Spring was so long ago to us, but I waited for UK gardeners to catch up :-)
Just kiddin Terry ;-)
Where was I moaning recently about not being able to shoot whites with the digi like Ter does? couldn't remember, so it inspired me to start a summer thread with this pic that I was going to stick on to my last whining.
Bought a NEW digi !!!! and lookie

Very pretty Maggie!

Here in WV COUNTRY it has turned to summer too! High in the shade today was low 80's, this evening at 7:45 it's 70*. I guess we've become true West Virginians now, since we're complaining with the rest of them about how hot it is now

My daylilies should be in bloom in the next week to 10 days. There are lots of buds out there.

Beautiful, Maggie! Those small blue flowers are a lovely accent. The only daylilies we've seen so far are the (species) Lemon Lily and Stella d'Oro. Those are always the first to bloom. We have lots of scapes, and the weather's gotten warmer the last couple of days. Mid 70's - nothing like Texas & WV!!

Must be warmer in your part of the world than mine now MK, not a bud in sight yet on my day lilies, but it doesn't matter when I can come here and enjoy Maggies

Good morning Maggie
Just came across your page and love your site. The Daylily is beautiful. They have become my passion. Mine are just starting to bloom here in Ohio. I have been doing Daylilys for four years now and have them all over. Even started them from seed last year and this year. Boy that is a slow road to hoe. Everyone have a great day.

That is the first time I've ever been able to shoot anything so light in digi without loosing all the detail. So, my rotten camera was to blame! I didn't like it for so many reasons anyway, and that has to be its worst failing.

Hello Sandy How good to hear from another day lily lover. I can't allow myself to go near local growers' gardens again, for fear of coming home with more, as I always want every one I see! When their beds are bursting with thousands of blooms, my garden is in danger of being replaced with solid daylilies :-0 One of my up-coming Come Strolls covers the DL growings here.
I wonder if you are familiar with Sydney Eddison? Her 1st book, 'A Patchwork Garden' got me started on them. Syd became so hooked on them that her next book was 'A Passion for Day Lilies' - both out of print, but worth tracking down.
Now that you've started growing them from seed, you too must be seriously hooked ;-) It is a good thing I've run out of planting space around here We'd love to see pics of, or hear more about your garden!

Oh, and I heard this is the official first day of summer - how's that for accidental timing! Sorry 'bout that "in the city" title MK and Caro ;-) I had that tune stuck in my head... 'Hot down, summer in the city ...' ... probably due to heat stroke
We had a shower today !!!! Let's hope there will more to come before Sept. The last 3 years had 3-month spells w/o any summer storms. Surely the cycle has been broken by now.

Carolyn's 'Summer in the Country' was tooo good to get lost in the city ;-).
So Caro, I have moved it to your very own Topic with lots a room for more good discussion threads, pics, chats and hopefully, more priviaged visits to your life on the farm. oxoxo

Now come on Maggie, the song is a weak excuse, you wanted to put S*x in the City, but Larry's censor program wouldn't let you. If you had it would be one thread everyone would have a peek at...lol

Okay, we could start one with that title and you could write it ;) or Sandy could,,, about hybridizing day lilies, okay?!
Ya know, I never have seen that show - us folks without all the channels must be missing out on an entire piece of the current culture. Oh dear. But then, if I had all the channels, I'd have to drag the tellie around the garden with me, to catch all the shows LOL!

Okay, I haven't changed the home page or added a new come stroll lately, so here's something to play with. This is a very old glad variety - tough enough to return every year AND multiply!

So Maggie, this new camera copes well with the reds too. That one looks almost like a Canna.

Ahhh, that's pretty!

It is the 'Atom' gladiolus, registered in 1946. Grows about 2' tall, which makes for a nicer garden plant than the taller new hybrids. Mine didn't all bloom at the same time - but eventually, a nice clump of them will be fun.

You are right Ter - The canna leaf does look like it belongs to it! That is the way I like to see tall bulb blooms in the border - sticking out of others foliage. The peachy-coral background bloom is the nicest colored canna, 'City of Portland'
The hot colors at the east end of the long border really kick in by June.

That glad really is pretty. Did you purchase it locally, or did you order it?

I ordered um Caro. Will look up the source soon and send it to ya.

So pretty! I just love glads. I'll have to make room for some once again next spring.

You know all the lovely flower pictures you all post, makes lots more work for me. I've just got to try them all.

Same here MK!

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing the garden ghosts in this pic ;-)

No ones touching this un huh? Thought you might be more curious about it. The pic came out of the camera, just as you see it - spots vapor-blur and all. None of the other pics taken that afternoon had any. Don't know what caused it. Any ideas?

Can't explain the one in the centre Maggie, but the other two look like sun spots, but why purple and mauve? Or is the purple one a head of flowers? Then of course there is also one to the right....how often do you clean the lens Maggie? And had you just been eating a jam/jelly sandwich?

Seeee I thought the colored spots were a hoot too. I've only had 'clear' opaque ones before. Maybe the colors are caused by the silvery gazing ball catching the bloom colors. Neat. As for the blur in the middle - I think I see fairy wings in it ;-)

My goodness, what fascinating manifestations. At what hour of the day was this photograph taken? Er...and what day was it? There is definitely a cosmic significance. But what does it portend?

The sun is setting in the west, behind the tall bamboo. It was taken about 2 weeks ago. I've decided it was a guardian garden fairy, making an appearance to let us know all is well
Next time I shall ask her to go call on Caro to sort out those monster hoppers.

Look MK, I adore cleomes too!
David, they are the seedlings you brought me this spring. The bloom is mauve, rather the clear pink of MK's. In fact, they are the exact color of the lavender crape myrtle behind them. I must remember to toss some of their seed into the violet bed in above pic for next year.


Some call cleomes 'spider flower' because of the wispy seed pods. I have also heard it called 'cat's whiskers' for the same reason. Altho, BJ was looking for a different annual known as 'cats whiskers', but I never did find out what it was. Anyone know?

You can tell that Maggie's Cleome has been in bloom longer than mine by the very long "necks". Mine are just making their first seed pods. I have some this color too Maggie - they match my phlox.

I like those Maggie, they look almost animated, you could just imagine them craning their necks to follow you as you walked by.

I don't like you guys anymore! Every year I "toss" out cleome seed. Only once has it ever come up. And I think they are spectacular-looking! Poor me, poor me.

Well Caro, I will have to get you some next year at the College plant sale......If you are nice..

Thanx David. However, you should know....I am "always" nice.

Yep Caro, and David's always nice too. teehee
Bugs must be gettin the seedlings - it takes a few hundred self-seeders to get a good return here! Otherwise, I have to resort to pot-sowing.

Can't tell from the pic, but those cleo babies are 5ft. tall!
Terry :-0 ... you and Lar think alot alike.

The windows are open for the first time since spring. Its 73* and raining in August - 2 1/2" already this morning! Jubilation reigns as well!!!

Since Moggy has followed the craB apple thru the seasons, I thought I'd post these to bring it to full circle. Her summer report comes in two parts.

she's more interested in the sparrows

and very well camouflaged for the hunt

Well! I spotted the emphasis on the "B" Maggie.

LOL! I'd forgotten about Maggie's craB apple typo. Moggie really is well camouflaged. Look at all the green stuff you have. Just be glad you don't live in the country, Maggie. You would be verrrry sad looking at all the bare branches. Wouldn't I have just loved to get even half the rain you got the other day!

I did that B just for yous guys :-)
Trust Terry to not miss a thing, as always !
I've heard from a lot of folks in rural areas having the same hopper prob as you Caro. Oh so sad to think about. I should lend you Moggy for a while - grasshoppers are her favorite new playmates. She doesn't eat them, she just brings them to play with. And she can't help it if they break. When they do, she just goes out and gets another one. Funny how she always wants company to admire their acrobatic games. Even if everyone is still asleep - she just brings her new friends to the beds to meet everyone, resulting in frequent rude awakings. The worst was caused by a perfectly unharmed, but 'playful' sparrow at sunrise. Not an easy thing to tackle before that first cuppa tea.

We used to have a cat who brought us worms, you would find them still alive squirming across the kitchen floor, so just be greatfull Maggie.

And you can be grateful as well, Maggie. (Now we are even, Terry)

Sounds like shaky ground to me

Sounds like I should be using that speelchecker.

You guys have completely lost me now!
About text gooooofs - we can chalk um up as a complement to forum-ers - as a sign of having confidence in them to be able to decipher our messes ;-)
How's that for a 'good out' for our slopppy typpyng?

btw - its been raining for days,,, nice slow, quiet and lovely, instead of summer thunderstorm monsoons. :-)))))))))))) Overall, its been a much nicer summer than the last 3 horrid ones. whew