Thanks for visiting, everybody. Rita, this is a very rural area. Field of newly planted soybeans to the north that you saw, open field to our back, empty pasture and pecan trees to the south. We face west with woods across the highway. Bluesunflower, I am not sure what you were asking? Do I finish one bed before I go to another? No. When I go outside, I carry some kind of tool. If it's loppers, I take care of everything I can reach that is too big for hand pruners. If it's pruners, I deadhead everything I come to. Sometimes I take several tools and a watering can in the little red wagon and plant whatever is sitting around rooted and ready. I can't keep on at edging with a spade and mattock for many feet at a time, so that's a task that's never quite finished and frequently abandoned for something less tiring. I pull out long streamers of centipede grass as I weed. Weeding is a bend and grab exercise on every stroll I take.Have you ever noticed how a weed can align itself with a plant and hide until it is a foot tall if you are not diligent? On some of my strolls, I do fallen limb patrol with assistance from the dog. There are many other tasks that fill my day, with rest periods in between. It's too hot and humid to stay outside for too long. DH had a visitor this morning, whose first words to me was a warning not to stay outside too long and get too hot, LOL. Glenda, I don't know why the trumpet lilies are blooming here and there at the same time. Has to do with the amount of chill they require, maybe. Lilies have not bloomed in the sequence they usually follow, here. Trumpets are blooming ahead of Orientals, and Asiatics are late. Weather related, maybe. Everybody seems to be blooming at once. Tom, I call this 'travail and error' gardening. Do what works. Nell

Great photos, and a lovely garden! I like the mix of deciduous and herbaceous plants along with all the conifers. The variety of colors of new growth is beautiful and I particularly like the 'Black Widow' rhodie. What is the low growing conifer with blue candles in the center background behind the Picea pungens 'The Blues' ? Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Nell, I'll be sure to tell my husband that you liked the photos. He's my official photographer. (He just bought a Cannon SLR and it does make a difference). gldno1, This is my first year planting cuphea, so I don't know if it will reseed. I planted Euryops 2 years ago for the first time, couldn't find it last year and was pleased to find it again this year. It's my favorite yellow daisy because it doesn't need any babying. When I planted Maguerites last year, they wilted in the humidity of August. I am going to try to collect seeds this year. Achileasheel, I am fast becoming a Coleus addict. After those photos were taken I planted 2 more! Flowerlady, my "rich soil" is due to way too much digging and mixing on my part. I have yellow clay so I wound up mixing a 1/3 clay, 1/3 sand, 1/3 composted manure combo in my wheelbarrow and then planting my perennials. I am lasagnaing my next garden because this method is way too much work (although I've built up my arm muscles!) Cameron, you are so right on the difference a zone makes. I have a friend in Canada and her peonies just started to open. Mine have been over since the tenth (I know the date because my younger son turned 15 that day.) I am amazed that your phlox is already blooming - I have three weeks to go! (it probably doesn't help that every year in the beginning of the season I get a free pruning courtesy of the deer). Blondiesc, my next garden I am going to do more geraniums. They are a wonderful plant. My Johnson's Blue has been there since 2001 with no division and comes up like gangbusters every year. Annie, I always buy my heliotrope started in cell packs. I am a lazy girl. I plant them in amended clay - I dig out the clay, add in one big handful of good quality top soil (I only use Fafard brand), 1 handful of composted manure, mix that up with the clay and then plant in that. Full sun for heliotrope and it likes water (although not wet roots). We've been getting close to 2 inches a week of rain for the past three weeks and the plant has never been happier. I am not so generous when they depend on me for watering. proudgm and trailrunner, glad you enjoyed. And for those of you who liked my rambling captions, that's partly because I had a large and diverse group of friends over at livejournal where I keep my blog. Quite a few of them are newbie gardeners, so the captions helps answer their questions. Robin the A2Z girl

Thanks Jim! Sorry I didnt see your response. I notice that we both reply to messages at the same time pretty often, haha. We got about 2 days in the mid 90s already this year (and more than our fair share of cool weather), but I'm hoping that once (if) the 80s every get consistent the P. geayi will finally flush! I wanted some blooms this year! I agree, Ensetes are definitely one of the fastest growing bananas and I think part of the reason for their fast growth is their cool tolerance which gets them to start growing in the spring when days are only comfortable and not opressively hot. The sabas should get some good growth in with the warmer weather this weekend and hopefully warm weather will be permanent soon! -Alex