I've always loved the scent of phlox so it is a real pleasure to have some good sized plants in the garden. This white one is David variety, an excellent one, that is resistant to mildew. Mildew is very dependent on the weather and if you get hot humid weather it will likely show up. I have used a solution of baking soda and water, or diluted milk and they both work to some extent especially if you get on it right away. This year with all the bright sunny days we've had there is no mildew.
I have been seeing a hawk moth regularly on this patch of phlox.
A new division taken this spring that will hopefully grow into a nice big patch. I really like the dark eye ring with the lighter pink around it.
Purple balloon flower (platycodon) is a drought resistant plant. It is fairly tall and tends to lean to the light but the stems are stiff so a rock at the base helps to keep them upright. Not a problem if they are in full sun..
You can see hear where it gets it's common name as the buds look like little balloons.
This little hydrangea is in a shady spot but it still blooms nicely. The white flowers brighten up the shade.
What have we here? Two squash bugs - a senior, and a junior. I can't remember having squash bugs before but this year one of the zucchini plants had quite a few. I happened to have a big bowl of soapy water and I threw it over the plant. That seemed to knock them back for now. So now I am thinking that maybe next year I won't plant any cucurbits to break the cycle. I do like zucchini but I can buy some from a local farmer. I usually have the little cucumber beetles but they don't seem to bother the plants very much.
