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| Monarch on clematis |
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| Begonias, geraniums and myrtles |
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| Roses still blooming |
The Creator has been at work in the front garden again! It is still flowering with begonias, geraniums, marigolds, myrtles and some colorful things whose names I have forgotten. And, there's that amazing rose bush that gives us an unlimited supply of tiny red scented roses as long as I give it gallons of water to drink each week. Now that the weather is cooler, we can sit on the front porch and notice our other neighbors. There's a family of
monarch butterflies living in the scented wild white clematis and there's some bright yellow and some white butterflies also flitting about. There are some very giant bumble bees busy doing the
nectar thing and for once, the mosquitos and flies seem to have abated. I've also caught sight of some
humming birds hovering among the blossoms too, also having a go at the nectar from the Roses of Sharon and the wild clematis. As a basically lazy gardener, I believe the secret to having a garden full of flowers is to only plant things that you can take care of without too much aggravation and that are "easy." It's worth checking out what the neighbors are able to grow as soil and local climate have a big impact, especially on what kinds of trees and bushes are possible. Then sun and water are the main considerations. I usually bring all the geraniums and begonias in over the winter, sticking them in one big pot each and leave it in a sunny window and water them moderately to avoid root rot during the no-grow winter season. They limp through the winter until I'm able to get them outside again in early spring. I've learned to take cuttings and root things, so I can always have more of what I've already got and I accept all donated plants! And of course, anything that seeds, harvest them and keep over the winter in dry spot in a brown paper bag so you can plant them in the spring, Every year the garden resurrects and it's different every time!
Wandering about the streets in our sector of the city, there's lots of plants and flowers to see. And sometimes there's some extra special effects such as a staircase of herbs in front of an ivy wall, or pots of petunias on the fence or sunflowers in the parking lot. You just know someone has gone out of their way with these flower displays. Despite the heat, it's worth while doing a walk-about and seeing the extra efforts everyone has done to make our spot of the city so pretty. I found these on Bryant, V and First streets and am sure to find more!
