Dog Days

It's been hot, hot, hot and dry as a bone until the last week or so. Finally, we got half an inch of rain, followed by 2.75 on Monday night - I could hardly believe the rain gauge. Then another crashing thunderstorm last night left another inch. We're still at a deficit, but in much better shape.

This is the time of year to regret your choices and mourn the jobs not done (planting beans, for example). But there are still a few garden joys.
 
The morning glory is terribly puny because there's not enough sun back here, but I love the single blooms that do appear. I think this was a mixed batch of Heavenly Blue and some others.
 
The front garden was gasping, too, but the - I always want to call it phlogiston for some reason - Physostegia virginica or False Dragonhead - is starting to bloom now. I don't know how much I love this, but it does offer some late summer color that's not orange for once.

 

The Black-eyed Susans just keep on going, though I notice that mine are stunted compared to those in my neighbor's well-irrigated garden. Clearly, the lamb's ear also loves this dry weather. (A better gardener would have placed the lamb's ear in front of the Susans, but maybe this fall I'll be moved to move them.)

The best thing to do right now is weed after this rain (which I won't do much of, because it's still hot and humid) and work on fall bulb orders.