The Garden on Life Support

Can we really have passed by the middle of July already? Where has the summer flown? 

It has been hot and really, really dry here in Ontario. We have had had no significant rainfall for weeks. I keep the garden going with the lifeline of a garden hose. 

In the front flowerbed, the roses are still hanging in there.

Here is the garden at the side of the house in early July.

A humble spirea.

The garden hose doesn't reach these ditch daylilies that grow along the property line, 

but then again, they are pretty unstoppable.

My hydrangeas however, are less impressed with the weather.

As I strolled around the garden taking pictures, I couldn't help but take note of all the things I did and didn't manage to do this spring. I had every intention of giving this clematis proper support, but somehow never got around to it. 

Now it has flopped over onto itself. Oh well, there is always next year!

I also didn't manage to tackle the this bed which is now overrun with this very pretty pink flower. 

My procrastination means that it is an even bigger job now. Hopefully, I will get to it next month. 

We did install this birdhouse that my husband and I designed and built a couple of years ago. Each of the two floors and the roof are a separate piece and are stacked together to make the whole birdhouse. This hopefully makes it easy to take apart and clean.

In the back garden there are lots of phlox in flower as well as annual poppies, lilies, bright-red monarda and dainty white and yellow feverfew.

I think this might be the summer that the euonymus that now covers half of this arbor makes 

it all the way around to the other side.

I planted sunflowers seeds, but only one plant grew! I seem to have terrible luck growing flowers from seed. I am not sure if my failure is due to the fact that I bought my seeds at a discount sale or if I am planting them to deep or if there is something else I am doing wrong. 

Despite my poor success rate, I was able to coax butterfly weed, nasturtiums and 

love-in-the-mist out of the ground.

I also have lots and lots of tomatoes. Last summer the dogs discovered they loved cherry tomatoes. They ate some and dropped others. Now, I have tomatoes growing in all manner of odd places.

 It is just a small handful to start, but I am already I am daydreaming about the fresh salads and the toasted tomatoes sandwiches I will be able to make in a few week's time.

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I will be around shortly to say hi.