Still July

Still July. Color and heat are the themes in the Garden. Lilies, inherited from the Biological Control Lab Lily Leaf Beetle program here at URI ( http://cels.uri.edu/pls/biocontrol/ ),  hold up really well in the heat.

Watering is crucial in some spots, but most of the Garden survives, even thrives, without extra watering. The dahlias donated by the Rhode Island Dahlia Society are taking off. They may be small this year but next year they will be incredible, I promise!

A large hole in the sunny border (“Let’s call it an alteration rather than destruction”–thanks, Louis) is the result of a frantic search for a dropped engagement ring. All’s well that ends well, I guess! In the Conservatory, the temps are warm and tropical, amazing flowers are blooming and papayas are slowly ripening.

The pumpkin vines in the All – America Selections Garden are growing about a foot a day. Even the melons, which were dreadful last year, are looking good. A woodchuck has tunneled into the lower AAS Garden and eaten the ornamental kale. I am plotting my revenge.

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.) are everywhere, blooming almost a full month earlier than last year.

July Heaven

July is hot, no doubt. Even the photos seem to radiate the heat of the day. It’s been dry, and the weeds slow down, but everything is a little droopy under the fierce sun and high humidity. I love the garden in full summer: Day Lilies, Echinacea, Bee Balm, and Black-Eyed Susies all clamoring for attention. There are cherry tomatoes from our All-America Display Garden to throw in my salad at lunch time, and the pumpkin vines seem to double in size every night. The garden is bright and hot.

In contrast, the  ‘Annabelle’  Hydrangeas, in full bloom under the Kolreuteria,  look cool and delightful.  As the shadows lengthen, it’s an inviting spot for a picnic, or a nap.  The water garden calls out at this time of year, the trickling sound of the waterfall somehow bringing the temperature down.

I’ll work in the sun for a while, then in the shade, that way the day passes quickly.  And if I can get to Matunuck for a swim after work, July is pretty much my idea of heaven!