This has been a rather brutal summer so far. Dry and hot. Parts of the yard look like a construction site and others like a weedy mess. It's too hot to complete projects and neaten everything. The part that looks like the best right now is the Summersweet next to the old house site and I had no hand in that. lol
There are some that are fine with this hot dry weather and that's the insects. They are flitting and buzzing around everywhere. Butterflies all over the Buddleias and bees on the roses. The roses are actually reblooming this summer! (There are fewer Japanese beetles this year).
At times I look at my full-sun garden and long for oak trees and native azaleas, a big show in spring that subsides to quiet green in the heat of summer. But there wouldn't be all these bees and butterflies, and hummingbirds fighting over the Brazilian blue sage.
I hope you are enjoying your summer, and not getting too hot!
Those are some busy bees!!! LOVE the butterfly picture!!!
ReplyDeleteI can almost hear all these buzzzing in your garden thanks to your pictures!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! It's been super hot here, too, with very little rain. We have oak trees and shade and also some full sun. The bees have been super busy, but the butterflies no more so than last summer. I'm hoping to see more of them this month and next.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you back, even if it's just a short visit. Love the roses and the bees look happy. That photo of the butterfly is wonderful!! I can see another needlework in the making. :-) A lot of your photos inspire me.
ReplyDeleteIt's hot here too, but not as bad as you all have been having it up there.
Hope we all get some rain soon.
FlowerLady
Hi Sweetbay,
ReplyDeleteI've been behind in everything I do, and keep telling myself I should take a break from blogging. Since I have summers off, though, I find that I let myself blog to take a break. I need to be careful not to take too many breaks, though. I am cleaning some areas that are slow going, and find myself wanting to get away from them.
Last night, I decided to do some reading from my blogroll, instead of only visiting the blogs of people who are currently leaving comments. I am finishing up a break from my housework right now, and saw that you had a new post. I had been thinking I hadn't been to your blog for awhile, but didn't realize you were taking a break until I came here just now. I hope things are going well for you.
I enjoyed seeing your blooms, bees, and butterflies. I have been seeing bees around for awhile, and am seeing some butterflies in the last few days, too. Have a great week!
Hi Sweetbay, glad to see a post of yours. My garden is also out of hand this year! So hot here as well and watching nearly all the World Cup games didn't help matters, either! :)
ReplyDeleteHot and dry here too in New England. Like your gardens, I can find things that thrive, but other cherished plants are crispy and fried. Shade! Need shade! I'm glad you r bees are so happy.
ReplyDeleteSweetBay,
ReplyDeleteThe heat is brutal here too. 70 % chance of showers yesterday, nothing as usual. Why to they bother to tell us these things. Good news is we are harvesting tomatoes (3 kinds) our of the side of the compost bin. THe tomatoes out of the main watering zone are awful looking.
Great to see you back online if even for a short period.
I probably get the opposite feeling when looking at all the evergreens that shade my garden and are so hard to grow things under. I want a nice full sun garden front and back yards. The bees and the butterfly are so pretty. They do look very happy with the weather and their favorite flowers look very happy.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you back, Sweetbay! Lovely garden shots, as usual. Love that tiger swallowtail! The bees and butterflies and all other insects surely do love this heat!
ReplyDeleteIt's such fun watching the bees land on flowers. Your shot of the butterfly landing is terrific, so colourful and summery.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad I popped over here. I have missed you!
ReplyDeleteGlad you posted ~ your photos are just magnificent and so LARGE. I feel like the bees are going to come right off the screen.
Sorry about the heat and dry weather ~ maybe that early warm up foretold something? We haven't had it nearly as warm but it's good enough to make me happy. At least it's not cold and snowing! ha.
Hi Sweetbay,
ReplyDeleteI have missed your bee paradise garden! Sorry it is so hot. This year is very unusual for us in that it is very rainy and often cool. Thunderstorms several times a week. Lots of people are complaining but not me, we can't get enough rain to save our drought stricken trees and revitalize our soil. I say bring it on!
Nice to see you back. :-)
Good to see all the activity in your garden, Sweetbay! We've had lots of butterflies, too, though I haven't seen one of those swallowtails here this summer. It's also been so hot here that I've spent more time inside in the air conditioning than keeping up with the garden.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the heat. I started a project and stopped halfway thru because of the heat. Your roses look wonderful. I wonder why you don't have a plague of Japanese beetles out there in the country.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Beautiful blooms - gorgeous! That's a great shot of the butterfly too. Keep cool in the heat!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you are back! I have missed your posts so much. We have not had a lot of luck with our summer garden. It got much too hot and dry too early this year. We did have some wonderful refreshing rain this afternoon. Hope you did too! Carla
ReplyDeleteit has been brutal, what a change from last year's rain and cool temps. But your roses look happy and so do the bees and your last photo makes me very happy to see! gail
ReplyDeleteIt's been hot over in this corner of South West France, folowing a poor start to June.
ReplyDeleteThe bees love your rugosa, (It is a rugosa?) and the swallowtail on the echinacea.
It's good to see your post! The rose is looking beautiful. I rarely get to see my blooms fully open. The bush is suckering far and wide this year.
ReplyDeleteI just realized it's Bloom Day. I guess I could throw a post together pretty quick because there's not alot blooming in this brutal weather.
Rob, that is a rugosa. It was a pleasant surprise to actually see a whole flower in July for once! The Japanese Beetles had been getting worse every year.
ReplyDeleteThis weather is brutal on gardens. Hot, hot, hot, and the rain keeps missing us.
Your photos are always such a treat. Isn't it fun to follow the bees and butterflies? Such busy little fliers they are.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you have whole rose blooms, and gorgeous they are!! The bees are having a feast.
I see the Tiger Swallowtails the most but I've spotted several other butterflies lately....a few black swallowtails among them.
Last year's bee colony in the back wall of our barn seems to be gone, which saved us calling a bee keeper to move them, but I miss them :) We still have honey bees, just not quite so many.
The butterflies and bees love the echinacea, don't they? That photo is spectacular!
We've had very hot and dry here too. Brutal! Lately though there've been a few rain showers, and what beautiful relief they bring!
Hot, dry and windy again today unfortunately. The wind sucks the moisture right up. Aargh!
It might be hot and dry there in NC, but things are still looking pretty and your bees and butterflies look happy.
ReplyDeleteI took a blogging break, too. Hard to keep up with everything I like to do.
donna
"Tigers in the Coneflowers" makes sun gardens so worthwhile. I like to think my native gardens are the best summer gardens....some call the grasses weeds....
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photograph of the tiger...wow!
Sherry
Fine just a bit hot. :) Hard to get motivated, even after returning to the air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteYour photo's are wonderful! I have a soft spot for bees, I love to watch all the different varieties on my blue sage also, they are so entertaining! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot of the Swallowtail and B. Bee enjoying your flowers... I can see how you may long for tall trees and cool greens with the heat of summer. Hope you are enjoying your break. ;>)
ReplyDeleteThis Pictures are very, very good.
ReplyDeleteEmmily