They Call Me Mellow Yellow

I am continuing to colour code my blog posts this week in sync with Poppytalk's Summer Colours week. Yellow is a lovely choice for today because there is no sunshine here at all.  All of these cheerful subjects will take its place.

My daylilies must have known about 'Yellow' day.  The first summer bloom opened this morning. What lovely timing.

1. One of the books in Emma's summer book stack.

2. Daylily - yellow is not my favourite colour in the garden but this soft, lemony yellow is perfection.

3. Buttercups

4. Shasta Daisy

5. Grape tomato blossoms

6. 'Pineapple' tomato blossoms - I cannot wait to see the fruit!

7. Yellow clematis tangutica - Gorgeous but highly invasive.

8. Gaillardia - Gallo Peach Blanket

9. Dandelion - so maligned yet really quite beautiful close up.

10. Heron and Canada Geese with reflection from the street light taken last night when Emma, Meeko and I went for a walk with the mosquitoes.  The photo is not super sharp because I took it at dusk but I couldn't resist including it.

Wishing you a sunshiny day!

Friends participating in the Poppytalk Summer Colours week include:  Sonia, Margie and Geninne.
Have a look!

Peonies, Poppies and Pea Gravel

This week so far, we've had intense heat, rain and cold.  I'm glad I took some photos of the Oriental poppies and peonies before the rain yesterday, because some of them have definitely suffered since.  I cut some peonies today to put in a vase, as the weight of the rain broke their stems.

But despite certain tolls in the garden, it really is starting to feel more like summer. Emma and Chloé finished their classes last Friday. Now they only go in on days they have exams.

I have to work extra hard to accomplish things in the studio between acting as taxi driver, pool lifeguard and lunch monitor.  Aside from those extra daily duties now, I really find my focus goes out the window as soon as others are in the house. I have to work on that.

Here's a little tour of my garden this week (some pre- and some post-rain):

'Kansas' Peony

The peonies bowing down to the turtle were the ones I had to cut. Note the lovely Meeko-proof irrigation sculpture.

Peony 'Duchesse de Nemours'

Oriental Poppy 'Princess Victoria Louise' behind a Meeko-proof fence

Poppy smushed by the rain, not Meeko

This would be the perfect reading spot if the bench wasn't so darn uncomfortable.
It's hard to find weather-proof garden furniture that's comfy.

I built this pea gravel pathway just before we got Meeko two years ago. I had visions of Meeko running back and forth on this path, playing fetch with me and dutifully avoiding my flower beds. Little did I know that he would be claiming the whole back yard and all of its contents as his kingdom.

"None of the stories Kathleen tells about me are true."