Definitely Mary. I have a garden tour coming up in August and some of the things that are normally in bloom at that time aren't going to make it until then. The Ditch Lilies are starting to bloom like crazy now and last year they were blooming in August along with the phlox Paniculatas.

The weird thing here is that it has been much cooler at times and we have yet to see the sun for a full day since May so you would think that we would be late. But that isn't the case with some plants. Even Hostas are blooming early.

A couple of evenings ago I took my lab Raven for a walk. I remarked to her that it smelled like an October day, somewhat melancholy-ish. I could have used a sweater, but it was a nice walk with the scent of salt in the air bringing me back 40+ years. I digress, but must admit I do this often when I'm happy with the moment and I know I was then.

Ditto on the Ditch Lilies here Tiffy. If the Ironweed starts to bloom I am really going to freak out!!

What makes it really strange is the teasels haven't bloomed yet, the butterfly weed is just starting to bloom, milkweed are full of buds, and that seems normal.

Mary

It is a strange bloom season. MA, with cool temps and very little if any sun for the entire month of June.

July starts and we have a couple of days with sun and then Bingo back to cool temps and pouring, pouring rain.

Plants blooming? Not much in that department for sure and my WS seedlings have been stunted at the tiny, tiny stage.

Course the store bought ones that my neighbor bought, look more dead than alive after all this rain and cool temps and no sun.

So what makes the gardens strange this year?

For the last couple of years have noticed my well established hostas, no names for them, just divisions of a neighbor's 25 years ago, have gotten their flower spikes earlier and earlier every year. Usually I don't see them till August and it takes till almost Thanksgiving to get the seed pods ripe.

This year they where growing in June and starting to bloom before July 4th.
Last year and the year before it is July when the stems started and blooms in July.

Hydrangeas are starting to bloom before the 4th of July, not mid July on.

Daffodils bloomed late, crocus where late, snow in summer where no blooms.

Iris where early and didn't last as long.

To top it off, the 4 legged critters are busier than usual. Exceptionally busy rabbits all over the place, very bold, actually digging nests and birthing offspring right in the middle of flower beds under perennial dianthus.

Squirrels see to be collecting nuts early and they are on the ground early and the infestation of the neighborhood groundhogs seem to be very, very confused. They are either demolishing the gardens or just sitting outside a fenced in area and just doing nothing.

And to make everything worse, the deer that we normally see only in the winter, feeding on my rhodies and my neighbor's spreading yews are having a feast on my hosta leaves, hosta stems and the daylilies.

In 29 years, I have never had deer around in the summer and they've never touched anything except the rhodies and the neighbor's spreading yews and that's in the winter only with snow on the ground.

Fran

What I find strange is that nothing is growing for me. Last time I winter sowed, everything was lush by now. I even had a few flowers to show off! This year I have very little growth... if any! Forget about blooms, that's just not gonna happen at this rate.

I went out to water this morning, and really felt defeated. Like the typical Cubs fan, all I can do is wait until next year. Hopefully something... anything at all... will come back!!

It has been a cooler, wetter summer here in SE Pa, too. For the most part, that's been a good thing in my garden. The roses are in their second flush of bloom, with a bit less disease, hardly any thrips, and fewer japanese beetles than years past. Although the bumblebees appeared later than usual, they are out in force now, mobbing the lavender. I saw a few honeybees last year; more this year. One of the best things about this summer is the abundance of fireflies. When I go for my evening walk, I pass yards and fields full of fireflies. As the dusk deepens into night and I walk past a field, it looks like the all the stars in the sky sent their children down to play tag in the field.

Lois in PA

Hi Mary,
I am in the Kansas City metro area. We have had the coolest and wettest August since I have been gardening. I've even seen some trees that are casting off a few leaves this early, one is my Japanese Lilac. Everything here is blooming beautifully but our tomatoes are slow to ripen. It will be interesting to see if it turns hot again or we go right into fall. I had 4 rain barrels put in this summer and have hardly been able to use the water, it rains so much that Mother Nature is taking care of my many, many beds. For that I am grateful. One thing we cannot control is the weather. We could have a worse problem, drought!
I always hurt for the people in California when they lose their homes to those wild fires every summer.
Tina