Gertrude's Flower Garden - Weekly Diary
7/9/99 - The weather this week here in New Jersey, in fact in all of the eastern states, has been enough to try the hardiest gardener's spirits. Temperatures well over 100 degrees and with readings in the low nineties considered "relief" are not conducive to gardening. I have managed to get out for short periods of work in shady areas, but haven't been able to make much of a dent in the chores that need to be done. Summer hot spells like this one make me envious of our British cousins who can complain when temperatures reach the 80's--and all that lovely rain that falls regularly. Well, if we were gardening there, I suppose we would be complaining about lack of sunshine.
I must say that the garden doesn't miss me very much. It is true that things look droopy in midday, and all of the flowers welcome the watering I try to give them every evening. But, despite the weather, the garden seems to continue on its schedule--if anything, hurried along by the excess of sunshine. The blue balloon flowers (Platycodon) have joined the blue salvia around the birdbath to complete--with white Star zinnias--my color scheme. I have also interspersed burgundy coleus, which I hope will create a pleasing contrast.
In the front of the house, the small circle bed,which is set in a curve in the stone walk, is now displaying the colors I planned for it. A center planting of the new Profusion zinnias in a deep rose-pink is surrounded by a triple row of my white Star zinnias.I know that Gertrude would have loved this pretty pink and white welcome at our front door. We have a telephone pole on the corner of our lot between the curb and sidewalk. Years ago, Gertrude made a tiny flower-bed around its base. A lovely white cleome that grew from seed dropped there and some blue salvia make even this utilitarian object a spot of beauty.
This week's picture is of the second Triangular bed. The reddish flowers in the center are nicotiana, and the tall yellow ones are coreopsis planted last year. The white and blue larkspur reseed themselves yearly; the border flowers are begonias and yellow Star zinnias. The flowers to the right in the rock-edged bed are impatiens.
7/2/99 - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
7/16/99 - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
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