I Can't Believe I'm Saying This - But it is a Little Too Wet to Garden

After my morning walk, I thought I'd take a few shots around the garden.  The plan was to ditch the camera and get to work right away.  The temperature is marvelous for gardening and there has been rain over the last couple of days, so those weeds slip out of the ground just the way they should.  However after the picture taking, my shoes were absolutely soaked.  So, I'm taking these moments to let the sun come up a bit to dry things before I get back into the garden.  What a wonderful thing to say.

We've been in a drought for all of July.  So when I heard the rain finally, I threw open the window and just watched it all.  The sound so perfect and so long waited for.  Stood on the front porch and took this top of the head soaking wet Hosta photo.

Scooted around the garden to see if maybe, just maybe the beetles had left.  Alas, they appear indifferent to the rain.

I am on the waiting list at Sheridan nurseries for a Japanese Beetle trap.  My JBBOD simply isn't deadly enough.  The nice young man who took my name and number said that he's emptying his several times during the day.  The traps are filled with a floral/sex scent so they don't kill the beetles - just warehouse them until you empty them.  And, if you don't do it often enough, those arriving later to the orgy will be able to climb off the backs of the others and fly away.  He said that he had enough beetles in two days to fill half a green garbage bag.  Goody.  Can hardly wait!

The veggie garden was so appreciative of the rain.  We've been eating Kale from the bottom up.  Really pretty plants.  Delicious in salads with ricotta cheese and fresh basil and tomatoes.  Also good stewed with curries.  Kevin is a pepper monster.  Don't know how he does it, but soon these will be nice and red and frightningly hot.

Adorable eggplant.

The butterflies pace slowed with the cooler wetter weather, making it easier for me to take their photos.

Today noticed that the H. montana macrophilla has taken a beating.  The combination of heat/sun/dry followed by rain drops has damaged the leaves.

 You can see the pink of my finger through the left dot on this leaf.  Just shows what happens when you don't get out and do the Restylane in time!  Since I won't have as much to do with the Japanese Beetles, perhaps I'll have a little more time for leaf injections.

Fortunately this is such a large plant - it comes to my waist - that I can remove a few leaves and have something that still looks o.k.

The native Eupatorium is starting to colour.

The R. 'Oso Happy (TM) Candy Oh! is starting to rebloom - not many blossoms, but some.  This is its first full year in the garden.  Wasn't as bothered by Japanese Beetles.  Very pretty at its first flush.  Clean leaves. 

I really wacked back the Kitaibella vitafolia making it easier to see some of the lower later blossoms.

The native Cornus alternifolia is fruiting - the birds, squirrels and chippies have just about cleaned it out.  Here it was a couple of days ago.

Bart and Hercules barely left their post watching all the action.

Slim pickings now.

I'm going to segue back to the edible, or almost edible in the vegetable garden.  I don't know what possessed me but when I bought my seedlings from Fantasy, I picked up Brussels Sprouts - Kevin's favourite vegetable.  Not mine.  One of our first dates, he made me Shake 'n Bake chicken, a mountain of mashed potatoes and frozen Brussels Sprouts.  He gave me 8 Brussels Sprouts.  I was in love.  I ate all 8.  And then he looked me in the eyes and declared, "I'm so happy you love Brussels Sprouts too!  I cooked the whole bag, I'll get you more."  7 more appeared.  15 Brussels Sprouts later and now almost 32 years of marriage, I guess it does pay to eat your vegetables.

Don't they look like green warts?  Anyway I've learned to almost like them.  Find that roasting, the addition of bacon or chopping so fine that they no longer look or sound like green wart-like brains that squeak on your teeth makes them a little more agreeable.

I planted Lilium 'Montreal' in honour of where we both grew up and met.  Though the stem has broken, the hemlock is doing well giving it support.

It's 10:00 a.m. and the cicadas are calling - time to get out and get rid of those weeds.   Got a new multi-pack of paper refuse bags from Costco, so as long as by back holds out, I've got my day well planned.