Late August blooms...

These first two photos are of my 'Lambert Closse' rose

and 'Limelight' hydrangea. This rose is a repeat bloomer

and is showing it's stuff again. Love it!

'Limelight' hydrangea, 'David' phlox, and 'John Cabot' rose.


A lovely little 'PeeGee' hydrangea.

'Limelight' hydrangea in foreground.

'David' phlox

A pretty daylily's last blooms.

The roses that are putting on a show now.

'Moxie' rose with blue scabiosa (pincushion flower)

Well the garden is still sending up blooms for me. I don't like to think of it being the end of summer and in a few short weeks I'll be cutting back all these lovely perennials to get them ready for winter. Right now however, I choose not to think about that. I choose to sit back and enjoy all the roses and hydrangeas and other blooms that will keep the garden colorful until the first hard frost.

I have much to be grateful for this summer. Grateful that I enjoyed good health so that I could keep this garden. Grateful that my family loves and appreciates it and enjoys spending time in it. Grateful that my grandchildren are able to play faeries and hide and seek in this garden. Grateful that my husband would rather be here in the hammock than any other place on the earth. Grateful that I could share this garden on this blog with all of you.

Sweet peas and Cath...can it get any better?

The only flower I plant from seed in my garden are my beloved sweet peas. Everything else are perennials that I have planted throughout the last few years from 4" cups and one gallon containers. I must have sweet peas. They are the most fragrant little things and make the garden come alive with scent long after the lilacs, crabapples, and mock orange have gone away.
I plant them kind of helter skelter, here and there, and let them clamor up trellises, taller shrubs, and fences. Right now the garden is alive with the yummiest smells. Sweet peas, roses, and lilies are all in bloom and trying to be scent-er stage.

I just love 'em.

Such delicate little blooms.

I'm thinking this must be what Heaven smells like.

Oh yes, and then there's Cath...I love the beautiful floral prints that are Cath Kidston.

I have a friend who loves her things like I do and orders now and then. She got these from Cath a few weeks ago. Well I loved them and she let me tag on to her last order for a set of my own.

I love tins and can find a million uses for them. These are going to be in the laundry room containing some clutter that seems to gather there, like all the spare change from my husband's jeans.

I wonder if he'll think of looking in one of these? I think I just figured out how to pay for my Cath habit.

On gardening...

My favorite view in the garden.


A pretty girl on the porch.





Wait, maybe this is my favorite view.

No, no, I'm sure this is the one.

Well, one thing I know for sure,

I love 'Casa Blanca' lilies.

And this rose, oh my!

This little beauty is a Romantica Rose

named 'Guy de Maupassant'.

This lily is a beautiful thing blooming now.

I love this combination.

A pink coneflower paired
with 'Bright Eyes' garden phlox.

One day last week I was thinking about things in my life that enrich it. I was thinking of the time it takes to tend this garden and why it is that I get so much joy from it, and whether or not I have let my life become too absorbed in the care of this little spot of earth. In the heat of summer it is hard to keep everything wet and weeded, pruned and fed, staked and deadheaded. The garden keeps me close to home most of the summer because of this. I don't make as many trips to see my daughters or mother or sister, because I'm worried that the garden will get too dry. (I'm going to type this really quietly so Hubs can't hear, but he doesn't have a clue when a plant is in distress, so I can't always count on him to tend to it while I'm gone). However this is my summer fun and I am willing to make that sacrifice. There are three other seasons of the year for me to get my traveling and visits in. When I run to the post office or C-store for my coke and someone stops me and tells me how lovely they think the garden looks this year or when an old farmer who goes by to check his water lets me know how much he enjoys the blooms, it makes it all worthwhile.

Hubs and I and Landon are breaking away again this week to go on another camping trip. The three of us had so much fun last time and saw such beautiful country that we are excited to do it again this week. I think Tuesday and Wednesday we are heading to the Idaho Nevada border to spend some time discovering this area of Idaho. We have never been there and are looking forward to it.
I think I will miss the white Wednesday post this week and I also need to post about my giveaway wins too! So I will get back to this blog of mine soon.