I took our wide-angle lens out on July 1st, thinking I'd get some nice photos in the early-morning sun.
Yeah, about that... The early-morning sun was already high enough in the sky to glare and flare and make some views extremely, harshly high-contrast. I ended up cutting the photo expedition short, and most of the photos I'd already taken had turned out fairly blurry. But hey, they're better than nothing. I may get out later this month and take a few more; in case I don't, here are the ones from yesterday.
All the usual disclaimers (weeds, hoses, paint, overgrown grass, etc.) still apply. ;o)
As you can see, we haven't made any progress on the gravel pathways, but Donald has spread some of the gravel in the parking/backing-out area. We might get a little pathway graveling done this holiday weekend, but no guarantees. (There are other projects also in the works-- plus we want to have time to just relax and enjoy life, too. What a concept! ;o))
You may have noticed what looks like a new trellis by the gate. That's the first piece of an arbor Donald is building. It wasn't settled into place, yet, when I took these photos, because the post holes were too shallow (and it was time to stop for the day). This morning, we lifted it out, and Donald got the holes just right. Now it's just where we want it.
Next up is constructing the second side and putting that into place. (The painting and most of the cutting are already done. It's "just" a matter of putting it all together, digging the holes, etc.) The top will go on, later. (Not too much later, I hope...)
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On the garden, overall, it always looks much emptier in these photos than it feels when I'm standing in it.
Parts of it feel nice and full-- mostly thanks to some gap-filling annuals, like marigolds and vincas.
Other parts are in definite need of More Plants Please. Some of these will come from at-home propagation, and some will need to be purchased, in one form or another. Actually, I'm glad there's still a need for more plants. I'd hate to think there was no room for anything else, because there are several other things I'd love to try growing.
Of course, one downside (apart from budget) is that this is not a great time of year for planting new things. True, I have some plants still in pots that need to be planted, but most of them are already spoken for (and won't be going into the main flower garden area). I imagine it's really too late to try to grow much else from seed, this season, and I would hesitate to go out and buy new nursery-grown plants right now, unless they were just a wonderful bargain. (The heat would put them under undue stress.)
All this means that for the next few months (or more), I guess I'll just be fighting back the weeds and trying to keep the existing plants alive. ...And ignoring all the empty space in my flower garden. ...And maybe making a shopping list and plans for seeds and plants I want to try in autumn or next spring.
Hardscaping projects will require attention for a while, anyway. And during the dog days of summer, simply keeping the weeds at bay may be more than enough of a challenge.
