August 9, 2016
This week is a fuller version of the same (compare to last week’s photo below). The abundance is remarkable. I have vases lined up all over the house!
At the center, to the right of tall blue globe thistle (Echinops ritro), the orange and red daylilies are pretty much done, but the lemon yellow daylilies (Hemerocallis ‘Hyperion’) is going strong and the spires of Astilbe taquettii are halfway done.
Clockwise from right in the above photo: Bright red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ are almost done, pink coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), white flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata), lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) are nearly all seed pods, more coneflower, orange calendula (C. officinalis) and white and pink flowering tobacco. Below are closer shots of the front of the border.
On the far left, a line of pink cosmos flank the calendula and dots of zinnias; on the right are red and pastel sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) which are being overrun with vines of the sky-blue, ivy-leaved morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea) which still haven’t bloomed; behind them, more cosmos and coneflowers, sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), and (hard to see) a patch of zinnias and dahlias.
At the rear of the garden, pink and white cleome (C. hassleriana) mix with flowering tobacco and a smattering of yellow calendula and sunflowers, which are heavy with seeds, rapidly disappearing into the beaks of goldfinches, chickadees and tufted titmice. I noticed a white-footed mouse on a leaf recently, but s/he seemed more interested in eating lemon balm seeds. The garden is abuzz with all sorts of pollinators, including hummingbirds and hawk moths. I love to stand in the middle and observe the hum of activity around me – pure heaven.
I’m linking with Cathy at Words and Herbs, joining participants taking weekly photos of the same garden over the course of the growing season to note its evolution.
Below are some of the previous views for comparison:
August 9, 2016
June 11, 2016
June 28, 2016
July 19, 2016
July 26, 2016
August 2, 2016
Today, I’m celebrating my third blogiversary! Double eights are auspicious, a symbol representing infinity, so may this blog continue to expand and grow infinitely! I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed since I first nervously pressed ‘publish.’ I look back at that 
This week’s arrangement uses a teapot I picked up at the Free Table at our transfer station, where all manner of goods find new owners and avoid going to the landfill. 
It is a great resource for the community and I often find clay pots and other ‘treasures’ there.
Picking up on the colors of pink and red roses on the pot, I chose similar flowers from my garden.
Red coreopsis (Cosmos atrosanguineus ‘Chocolate’) and red, pink and lavender sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) complete the picture.
Greens are Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), lacy, heart-leaved aster sprigs (Symphyotrichum
Thanks to Cathy at 
The garden is at its zenith and while we have some weeks ahead of us, I’m aware that the bonanza won’t last forever, which only serves to heighten my appreciation.
I cleared my garden paths of the abundant tangle of flopping stems, mostly white flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata) and yellow/orange calendula (C. officinalis).
The special features this week are tall stems of Ligularia ‘The Rocket’ as well as golden zinnias (Z. elegans ‘County Fair Mix’) and dahlia (D. ‘Tiki Torch’).
This week, I’m following the acronym K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Sweetie, or should that be Keep it simple, Sweetpea? 
Two of my favorite subjects– cats and flowers – are featured on a slim pocket vase with a painting by C. Pradalie of a kitty peeking out of a flower bed.
I’ve stuffed it with sweet peas in shades of pale pink, lavender, and purple with one cerise as a focal point. As you can imagine, its scent is heavenly.
Eliza Waters 