Eliza Waters

July 18, 2017

The garden progresses quickly and it feels like summer is flying by. This garden is heading into its prime season, so the next month will be delightful for viewing.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) have started flowering, attracting fritillary butterflies and a single female monarch this week, which was a thrill to see. Hoping for a male to help her procreate. Three varieties of Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa, incarnata & syriaca) await their progeny elsewhere in the yard.

The huge clump of Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro) is about to open up for bee business and spires of pink/purple Astilbe taquettii are opening as well. I’ve trimmed some of the Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina) blossoms in front, but as the bees are still visiting, I’m holding off cutting them all down until the Thistle comes into bloom.

Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’ is finishing, as are the Sundrops (Oenothera fruticans). An orange Asiatic lily, forgotten for several years, put in a showing on the left and a solitary Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ blooms on the right. That side of the bed gets morning shade and between the voles and lack of sun, it isn’t performing well. The corms need to be moved to a sunnier spot, but isn’t high on the endless to-do list.

Surrounding the Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica) in front, a sea of Love-in-a-mist (Nigella sativa) is ready to open. I’ll try to catch a photo of it at its best, but I’m vacationing next week, so I may miss it, alas. Small Zinnia ‘Double Cherry Profusion’ plants are struggling to gain a foothold against the nightly onslaught of slugs. It’s been a good year for those pests.

Thanks to Cathy at Words and Herbs for hosting The Tuesday View, a meme showing the view of one or more of our gardens over the course of a growing season. Visit to see links to other garden views from around the world.

June 27, 2017

The main garden progresses, filling in abundantly. A magnet for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies, Carolina lupine (Thermopsis villosa) is standing tall. Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) and Loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata) all together present a yellow palate and Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina) blossoms in front give bees plenty of forage.

Other things flowering that are hard to see in the photo are Catmint (Nepeta racemosa), pink and blue Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) and Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea). Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’ is just starting and Iris siberica is ending. Huge clumps of Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro) and Astilbe taquettii are budding up, promising good things to come.

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Thanks to Cathy at Words and Herbs for hosting The Tuesday View, a meme showing the view of one or more of our gardens over the course of a growing season.