Barb, Thx so much") Jerriedee, Thx, That plant with white and purple flowers is an annual phlox called 'dutch tapestry' It comes as a mix. But this is the one That I love most. Blooms even after a few frosts- a nice easy keeper. Yes I made teh porch to have that view within a view concept. Juanita, That is an elephant ear. Called 'Odora' Which I got at walmart in the spring as a bare bulb a few years ago. Stores well. The largest leaf measured 36 " wihtout measuring the stem too. I have them as houspants now that it is winter, as well as dormant in the basememnt. Harriet, That colt is a Missouri foxtrotter. If horses were cars this breed would be a Mercedes! There are pictures of his older brother and this ones birth in the photo gallery for pets. He was sold a few months back. Thx!

Nice blooms, Marcia :') My fave is Medail...do you remember what type it is or where you got it? Gil, I've had a couple lilies skip a year on me. When I planted pink tiger lilies they never cam up at all and I thought the bulbs had been bad but the nice lady at botanus said to give it a year and sure enough it came up and bloomed the next year. Giraffe A.L. put on a huge display its first year then skipped last year but came back up this year. Weird. Different years and both in different sun exposures so I'm not sure what I could have done differently.

Shelley and Sharon you've both got such pretty gardens! I love the foxglove and the salpiglossis.... OK who am I kidding? I love all of it! Yeah, I'm with ya Shelley, I can't believe it's mid-August either. This summer went/is going crazy fast. Doesn't help that we had lots of "life stuff" happen either... but hey that's how it goes sometimes! I do feel like I've neglected my garden most of the summer but thanks to the rain and my DS who loves to water the garden (I'm sure that has more to do with being able to play with the nozzle attachment though....LOL) my flowerbeds are still looking OK. They are in need of deadheading/weeding again but besides that they look fine I guess. My favourite corner this year. I'm loving the blues and pinks that just kinda "happened" to grow together. Gotta love serendipity! I just cannot believe that African Daisy 'Apricot'! This is just one plant that I WS'd a little late even. Doing way more of these next year. I am loving my sunflowers this year BUT... they are all only about 3' tall ?! They just aren't growing taller either (and yes, the seed pkg said they should be +/- 5-6' tall!). Oh well they are really pretty still. I am really enjoying the Scarlet Flax too. Sure glad I made a last minute decision to direct sow them! Caledula and Cosmos. Aren't they a cute couple? Not sure what's up with this poppy but it does look cool. I'm assuming the rest of the petals fell off already ?! but whatever I thought it looked pretty neat.

This time I took a tour, and wrote down everything. I've been away for a couple of days and needed the tour to get my head back into the garden. If I read my own handwriting correctly, here's what I've got. Salvia patens (Blue Angel), Salvia microphylla (red), garden heliotrope, colombine, siberian iris, masterwort, semi-wild daisy, bush clematis, lemon lillies, helebores (still going!), foxglove, perennial salvia (volunteers), peonies, thrift, dianthus, soapwort, campanula, red valerian, heuchera, coreopsis, allium, crambe cordifolia, angelica archangelica, anemone canadiensis (a thug!), wild daisy, snow in summer, wooly thyme, geranium, oriental poppy, lady's mantle, epimedium, nepeta (low), rose campion, and one little pink heart left on one bleeding heart. And, sadly, quite a few weeds. In the woody category, cotoneaster, styrax, smokebush, rhodies and azaleas, heath, lavender, wigela, mountain laurel, kousa dogwood, deutzia, and cranberry viburnum. What a wonderful time of year to be a gardener.