This summer, the gardens have been so beautiful surrounding our home. Each week seems to bring out more color than the weeks before, offering us so much beauty to enjoy.
This Dahlia was a splurge for me this spring. I am so delighted with how large the flowers are. This one plant has put out five gorgeous flowers. I may just see what other types catch my eye for next year.
The Zinnias planted along the front of the house have just exploded with color. The bees and butterflies have plenty of pollen to extract from so many blossoms.
These are some of the colors that the border zinnias created this year from seed saved last fall. The plants stay around 2' tall and spread wide.
These zinnias are the pom-pom variety, and they grow about 3' tall and have multiple side branches. With all the colors mixed together, they really are quite stunning.
These are from seeds I've saved over the years; some still have that cactus flower look, yet may have crossed with the poms.
Can you see the Goldfinch in the photo? He is eating all the lower seeds from all the zinnia flowers. I have to try to save some before the birds eat all the seeds. You can see where they have already cleaned off many of the stems.
The Black-Eyed Susans are in full bloom, which always indicates that fall is closing in on us. The Coneflowers were pretty this year, but I did lose many of my plants from winter kill.
These are a few varieties of summer Phlox that I have. They all have a wonderful fragrance, and the butterflies love them.
The few Hydrangea that I have left were loaded with flowers this summer. I plan on drying a few for myself. Also, I've been asked if a floral designer could come and cut the rest to dry for wedding bouquets. How great is that?
A few other plants that are growing have been enjoyed by the hummingbirds. I now see five or more at a time fighting over the flowers and the feeder. They are something else to watch when they are being territorial.
Did you grow any sunflowers this year? Mine have huge blossoms and all the honeybees are having a field day with them. I really should plant more of them, as I really love them so.
Happy gardening, everyone!