I had to give you another glimpse of Spain. We visited this beautiful nursery when we were on the way to lunch one day. I, of course found the herb table right away. It was a wonderful combination of sights and smells. Dianthus were in full bloom. The Spanish lavender grows wild here. It was very tempting in these pots! Of course, the scented geranium leaves are very fragrant! It was sad that I couldn't take any of these beautiful plants home to the 'Burgh!
It's another PEST! We just got rid of the four lined plant bug and it's on to the Japanese beetle! As The Herbal Husband said, "There are MILLIONS of them!" I said, I don't think that is quite true! I'm on constant watch now. Of course, they like pretty much everything we have roses even if they aren't blooming, raspberries, grapes and even if they aren't doing damage, they may just land and rest on other plants! We were lucky for a couple of years to not have too many. Well, they are back!
The other day The Herbal Husband and I were out cleaning up the front garden. Company coming! Low and behold the Kerria japonica is still blooming. This is an early shrub with beautiful green stems and single yellow flowers. Hard to believe it is still blooming in July! Probably because we have not had summer yet! Still in the Seattle weather mode. Did I mention they (Seattle) were in the high 80's the other day? Hope we get a little heat soon!
I promised I would show you the other favorite daylilies in my garden. The big red one is Valentine's Day and the smaller cream with burgundy center is Pandora's Box. They were my great aunt favorites! The tall lily in bloom is 'African Queen.' I bought it at a lily sale at the Chicago Botanic Garden several years ago and I kept a record of the name! Share your favorite plants with someone you care about and get them interested in gardening!
The bees have been busy thi
s week. The bee balm has started to bloom and this bee was everywhere on this pink bee balm. We also leave the radishes and other veggies go to flower so that the beneficial insects will come into our garden. They seem to have a good time. Hope you enjoyed your weekend wherever you may be.
These little guys are the sparrows we raise from babies. Actually, The Herbal Husband calls them the babies. He was trying to get a photo of the robins eating the fruit of the honeysuckle bush in the front garden. It didn't work so he took these photos. The birds below are a baby grackle that is bigger than his parents and it looks like the titmouse on top of the box and, of course, his babies! Cool pictures Herbal Husband!
The Herbal Husband and I are so lucky to be able to enjoy our lives and travel when we can. I just wanted to give you a final look at our wonderful trip earlier this year. Here we are in Shardlow, Derbyshire, England. We had a fantastic time staying at the Holden House Bed & Breakfast with Angie, Berrie and Monty! And the draw of the Dinky toys in Derby! The future of collecting toys rests with the young boy in the picture. Get them interested at an early age.
Riogordo and Malaga, two places that we enjoyed visiting. Believe it or not this was the last morning we were in Spain. The weather was sorry to see us go!
Our friends live in paradise and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for letting us share in their lives. It was an experience we will never forget!
I love my tender perennials in the herb garden. I absolutely love this Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechus) . It is called Javelin Compact Blue. It has done well in spite of the Seattle type weather we are having. Obviously it has done well in the container we put it in. Don't forget to put herbs in containers. They really serve a purpose and will add to the depth of your garden. Hope you have some heat wherever you may be!
