A few blooms

I've been taking quite a few photos of the plants and bushes around the yard, and my plan is to create a yard map with identification of what I planted, & where.

The perennials are just so that I remember, but the annuals are so that I can remember what did great and what didn't for the following year.

I planted about 9 lavender plants in my raised bed garden this year.

I used this area for tomatoes for a couple of years, but the blight got bad and it was inconvenient for watering anyway.  So, this year it started its life as a lavender bed.

Lavender is listed on a chart I saw over the winter as being especially good for bees.

It looks like this bee is liking what he sees.

Getting deep into his work.

It's fun watching these guys do their work.

This spring I transplanted another bunch of day lily clumps from Gary & Mary Erickson's gardens.

The damp, cool weather must be agreeable, because there are buds too numerous to count!

This well worn butterfly was making its way across the tops of the buds, while an ant watched from above.

Ev got a calla lily plant a couple of years ago and has painstakingly saved the bulbs each year, wrapping them in newspaper and storing them over the winter.

She gave me about 5 bulbs this spring, I planted them with low expectations.

These lily flowers are lovely and surprised me!

Purple petunias always attract me, most of the time, they end up in bad shape,
this year is an exception, they are stunning.

I never know what color the lilies will be that I get from Gary & Mary.

Not only do I not let him look up on his chart as we are digging them,

but then when I go to plant them, I sometime split the clumps further.

All of that makes it a nice surprise once the blooms start to show their colors.

I love this lily, such a pretty yellow center and lovely purple petals.

My favorite lily, so far.

This little toad found a nice spot to spend his summer day.
More to come on him later.

A few years ago, Dad and Ev found some seeds for flowering beans that Dad remembers his mother planting each year.  The pods are huge and the beans are purple.

I had a good crop the first year I grew them, and passed out seed to all the family members who would take them.  Some planted them and had success.

Last year, the deer ate my beans off at the root, so I didn't have a single pod to harvest.

By luck, I found a little zippered plastic bag with 6 or 8 seeds in it that never found its way to anyone for planting two years ago.

I planted them, and am very pleased to report, it looks like I'm going to have a bean harvest again!

The flowers on the beans are so bright red / orange, they are show stoppers.

The hops look good.

After failing 2 or 3 years in a row, I am finally a hop grower.

Dad & I both noticed the day the hops hit the top of their tower, 

and I sure wish I could give them more vertical climb space.

The hops look good in my Danish Garden.

I checked later on in the day, and the little toad was still lounging in the lily bloom.

Another shot of my favorite lily.
Favorite until my next favorite blooms.

It has been a good year for the orange day lily, otherwise known as ditch lilies.

I have an abundance of these that were here when I moved in.

From what I've read, they are nearly impossible to get rid of, so I'm loving them.

Ditch lilies grow everywhere.

The first day I saw the toad in the flower was Wednesday, he was there all day, gone on Thursday but Friday morning, as the lily bloom was closing and finishing its cycle, the toad had crawled back in.

I'm hoping he shows up again in a new bloom.
He seems to like the yellow day lily.

It has been a nice week with not too much happening.

I like just being home and hanging out.

Barley and I have had some nice deck time too, she likes to relax in her cat condo.

She usually just relaxes and naps while I read.

I like enjoying the view in the backyard.

It's been a good year for growing.

Life is Good.