what's blooming this week?

I need to be more regular about this, I know. Busy. Not interesting busy, just busy.

The yard has moved solidly into daisy season. Golden coreopsis, echinaceas (mostly purple, but a few commercial and in-my-yard hybrids), shastas. Still have a few anemonellas blooming, and the early daylilies are starting. The 'Sunset' evening primrose is in full blaze, and various Asiatic and Oriental lilies are going strong.

Also have mealy sage (S farinacea) in a couple shades of blue, lamb's ear, about half of the lavender, white penstemons (with showy dark foliage), and Verbena bonairiensis that's a full 5' tall this year. Most of the iris are done, just a few violet louisiana types and one Japanese iris left. The Japanese iris is from D, and it's called 'First Light of MorningK, white with delicate purple feathering around the edges, very classy.

The native prairie rose is blooming frothy pink down in the ditch, and 'Nearly Wild' (in back) is still throwing it's first flush, almost the same shade. Best bloom I've ever had off 'Nearly Wild'. The New Jersey tea is almost done blooming; it had a good show this year too.

I've planted a bunch of annuals, but most aren't doing much yet, except the petunias. One hot pink from last year, that ended up in my giant pot of sweet marjoram*, and all the various pink ones in The Miss's flower bed. A handful of dianthus are still going, but they're about done now that it's getting hot. They'll be back in fall. Nasturtiums are just starting. I've tucked zinnias and cosmos all over the place, wherever I had an empty spot, so The Miss will have her bouquets this summer. And I've got a 3' tall oleander sitting in my birdbath, in full bloom, which makes a great show for the yard.

in not-garden news

In whatever order I remember things....

* We got the shade cloth up over the deck just in time for the summer heat to hit. Yay! (Am enjoying the shade as I type.)

* The kids are out of school nexxt week, and then have a month of summer school. The Boy wouldn't have anything to do with the end-of-preschool celebration, and The Miss hammed it up like it was all for her. Typical.

* Our neighbor has finished his classes, gotten his CDL, and left Thursday evening for his first over-the-road long haul. No idea when he'll be back, which has his wife scramblimg a bit to find someone to watch their 8-yr-old on her work days. We'll get her intermittently, I think; I think she's going to spend most of those days with a family who's got kids her age.

* Sis is taking The Ex back to court, not exactly sure why. I suspect that he's either still not paid this month's child support, or has hit the boys again. Didn't ask. She did tell me that he's mad because she's "raising his sons to be pussies." Whatever that means. And she told me that she's finally trying for full custody. Best of luck to her.

* I've managed 2 shopping trips out with me and the kids this week, without major breakdowns. Minor miracle. They were even cute and cooperative through most of yesterday's trip. Am hoping that they start to realize that cute and cooperative gets them more outings and treats. (Yesterday's treat was over an hour running wild in D's 4-acre yard with big pond, goldfish pond, and bridge.)

* We made fair progress on the yard in the past week. Got some stuff cut down, took after problem areas with the walk-behind string trimmer, hauled great heaps of branches down to the brush pile, and figured out where the replacements for the dying pines are going.

* The kids have turned the plastic sandbox into a wading pool. Which is funny, because they weren't interested in their big wading pool last summer, and so we didn't set one up this year. Even overseeded the bare spot in the yard. The Miss is currently sitting in the muddy water in her Strawberry Shortcake sundress, splashing her brother.