I started these zinnias with seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I didn't know how I felt about striped zinnias when I looked at the seed packet but now that they are blooming I find them really cheerful and fun.
This is a hybrid tiger lily that I've had for years. It has lived in a couple of places but seems happy here. Because the plant is very tall and leaning, the flowers are making a circular pattern which I like.
I like the dark freckles on the tiger lily. Because it is not a true tiger lily, it does not have the dark seeds along the stem so it does not self-sow. It also does not make new bulblets from the main bulb so it is forever one plant.
I have tried a variety of daylilies over the years and find that the ones that most closely resemble wild daylilies in shape are the ones that bloom well. With the fancy ruffly varieties, I'm lucky to get one or two blooms but these lilies have many buds.
This one is very similar to the first photo but the flowers are actually a little darker. Nice big flowers.
The magenta astilbe is a shortish plant and the flowers are not as fluffy as the pink or white ones. In a shady location, the strong colour stands out nicely.
We have had a cool summer, hardly a day that gets to 30C, so the pansies are still blooming well. Usually they are too heat stressed to keep going through July.
The vegetable garden is coming along well as the vegetables do best with temperatures in the mid 20Cs. The beans recovered from the beetles and I have an abundance of beans to eat.
Yes, I like those Zinnias too. Lilies I'm not so fond of as, although they're pretty, I always end up with yellow pollen stains all over my trousers! From reading other blogs there don't seem to be many places that aren't experiencing a hot summer.
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