily: 1st to bloom |
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| Calypso Daylily |
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| Coral Sea Daylily |
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| Original daylilies, already here when I bought the house |
The dwarf crepe myrtles have busted out in color:
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| Berry Dazzle |
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| Sweetheart Dazzle |
The little side garden between the front porch and the back door is doing reasonably well, although the liatris is not looking healthy or strong this year:
The bee balm is strong and good, though:
The mini penny hydrangea is pretty in pink:
The Helene Rose of Sharon and the red eye althea began blooming over this last week too:
The nanho purple butterfly bush is bright in color although I've not seen a great influx of butterflies to it yet:
And on the north side of the house, I'm pleased to see that the astra blue balloon flower has really spread and branched out, especially because last year it didn't make much of an appearance...I really love this flower:
The sunshine calla lilies are looking lush and fantastic, although this pic doesn't capture it well:
The Lord Baltimore rose mallow also busted out in its beefy gorgeous blooms, but the cranberry crush has yet to join it (even though it's full of promising buds):
The vinca and petunias are doing well and the new primrose mounding perennials are making do. The basil and sage are growing quickly and the flat leaf parsley is lagging behind a bit. The two new oakleaf hydrangeas are settling in well and I've not lost my new rhododendrons or azaleas...yet.
It's proven most fortuitous that I'm mostly off the road still, because the dry spell and heatwave would surely have turned my yard labors of May completely asunder. Still, I feel like it's running the risk of being a losing battle. Time will tell.
