WREATHMAKER

In my younger years I disliked petunias and preferred that my Mom planted pansies, stocks, or phlox. Fast forward to today, and you will find petunias of many different types in my garden. One of my favorites is "starry night". The flowers vary on the same plant, and are vivid shades from white to deep purple...truly a wonder in hybridizing! Each morning I head first to the petunia pots to see these lovely blooms... I hope you all are enjoying your summer days!

Last night we had a slight frost, but only the dahlias were affected by it....tonight there are frost warnings again... I had so hoped we would have a longer frost free period this year, but soon all our gardening will be a memory...thankfully it is somewhat preserved in photos and of course, our memories. Yesterday I went out and picked lots of flowers and plunked them in various containers: My hubby was up on the roof today, cleaning the skylight, and took a shot of the yard from up there: A few more photos... I am joining Tootsie for her regular weekly flower flaunting. Tootsie is keeping her chin up in a time of adversity..kudos to her...

While preparing this post I am reminded of the hail which befell Tootsie's garden this week...how sad that must have been! We have had lots of sunshine this year, and we will have a huge water bill, but the plants are coming along nicely. This morning I picked a few flowers for a bouquet: These are the flowers I have included... Limelight hydrangea, Endless Summer hydrangea (blue and pink), Incrediball hydrangea, David Austin pink rose, dahlias, buddleia (butterfly bush), and hosta buds Out in the garden the gloriosa daisies are glorious! The mandevilla vine is stretching up to 6 feet tall and still twining... The pink plant I showed you before is more full...that thing just never stops! We have been enjoying our tomatoes...this photo has no ripe ones, ...because we've eaten them! Now head over to Tootsie's and see what other folks are growing...

We have been enjoying the deck this year, more than ever...there have been no mosqitoes, and the weather has been fine. While having that morning cup of coffee, my eyes wander over the yard, and I see many areas which need weeding, watering,or pruning, so that determines my activity for the next hour or so. Sometimes I head back into the house for my camera, to capture a bloom or two, to enjoy when we face the long winter months when there is only an all-white vista from our window. This week the hydrangeas are pretty...my favorite flower. Last week we stopped at Homesense, and the anticipated summer garden clearance was happening. I quickly snapped up this garden urn, about 1 minute before someone else asked to purchase it! It is about 4 feet tall, and heavy!  With our son's help, we placed it in a temporary location along our garden path. Next spring we'll decide on a permanent spot. I hope you are enjoying YOUR summer.

Last weekend we attended a garden tour at Carman, Manitoba. The lilies and roses were spectacular. I am sharing some photos of the lilies…enjoy! The orange lily below looked smashing against the dark green of the outbuilding These are from my own garden:

Carman is a lovely town, and we were impressed with the gardens and landscaping. The garden tour showcased 6 gardens of varying types, but as we drove through the streets, we noticed many beautiful, well-kept yards. Below is  smokebush, which is not normally hardy in our climate, but  one garden had 3, and we were so envious (in a good sort of way!) Roses were in full bloom... Someone had a petunia "tree" The garden below was a profuson of color, randomly planted. Lots of hanging pots in one garden, and each one appeared to be perfectly shaped.. Someone had a rustic concrete pad with large log slices for seating...quite nicely suited to the locale, right on the edge of a corn field. We are enjoying a period of very hot weather right now, quite different from the last two summers, If the gardens are watered, they do well...tomatoes are loving it!

I am a little early in posting my Friday flower-flaunting.  I expect to be very busy in the next few days, preparing for some guests from England.  I have formed the habit of walking around the garden, photographing  current blooms. I bought two nice fall mums at our local supermarket, for more autumn colour. I planted one in the border to fill  a bare spot left by my ruthless disposal of some unwanted perennials, and placed one on a table just outside the dining room window. In the collage are some other flowers which are still flourishing. There are lots of dahlias , a limon plant, cobea, garden mums,and various coleus. If you wish to enlarge the photos, just click on them.  Join Tootsie on Friday to see a listing of other flower-flaunting friends, and check out her knock-out garden at http://tootsietime.blogspot.com/

Mary is hosting her very popular Mosaic Monday today. My mosaic today is lilies, which are blooming profusely here now. See the other mosaics at: http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2009/08/mosaic-monday-flower-favorites.html