What a (little) Relief

 We are actually getting some rainfall this morning!  It is light but persistent, and hopefully it will continue through the day.  Again it has been a few weeks since any measurable rainfall, and watering has become an every other day event.  I pulled out my tomatoes, we did have one red one that we ate, and it was pretty good.  The plants had no more blossoms and looked very unhappy.  I pulled out the snow peas, they just couldn't handle the heat, and replanted bush beans.  I also planted beans where our onions were planted.  I've put basil in the pots that the beans were in and they are doing well.  The beans handle the heat well, didn't like the pots, I think I over watered them.    I've noticed something eating them, possibly grasshoppers.  We have a lot of them in the yard.  

The perennials are doing better with watering except a lot of the phlox which may be struggling with the heat.  I've been planting more sage, and will also try some lavender.  The millenium allium plants are also doing great, I added a few more to the sweet cherry tree circle.  I just need to decide what will go in on the rock edge along with the prairie smoke that needs to be thinned out.  

My milkweed is struggling and it may be due to me just digging too much with replanting etc.  The Monarchs started out slow this summer, but now I'm in the process of releasing 30 butterflies, plus I have more caterpillars munching away on plants.  I just have to collect more plants from somewhere else that hasn't been sprayed with chemicals.  This rain should also help boost the milkweed plants in my yard.  Greenie

chrysali

cucumber flowers!

liking the crazy blue russian sage

hanging in there for the bees!

nodding onion

second coming of beans

amsonia, a garden possibility

denver heliopsis, biennial?

swallow tail on the trail, heat exhaustion?

cherry juice!

More Monarchs arriving.

 I've had a few more Monarchs arrive in the yard and collected several eggs today.  The milkweed is scarce and not too healthy.  I've pruned a few back to hopefully provide newer leaves for the butterflies in the next month or two.

I'm still on the path of more shade and maybe more shrubs.  I wish I was feeling more love for the garden but most of the time I only see work to be done! I need to come up with a manageable plan, that includes the limitations of the Maple tree's roots, and then put that plan into action.  

pale pole beans-fertilize?

needs some work, cranesbill?

sturdy little coneflower, Kismet!

The first time the bunnies decided to go after the bush beans, which are doing well!

I don't want to plant too much if the drought and high heat continues.

We are going into another heatwave this weekend, but nothing compared to what has been happening in the Northwest, Oregon, Washington, B.C.  Still it is hard on the garden and hard on the farmers.  

Greenie