Lots of Color!

Late August and the yard is still quite green. We had one heatwave during July, but the rest of the time we've had 80° days with just about the perfect mix of sun and rain. And yet much isn't growing, lol. For some reason many things have become stunted. Maybe that 10 days in July is responsible. We're not used to heatwaves until August when things are further along in their growing cycles. Still, there are pockets of nice color all around the yard if you walk around! Above, a pink zinnia unfurls its petals.

This deep purple petunia lives in a hanging basket next to the vegetable garden fence. The pollen is spread around it from all the bees and butterflies that visit our flowers.

My Angelwing begonia, well, one of them. I've made a few plants from my original one almost ten yeas ago.

 

Some of June's tomatoes have ripened. All of mine are still green.

 

I planted twelve dahlias in the cutting garden this year. Then a whole bunch of tomato plants started growing up around them, lol. They must have reseeded from last year. So now my dahlias are underneath the tomatoes but they're still going to do well. I like the combination of flowers and veggies next to each other, accident as it was.

A few tomato flowers reaching for the sky. Most of my plants are San Marzano plum tomatoes.

 

A lavender dahlia in the rain. Some small green tomatoes can be seen to the right of it.

 

This salmon-colored geranium must be ten years old, too. I had to cut it up and begin the rooting process again. After so long, this "annual's" stems become so woody they don't pass water anymore. So I just cut some of the more tender new growth and reroot it in water. I'll keep 'em going one way or another!

 

June's purple Butterfly bush. I bought a yellow one but it's not that pretty. I think it needs more sun, too, so I may move it. This one contrasts with the house color so well! And they really do attract butterflies and bees and hummingbirds.

 

One of my pure marigolds. I like the plain shapes and bright orange color. I save my deadheads and plant the seeds from the same plants every year.

 

The subtle and very pretty flower of my spearmint plant. I have a dedicated small herb garden this year with this mint, oregano, chives, thyme, sage, and rosemary. And, yes, a tomato plant came up in the middle of this section of the garden, too!

This nasturtium is a gorgeous deep red. It has flowers every day.

 

Some of my San Marzano plum tomatoes. I have 7-8 plants and they're all beginning to bear fruit. None of them have ripened yet. At this point I may have tomatoes until October if we don't have an early frost!

One of the prettiest of my zinnias this year is this absolutely perfect orange variety. The color couldn't be more pure and the flowers are large and multi-petaled.