 The bee balm and daylilies have bloomed,
drawing birds, bees, and butterflies with their brilliant colors. The
bee balm is such a favorite with the hummingbirds that it has kept them away
from the feeders; now we must trek to the back of the garden to see them.
The drought continues here as it does across the country, so the birdbaths
are also a favorite resting place. On occasion the birdbaths have gone dry,
sending a few thirsty souls to perch on the side of the kids' pool looking
for a drink. The lawn finally succumbs to the heat and drought around mid-month.It's too hot to go out and work in the garden this month, as temperatures have soared into the high nineties and stayed there for weeks. We are anxious to go out and pull weeds and to re-work some of the unfinished beds, but transplanting in this heat is impossible. Instead, we content ourselves for the time being with watching the wildlife that wanders by.
Our Garden Journal is a production of The Parker Family. Copyright 1999, all rights reserved. |
The tiger and spicebush swallowtails are among
our favorite visitors to the garden, now that the Black Knight Buddleia
has come into bloom. 
Another elusive visitor to the garden this
month has been nibbling our black-eyed susans, though they seem to be largely
undamaged by his visits. The children saw him first -- a groundhog! He's a slow,
methodical fellow, who seems quite comfortable grazing his way from one plant
to the next as he makes his way up the path and across the garden. We almost got
a picture of him, but he waddled into the neighbor's yard and out of sight before
we could load new film into the camera, so we must try again another day.