Why do I buy just one hollyhock? I see photos on Instagram in which there are many planted in a row and wouldn’t that be lovely? I know the answer of course. I’m on a strict budget and I can’t afford to buy several of anything.

I’ve always had to wrestle with that, which I’m sure is the case with most of you. The garden beds are all perennials – except for the seeds I plant every year – and building up a perennial garden takes time and patience. We’ll have been in this house 14 years in August and it took at least seven of those years to build up the big garden bed. I’ve added other beds over the years, but only when I could afford the time and the money to do it right.

This year, after a couple of years of a little more money available than usual, we’re back to a tight budget, but we did allot a certain amount of money for mulch, topsoil, potting soil, seeds and plants for the pots on the porch.

We get so much pleasure from the porch and the gardens.

We mowed the back forty and the corral yesterday. Don also mowed the path into our woods. It’s pretty hot out there, so we were tuckered out afterwards. But it really needed it as it’s the one part of the property we feel we can neglect for a few weeks – but only a few weeks – as we’re the only ones who see it.

We took a walk this morning and I’ve already watered all the seedlings and the porch plants. It’s going to be a hot one. Looking at the weather for the next two weeks, it looks like we’re going to be hovering around 90 degrees every day.

Thanks so much for all your comments yesterday. I know that we all enjoy seeing what others are reading. I finished One Good Turn  by Kate Atkinson this morning and I’m going to start When Will There Be Good News?  by the same author later today. I’m reading them in order, save for the very first, Case Histories, which I don’t have on hand. I’ll find it soon. I really admire Atkinson’s ability to juggle several characters and weave every story together at the end of the mystery. More than any author I have read, she is a master of multiple points of view.

Happy Tuesday.

More flowers blooming. And the hydrangeas are looking better. They’re not entirely back to normal, but they are much better than they were yesterday morning, post-deluge.

Today will be the coolest day of the week – 84 degrees – so mowing is on the docket. The back forty has been woefully neglected.

A short post today, as we have to do some grocery shopping this morning before the rest of the chores. By the way, I’m late to the party, but I’m reading a mystery by Kate Atkinson. I’ve known of her for a long while but somehow I never read any of her books. She’s quite wonderful! I have two other books in line after this one – which is One Good Turn – that I checked out from our local library. She’s incredibly good at character development and juggling several plot lines. And she has a wry sense of humor. Always a good thing!

I hope your holiday weekend went well, my friends.

Time to ask my favorite question: What are you reading?

Happy Monday.