Flower Update

Here's some pics of some things I proudly have growing this year:

I filled in empty spots between the strawberries with petunias.  Cucumbers are growing on the pool ladder.

The surprise poppies are gorgeous on the topsoil pile.  I seriously have to gather some of the seed pods.

Tomatoes are doing fine in the raised beds.  I threw in the leftover, discount petunias and. some basil.  Just in case you are wondering, the tomato stakes I use are from two old antenna that I cut up with the cutting torch.  I did that about 15 years ago when our son was at pre-school.  They will stand the test of time.  I'm concerned that there are not many blossoms on my tomatoes.

Lucifer Crocosmia is starting to bloom.  Hummingbirds love this stuff.  Each year I dig some up and spread it to another area of the property.  To the right of it is lemon mint.  That stuff takes over like crazy.

Bee balm--currently this is the only color I have.  I bought a variety seed pack this year.  I'm trying to get some starts of other colors since the bees love it.

Hydrangea -- I tried pouring the stuff over it to make them blue.  No luck...  Oh well.  I had to move these from where they were this spring because they were starting to flow onto the neighbor's property.  I didn't want them to get caught in his mower.  I successfully moved two bushes this size.

Cactus -- a friend gave me just one little piece about four years ago.  I'll probably move it from the tile soon.  Even though it is super sharp (I use gloves and tongs when I mess with it) something continues to bite chunks off of it.  By the size of the bites I think it's a deer.  But there is a groundhog family that lives very close to it.  I never see anything near them.  This would bloom yellow if it ever got the chance.  I'm going to sacrifice a piece this fall and try growing it in the protected area with the dog fence.

Lamb's ear needs some more nutrient-dense dirt around it.

I cut up the lily tubes and spread them out.  They are doing much better this year.  Can't wait to see what color the cosmos are that I planted by seed (to the left of them).  I love the sedum to the right of them.

The Cora bells got thinned out last week and I tried to plant them around a tree in the orchard.  I probably shouldn't have done it on those super hot, dry days.  These are still fine, but we'll see what becomes of those next season.  I didn't get a chance to water them in...

Catnip is growing under the milk crate.  I forget what this flower is called...  I know my friend convinced me to get some of it at a garage sale for $1.  She makes tinctures from several of the plants that she has.  I bought a book to do it, but never did it.  I didn't realize at the time that tinctures were basically plants soaked in alcohol to help with different ailments.  I need to look at that book again to see what would help poison ivy.

The two plants in the center are new to me this year.  They are called pumpkin on a stick.  They are a form of edible eggplant that is small and orange.  The spiky looking plants are called red hot poker.  They bloomed with a yellow/orange flower that kinda looks like candy corn on top.  They already bloomed.