The first zinnia:
They’ve been a long time coming. Next year, I am amending the soil in the chicken wire fence garden. It clearly needs some nutrients.
The last of the daylilies:
I had two surprise blooms this week. That nicely extended the day lily season, but I’m pretty sure this is it.
It’s a soggy, humid mess out there. The hollyhock looks like it was struck down by some disease, it hasn’t been, but it is definitely done. The rain has been hard on all the flowers in the garden. There are weeds everywhere. It was cloudy yesterday morning, and it seemed cooler outside, so I grabbed the weed chomper and worked on the area surrounding the Funky Patio. At the end of five minutes or so, which also included some quick stabs at weeding, I was dripping.
Maybe this is nature’s way to slowly bring me around to the fact that September is a couple of weeks away. The garden looks bedraggled. I only have some much energy/desire to tackle it at this point in the summer. The humidity is stifling.
I’m not kidding. I think Mother Nature has a way of bringing us around to the realization that it’s almost over until next year. She breaks the news gently, but the facts stare us in the face and we have to admit defeat.
Though I’m still waiting on my morning glories and moonflowers and the rest of my zinnias.
Yesterday, I tackled the Helmer drawer unit from IKEA.
Can I just say that it was a pain in the tush? In the interest of total honesty, it was a pain in the tush because I had the drawer glides installed incorrectly and I didn’t realize it until I had cursed for over an hour as I tried to get the damn thing together. I finally realized my mistake and took the whole thing apart.
It’s fine now. It’s very inexpensive and, therefore, the quality is fairly flimsy, but it will do until I can afford something else. Or even want something else. By the way, the screws that attach the casters to the base won’t go into the base correctly. They, my friends, were also a pain in the tush.
Little Z’s dollhouse should be a breeze compared to this.
We’re going to try to mow a bit this morning before it gets real hot. The grass is so long – everywhere – and there is still rain in the forecast for this week, so we have to grab any non-rainy time we can get.
Don’s getting a new iPhone today and he’s very excited. He’s been using an older model, much smaller than the one I have, and he needs something bigger and faster. He’s a big guy and he’s got big hands. Since he was eligible for an upgrade, his shiny new phone will be delivered to our door today.
Happy Monday.
I love the zinnias! We are still getting some blooms but not as many as summer nears to an end. Yay for a new phone! I’m loving my bigger screen for my older eyes! Happy Monday.
hugs,
Linda
Yes! I could use an even bigger screen, Linda!
New IPhone day for Don…wooohooo. Got to love a new phone. I love my Iphone6sPlus…
Hard to believe that September is right around the corner, but I am so done with the heat.
6sPlus is too big for me, Cindy – though that’s subject to change. I never thought I would want one as big as the one I have now…
I love zinnia’s so much! New phones are always fun. One of my favorite phone accessories is the flashlight, I use it often. I also use the alarm for all kinds of things because it’s so handy. My husband used our weed chomper this morning and then informed me it was on it’s last summer. Rylee, the four year old little girl I babysat since she was born started Pre K 4 today. We drove to her house before 7 so we could be outside her door with a sign and a gift bag to celebrate with her. Her little face just lit up. Nothing like making memories.
I use the flashlight and the alarm, as well. We don’t have a clock in our bedroom, so sometimes I need it when I have to get up early. And when I’m on the road.
That Zinnia is a bouquet in a single bloom! Love the little flowers surrounding the center!
I know. Zinnias are amazing!
I can’t put ANYTHING together. It’s why I had to buy a pre-constructed doll house. You are brave to attempt these things!
Wow, your weather sounds so awful.
Strange, I’m on the opposite coast with a whole different weather/seasons scenario, but I’ve only been getting zinnia bloom in the past couple of weeks. I thought they’d NEVER come up. They are very ORANGE. My daisies have been the surprise (gerbera daisies); they have bloomed and bloomed and bloomed and bloomed (makes such a pretty, big pot of magenta, orange and yellow). My herbs have also done famously this summer; abundant rosemary and basil in particular. I love watering them and breathing in their heady scent. I was annoyed to go out yesterday afternoon and find that my over-zealous husband cut ALL the roses ‘way back, apparently forgetting that this is NOT something you do in Southern California in August (it’s what you do in late December or early January). And they were full of white, pink and yellow blooms. I don’t know what gets into him sometimes. He can be dangerous with clippers in the yard!
Can I mention how lovely it is to be out back in the early evening, everyone’s windows and doors open to catch the cooling, westerly seabreeze, and hear the sweet sound of our neighbor’s newborn! Baby girl, getting used to her new world. It makes me smile; new life and all its possibilities.
I’ve put a lot of things together over the years – I’m pretty good at it. Except for those times, like yesterday, when I misread the directions!
What will you hold in the new storage drawers, Claudia? I’ve been wanting to buy a couple of IKEA Alex units, which look like map drawers, for my craft supplies. My girlfriend, who sews, has a couple of them and they look good in her craft/guest room. However, I have a perfectly good system in place now. Since I’m known within the family for constantly wanting to change things up, even if things are working more than fine, my daughters are discouraging me from spending the money. I suspect their motive also includes them not wanting to help me haul furniture around…. Beautiful flowers! I have some tasks in the garden to attend to. Yesterday, I had to prop up the salvia, which wasn’t planted properly in the first place.
I’m going to use it to hold all the minis; chairs, accessories, that I have stashed all over the place. I think I’d prefer the Alex units someday, but I think the unit is wider than this one? And I only have so much space!
The Alex units are wider than the metal drawer unit you have, almost twice as wide. I think it may be a bit deeper as well. I can stash two Alex units under my cutting table, but I already have wood cabinets that my Dad built, and I would never not use those. Having most of your mini accessories in one place will be nice.
May be too wide for my present configuration! I do have to leave some room for Don’s stuff…
I am excited watching my zinnias finally open, too…it has been a long time coming. Spring came so early here this year…I think that’s why I am feeling the onset of fall so early!
Me too. I don’t want it to be here yet, Linda!
Your lovely photographs brought a smile to my face, Claudia. The daylily flower looks so tender and delicate, as if it might melt, which is ironic, considering that daylilies are one of the hardiest, toughest, most reliable perennials around. That zinnia is stunning. It’s hard to beat zinnias’ cheerful, sturdy, stand-up-and-sing “God Bless America” attitude.
Meanwhile, this heat and humidity is like Kryponite, isn’t it? It really knocks the wind out of one’s sails. Slight improvement today; the heat index is only 96 degrees here, unlike the 109 degree heat index over the weekend. Still, ugh.
Heat index is in the 93. Yucky, yuck, yuck!
Happy day for Don! That’s the only problem with some stuff from IKEA…the putting together afterwards. Drives me mildly nuts! I’m sorry to say this…but I am looking forward to cooler temps and lower humidity that fall brings. My gardens have gotten away from me this year, because I haven’t been able to work in them due to the heat. Guess there’s always next year…my favorite garden mantra! ;)
Mine is definitely getting away from me now, Donnamae!
Up here in Rochester we haven’t had NEARLY the rain much of the country’s received, so in general we have crispy beige lawns everywhere and things have a Death Valley look to them. Luckily where I live though, there are sprinklers and consequently, lots of lush green grass that actually needs to be cut weekly. The downside to that is that our sprinklers aren’t the kind that just dribble a steady supply of water into the ground every other night for an half hour or so – they’re SPRAYING sprinklers. And located right next to my parking spot. But I have been saving on car washes this Summer, since there’s not much point to having a nice clean car that’s COVERED with smudgy water spots all the time.
I’m sure Don will be loving his new iPhone. Getting a new phone these days is like getting a new car – quite a bit of excitement, especially when you’ve been driving the same old model for quite a while. 📞
Yes, he’s going to love it, Janet. Since they had a deal, I got a new iPad….gulp. But I thought it might be a good thing to have, especially when I travel. I can take it on the bus to the city or to rehearsal for research. I’m not one who enjoys lugging my laptop around all the time. It feels like a splurge, but I think it’s worth it in the end. And we got a great deal on it – a slightly older model – just like the iPhones we order. We’re always looking for a deal.
I can hardly wait to see more of your zinnias Claudia…such bright and cheerful colors that they bloom in…I could use one of those drawer units for odds and ends around here…Tell Don to have fun with his new phone..I know how guys enjoy playing with any new electronics…
Don actually gets a bit overwhelmed by this stuff. I adapt to it much better than he does.
You are so right about both the garden and the gardeners becoming weary at this time of the season. The petunias are definitely way too leggy, and there is a bit of brown to many plants. I do hate for it to end…. but not the heat and humidity. It has been a bit of a rough summer. Fall is my favorite season, but it is NOT my favorite thought regarding what is then to follow. ugh.
Hope your day is going well. My 7 year old BFF and I made a birdhouse this morning. What fun. The colors are quite “interesting” that she chose. She said she wanted the colors to be attractive and noticeable to the birds flying by….. 🐤 A few purple streamers that she added will help do the trick, too, I’m sure!!
That birdhouse sounds charming, Chris!
I am determined to get out there and weed once this humidity is gone. And clean up the gardens. After all that is done…we’ll see.
Zinnias are one of my favorite flowers. Ours are finishing up and I will save the seeds and plant them in the garden again next spring. I always mix them up in a bag so I never know what will bloom (size, color…love the surprises). Stay cool! Jen
It’s fun to be surprised, Jen. Good idea!
Claudia, that daylily looks like lemon sorbet. Yumm. I too keep looking for the morning
glories to bloom. My zinnias, cosmos, really everything is blooming, but they are struggling
in the heat with not enough rain here. When it does rain it pours so hard and fast that it just
runs off everything. Our dirt road has large craters along the sides that your tires would
get caught in, so deep. Ah well. I love fall, but I will be happy to keep summer as long as
possible. Keep cool and carry on!
I hope you get some rain soon, Pamela. We’ve had more than our share of it lately and I so wish I could send some to my friends who are coping with dry weather and drought.
Hi Claudia, you will love your iPad, trust me. I upgraded about a month ago to
Air iPad 2 and it is definitely faster and the colour is outstanding. Going in for an aorta
valve replacement so I treated myself, I can rationalize any financial expenditures.
lol
Thank you for sharing your political views as they are always spot on and rational,
unlike you know who and his ridiculous surrogates.
I’m sure I got a deal on the iPad Air because there is now an iPad Air2! But since I’m just starting out with an iPad, this one is just fine!. When are you going in to the hospital, Lea? Sending you healing thoughts, my friend.