A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Flowers on the West Side of the House

Sunday morning and it's a beautiful day out. I thought I'd show some flowers on the west side of the house. This side gets quite a bit of shade, but things do well here. I've even grown cherry tomatoes in containers on this side...up close to the house.




The Black Eyed Susans are crowding out the Japanese Anemones. I guess I'll have to thin the Susans out this fall. Did you ever here "pink and yellow..kiss your fellow" when you were younger? One of the many little sayings of my youth. I like this combination of colors in the garden. Sometimes just a spot of yellow can brighten up the dullest garden.


 The susans are so hardy. I can rip them out, but they come back over and over and pop up in many places around the yard. Why they don't last on the woods border, I'll never know.
 These little clumps of purple are Salvias (in the sage family) I planted one many years ago and just let it bloom once, not knowing that if you cut off the dead flowers...they will re bloom. This is the 3rd flush of blooms for this new clump of mine. I have them in several places around the yard. Trouble free, pest resistant for the most part, and a very tidy plant. I used to cut the dead stems off individually, but now, I just lop them off with shears and voila...they come again. 


Lastly the Russian Sage.I told about this one before...how I dug it up and moved it to the woods. It died in the woods, but came  again where I had dug it out. I guess I didn't get all the roots. I got the copper bird bath from my daughter and it sat near this plant. Now I put it right in the center of my Russian Sage in the spring. You can't see it, but I had it tied to the birdbath in several places...to keep it out of the lawn mowers path. It's getting huge. I wonder...can you dry this plant's flowers?
So, today is the beginning of some hot weather. Mother Nature is hearing all the complaining about summer being over so quickly...and she's throwing us another curve...hot weather in the 90's again. I wish everyone would stop complaining about the cool weather...now I have to shut the windows and turn on the AC...phooey!
Balisha

PS.....I had a quarter pounder BLT yesterday for dinner. I had seen the ads on TV showing this beautiful sandwich. Now at other establishments, we are always disappointed when our order comes...the sandwich looks like it was thrown together with limp lettuce and maybe 2 sad looking pickles. I decided to give McDonalds a chance and order this sandwich. I was not disappointed in the least. A toasted bun, with a nice burger, a beautiful slice of ripe red tomato, crisp bacon slices, and a leaf of romaine lettuce  with mayo.I bit into it and the bun crunched just a little and the rest of the ingredients made for a perfect bite.....everything layered perfectly and so fresh.The sandwich was huge and it was all I ate...along with one of their frozen berry lemonades.  

8 comments:

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Yellow certainly does shine this time of year in a garden. I need more yellow perennial flowers.
As for the Russian Sage, yes you have to really dig to get all of its roots which is why it does so well with little water. I have a large area of it in our front garden. I have to stay on any roots that pop up outside of where I want it. I don't know about drying the flowers. Never tried that. I leave mine up all winter. It's just sticks mostly but adds something in the snow. Then, I wack it down to the ground in the spring. Never bother with watering. It just gets the rain that God gives.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Your flowers are beautiful.
I thought I would try a local place for hamburger - never again
as it was awful...
Sometimes we are lucky. Do not like it when it arrives with a slice of tomato that looks very old
especially when I still have some good ones from the garden :)
Know I am fussy and guess that is why I cook for one :)

Balisha said...

I didn't know that about Russian Sage. I left them standing last winter, but they ended up looking like a mess. I don't know if the birds eat this...but I see bees buzzing around them all the time.
Balisha


Balisha said...

I seldom eat at fast food places, but once in a while I get a taste for a hamburger cooked by someone other than me. These were excellent...but all McDonald's are not the same. YOu could get a not so good one in another town...just depends on the people cooking them.
Balisha

debra @ HOMESPUN said...

I never have luck with black eyed susans and just look at yours! Gorgeous!

You won't find ME complaining about the cool weather / I am in heaven !

Balisha said...

Blacke Eyed Susans are a native here.I think that they thrive on neglect. The west side of the house kind of fends for itself...only getting some watering when it is really dry out. Neighbors have them out by the road and they have been there for several years. No watering at all, but this year, they didn't return. I guess the summer's drought was too severe for even the natives.

Balisha said...

Look how I spelled Black...

Sharon said...

We are getting hot weather this week. I love it, in part because I know these days of summer are short lived.

After your comments about black-eyed susans I should see if they will grow here. They brighten any spot.