Up on Friday evening after a very long, difficult week at work. Went home on Sunday morning to prepare for a family dinner since Max is in town. Haven't been here for a couple of weeks. Everything looks beautiful since the weather has cooled off a bit.
- My Cypress Vine is in full bloom. Its red flowers are being swarmed by the hummingbirds. Very amusing to watch. Gorgeous blue wands of Mexican Sage are blooming right next to it. And the Pringle Aster is in full bloom, it looks like a huge snow ball.
- I spent time in the Star Garden first, cutting away Almond Verbena branches leaning into the paths. Pulled up spent zinnias. Cleaned up a few beds that had been turned over by armadillos. Replanted some Montbretia and iris the armadillos rooted up. Hauled a couple of wheel barrows full of debris to the compost pile. I collected about 30 Montbretia that I am not going to replant in the same spot. They tend to lean over, and they are currently planted right next to a path.
- Watered in the Rose Garden and the dry end of the Long Border for a couple of hours. It was pretty dry, and I'm not sure that some of the iris I planted 3 or 4 weeks ago are going to make it. They are pretty resilient, so maybe they will pull through. I didn't have to weed much, it's pretty clean in there.
- The number 1 sprinkler in the Infinity Garden isn't working. It's pretty dry over there. I put the dripper on my azaleas, gingers. and Dame's Rocket. The shrimp plant seems to be fine without any water.
- I drove to the Rose Emporium about noon and bought two roses to replace my dead Bermuda's Kathleen and Lafter. I planted Carefree Beauty where Kathleen had been, right at the entrance to the Rose Garden. Carefree Beauty has an interesting history. It was found growing on Katy Road near Houston. Cuttings were shared with the Rose Emporium. It was sold under the name of Katy Road Pink for a long time, and then it was determined to actually be the Dr. Griffith Buck rose still being sold under patent called Carefree Beauty. She has hot pink, large, semi-double flowers. She is a good bloomer. I have grown this rose before, and I really like her. I killed her and about six other roses seven years ago when I over-fertilized them. Carefree Beauty's genes are used in the famous Knockout Roses. I planted Maman Cochet where Lafter had been. Maman Cochet is a tea rose, introduced in 1893. The flowers are a pink blend. Buying Maman was a nod to Eudora Welty. She mentioned this rose in some of her writings. I recently bought a book about the restoration of Eudora Welty and her mother's garden in Mississippi. I watered them in very well and set the sprinkler up so it would hit Maman. The other rose is located in a place that should get some water as well. But I will have to be careful with them or they will suffer, no question about it. I have one other spot where a rose needs to be replaced. And I can't decide if I should just dig up my Chrysler Imperial and start over. It's pretty pathetic looking.
- I watered some of the beds in the Star Garden and the beds along the front of the house.
- Weeded here and there.
- I saw a Monarch today, only the second one I have spotted this summer. They have become really scarce. I am Monarch-Friendly. I have milkweed growing here and there. If it sprouts, I let it grow. Milkweed makes big pods that split open and the seeds float through the air attached to silky threads.
- The mosquitoes seem to be dying back, so I spent a lot of time in the garden Friday night. The Almond Verbena smelled wonderful, and the air was moist and cool. Bert and I took a ride around the property while I shined the spot light into the trees trying to see an owl. But no luck.
- Sunday morning I was up before the day light. I walked around the Star Garden watching the hummingbird moths flit from flower to flower, their weird eyes glowing when the light from the porch shone on them just right.
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