Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Weather: rained a few drops yesterday afternoon and this morning; the lawn is starting to turn brown in back now.
Chores: weeded, deadheaded, weeded, deadheaded, watered containers, etc. etc.
In bloom: the summer annuals started from seed - Nicotiana, Cosmos, Cleome, Morning Glory, and Torenia - are starting to bloom nicely now. This is the first time I have grown Torenia - a nice little plant - makes a pretty good alternative to Impatiens for something that will bloom in the shade. It also comes in cool colors (blue, purple) which are not available in Impatiens. Daylilies are just about finished now. Clematis has started to bloom again.
Bugs: Japanese beetles are out and hungry. They are eating my poor, barely-surviving banana plant. This is the first time I have seen anything do much damage to the banana plants. And of course they are eating the roses, as usual. Think they may also be eating the redbud tree by the side of the house. Saw a swallowtail caterpillar on the dill plants - the plants weren't doing all that well anyway, and I like the swallowtail butterflies, so it can stay where it is.
Birds: saw a hummingbird just now poking around the Asclepias tuberosa. First time I have ever seen them interested in that plant. I saw one earlier in the summer near the Hosta 'Big Mama' which was blooming at the time.
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