Before we amble about today and look at more flowers, I want to thank all the people who have helped make my gardens possible. Knowing how to garden is one thing; being able to carry out the physical tasks inherent in gardening is something entirely different.

Over the years, many people have generously taken on the tasks that my physical limitations prevent me from tackling - digging holes, ripping up or putting in fencing, pulling weed patches, planting shrubs and plants and bulbs, mowing, trimming, creating raised beds and all those ordinary tasks that one doesn’t even think about until they are beyond one’s limited physical capabilities.

So, to Michael, Mary, Pat, Andy, Tina, Holly, Chuck, Mom and Dad S. and Dan: Thank You! Without your willing hands, sturdy backs and strong legs none of this would exist!

Nannyberry

I have a love/hate relationship with Nannyberry bushes. Ordinarily, a Nannyberry is lovely, with thick glossy leaves and these unusual white berries that the wildlife love. We have three Nannyberry bushes, and two of them happly coexist with our climate without a single complaint. The third, however, turns into a living example of powdery mildew run amok by the end of every summer. I had thought to remove that one this year, but it’s received a stay of execution as it has been perfectly mildew free so far - for the first time in seven years. One can hope…

Pink Zinnia

This Pink Zinnia and

White Candy Cane Zinnia

this white Candy Cane Zinna are more examples of just how gorgeous these ‘common’ flowers are - and have I mentioned recently just how much I love Zinnias?

Sea Lavendars

I’ve grown delicate Sea Lavendars for years, and am always surprised by the plumes of tiny flowers these sturdy plants send out. Each plume is made up of hundreds of little flowers like these, with each individual flower no more than a quarter of an inch in size.

Purple Coneflowers

The Purple Coneflowers are almost done blooming for the year. The goldfinches will start to pick apart the seedheads soon. Many birds will happily pluck seeds from them all winter long, if you leave the plants alone instead of cutting them back to the ground in the fall.

Cricket

For the last several evenings this cricket has been chirping away in our garage. I saw him tonight hopping along the top of some lumber, and with the help of an empty yogurt container managed to transport him out to the garden, where he can join the cricket and little gray tree frog chorus that has been singing for several weeks. One of my favorite books is The Cricket in Times Square - if you’ve never read it, I highly recommend it. The text, accompanied by Garth Williams’ memorable drawings, is truly delightful.

White French Vanilla Marigold

I love marigolds, but can only grow the pollenless White Marigolds, as other varieties can trigger asthma attacks. These remind me of carnations, and in the right conditions are just as large!

There’s still a little more for tomorrow…