I’m wearing a rayon skirt right now because my shorts are in the wash. The darn thing is so slippery that my laptop is sliding toward my stomach! It’s not easy to type on a laptop that is sliding, let me tell you.

I love coneflowers. They are old-fashioned country garden flowers and they’re are all over my garden. By the entrance to the porch:

Extra-tall coneflowers are on the other side of the porch:

There are various other patches of coneflowers that have self-seeded. Don’t you love when that happens?

I was looking at the big garden bed the other day, trying to figure out what to do with the relatively bare patches in the middle of the bed. Ding! Why not some hardy coneflowers? So I trotted off to my favorite local nursery to see if they had any left.

Am I the only person out there who visits a nursery at this time of year and gets sad? Everything is picked over, dying, root-bound and generally neglected looking. I wandered around, talking to the plants. I was the only person there, so there was no one to observe this behavior. What happens to them? Do they get tossed on some pile of trash? I want to find homes for them. I did see a very neglected New Dawn rose that would need severe pruning. I didn’t buy it, but now I’m thinking twice about that decision. Should I go back and get it?

Anyway, I managed to find two “White Swan” coneflowers and two coneflowers that are part of a “Cone-fection” series, called “Milkshake.” They are also a creamy color and very pretty, though they haven’t bloomed yet.

Today, in the sweltering humidity, I planted them.

There’s another milkshake coneflower to the left, on the other side of the stepping stones. While I was there, I fixed some of the stepping stones that had moved out of place – the garden has a sharp slope and they tend to slide downward.

I know it will take a few years, but my hope is that they will fill in those bare spots and add a dash of white to the garden. Just like the David phlox that is blooming right now at the far end of the big garden bed:

Their scent is heavenly.

Should I go back and buy that bedraggled New Dawn rose?

Could these little volunteer impatiens be any more charming? They have flourished in the shade provided by the little wooden bench.

But they’re popping up in other little nooks and crannies, as well.

It’s as if Mother Earth has decided a delightful surprise is in order. (And believe me, I can use a delightful surprise.)

Every time I look out the kitchen door (which is often since it leads to the dog corral) I get to feast my eyes on these little pretties.

Oh lord, it’s been so HOT here. Endless blazing sun. Everywhere we go, we see huge patches of brown grass, the rivers are really low – we desperately need some rain. Late yesterday afternoon, while the sun was still shining, there was one of those impromptu summer rains. It didn’t last all that long, but any moisture is welcome at this point.

Thanks for all the responses to my “Meticulous Housekeeper” post. For me, it’s the dusting that I neglect. I swiffer and vacuum every day, the kitchen is always picked up, especially since the kitchen and the living room are really one big space. But dusting? I avoid it until I have to. And I’m allergic to house dust, so what’s preferable? Leaving the house dust alone or stirring it up with a duster? Hmmm.

Yesterday I was scheduled for two posts: a TLC book review and a post about beautiful Connecticut in conjunction with BlogHer and Connecticut Tourism. Make sure you visit both of these posts. I’m giving away a copy of the book I reviewed. And if you leave a comment on the Connecticut Tourism post, you win a chance to win $1000 to help plan your trip to that lovely state!

Have a lovely Thursday.