Summer’s still going here with 95-plus degree days half the week and 80 degree days the other half. We’re on day 53 of no rain, tying our 5th highest no-rain record streak. We’d have to reach 90-plus days to tie our all time record. This is the only reason Mom doesn’t mind working the summer away, though she horribly misses taking in the seasons and all the subtle changes in the garden that came with staying home full time. Let’s take a look at all the other summery growing things before they’re gone.

Before all the overtime took over, Mom planted a few pots of flowers. Of course, she thought she’d get time to sit outside to enjoy them, but the truth is Dad kept them watered on his days off as best he could and Mom watered them on her day off, and the rest of the time, it was too hot to enjoy any of it. Thank goodness for a patio umbrella that kept them from becoming pots of crispy brown!

We think this might be our last year growing lavender. This one did great for three years before filling the huge pot with more roots than soil. We had to water it up to three times a day to keep it from wilting in our summer heat. Dad’s a big lavender fan but with his MS mobility getting much worse this year, it was difficult for him to get outside to water it, let alone enjoy it much.

And wouldn’t you know, Lloyd isn’t a fan of helping to water flower pots. Who knew? He just stops by for the brushies and catnip chicken treats. What a love bug he’s become, and so soft!

Mom’s cyclamen, the one Dad bought the year he was laid off from the job he loved back in 2018, is still doing well out in the garden. We keep it surrounded by hazelnuts shells to keep the slugs at bay, and if you listen closely on those misty late September mornings to come, you’ll hear them complaining about not getting cyclamen leaves for breakfast.

Planting a clematis at the base of our Star Magnolia tree three years ago is finally showing promise. Months after the Star Magnolia tree finishes its snowy white flower show, this clematis winds itself around the branches and pops flowers out here and there.

One last peek at our fountain in late summer. The red Japanese maple is just starting to turn bronze in color, the yellow fountain grass will begin sending up flower shoots any moment, the daisies will fade, and all the leafy trees in the neighboring yards will turn orange and red. Autumn is less than a month away!

“I’ll be taking my morning bath shortly,” this baby raccoon assures us. We haven’t seen mama Shaggy in a solid month and we think she may be gone. She had a very tough time getting around but boy, did she ever teach her five babies well! Almost every morning before work and while it’s still dark, Mom peeks outside and sees those babies splashing around in the fountain, washing, rearranging rocks, chasing one another, and having a great young raccoon time.

Thanks for joining us in our garden!

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A Colehaus Cats flashback:

2021 – No post
2020 – No post
2019 – No post
2018 – A Cat (or two) in the Box!
2017 – No post
2016 – MultiCat Monday
2015 – No post
2014 – Not Snooping, I’m Watching
2013 – No post
2012 – A Second Look