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| This photo shows the Shasta Daisies as they started to bloom, a tree trunk with a solar light on it, Joe Pye growing to the right, Mr. Lincoln in the upper left, and Hostas at the top center. The white plastic comes from rose collars, which are being used to protect roses while filling in the mulch. |
Sassy is the great socializer on our cul-de-sac. The children love her and know she is gentle. She went out for her afternoon walk and went immediately to the boys playing outside.
They had a great time with her, and she went back inside. I wanted to trim some grassy weeds back, so I soon had an audience. All three boys wanted to know about the flowers, the battery powered trimmers, and everything else.
I asked, "Do you want some flowers for your moms?" Two or three of the mothers were helping with the yard sale. I clipped a bunch of daisies for each boy, and they ran back to give their prizes to their mothers. "Tell her I love you," I said as they took off.
They ran back just as quickly, grinning and saying, "She said thankyou."
Sometimes I have roses to give the children, but the drought has been relentless. The Japanese beetles do their share on the blooms, though far less than last year. The conversations are priceless.
Like Sassy, the children can walk through the garden without harming the plants. Even the young Hostas are perking up and showing their colors.
Sometimes, when I am working under the big Crepe Myrtle, a cat will walk by after visiting the Cat Mint, or a rabbit will walk past to visit another yard. When birds are nesting in the Myrtle, the parents warn me to go away, as the robins did earlier this year.
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| Cardinal Caladiums are under the Crepe Myrtle for extra color. They are late to unfurl and grow their leaves, but well worth the wait. On the ground are the Myrtle flower petals fallen from the first bloom and the energetic grassy weeds. I was trimming the grass when the boys arrived to ask questions. I will add more mulch to suppress the weeds. |
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| Here is the red Caladium set off by white ones, with a side helping of Hog Peanuts in the upper right. Hog Peanuts improve the soil by fixing nitrogen. |
