Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July 2008

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day came again and the garden is full of blooms. First, roses are constantly present in my summer garden. Currently still Graham Thomas is blooming, on the picture above.
The Pink Fairy

My lilies and daylilies. The huge lily 1,70 cm - that yellowish on the right side just started to bloom.

Its flowers are huge and having very strong fragrance. It fills the front garden!

Do you remember 'double' liliy that I have bought in February? So, like it often happens, plants get mislabelled. This lily is not 'double', but still beautiful. Right?

Hydrangeas are opening its flowers again...

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Daylily 'Pink Damask'

Fuchsia -summer beauty

Two different colours of Zinnias.



Tagetes erecta - isin't it American Marigold?

Lavatera trimestris - white one...

...Nasturtium is first time growing in my garden ...

Calendula officinalis

Lonicera periclymenum Serotina

My lavandula appeared to be of 3 different kinds. The left one is Lavandula angustifolia - the most aromatic, that I grew from a seed - but the other ones I did not identify yet...

Astrantia major - just newcomer. This is the only flower it producethis year.

White pelargonium in the basket...

Monarda didyma...

My first Cucurbita pepo var. giraumontia (yellow flower left down corner) growing in the flowerdbed....

...and Echinacea also a newcomer....

GBBD is a tradition started by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Watering and astrological gardening

Can you imagine what I just have read today in my horoscope for today? I read it sometimes, but today it drew my attention to garden, that I have abandoned lately - my "dog days" came, when I think rather about changes that should be done in my garden, than I am willing to maintain it and see the current beauty.

I know the beauty is not gone anywhere, it is still here. That weird feeling is somehow connected with very dry spell we have since May and the need of almost "constant" watering.

So here goes hy horoscope for today:

"Water your plants today and make sure they are getting enough light, Ewa. If you don't have any plants, take this opportunity to go to the nursery and pick up a couple for your home or office. Nourish the organic things in your life to help remind you of your own roots, which are extremely important for you right now. Sink deep into the earth in order to understand the environment around you."

When I red the other day on Robin at Bumblebee blog a question: "how much time weekly you spend on gardening?", I thought 'unfortunately none, lately'... but in a moment... no! watering counts also! Yes, I spent 4-6 hours a week on watering. Not very sustainable gardening, right? Even if I have it on my mind.

The point is that our plants are mainly not drought resistant. Poland is lush green in the summer - for how many more years it will be like this? During May and June we had very little rain - crops and farmers suffered from it.

It looks that our agriculture and gardens should shift little more toward plants that are more drought resistant.

Luckily since few days we had and still have a lot of rain. 2cm of rain in 2 days - that is pretty much.

There are also strong thunderstorms passing over.

Last night it it came suddenly and it got very dark...

... then very bright sometimes and very loud...




It lasted 3 hours and last hour was the peak one - loudest and brightest.
Despite I am happy that plants got some heavy watering - plants in general, not only in my garden.