The little Frog is pretty shy. Best photo to date. Usually it jumps into the pool when I approach. Not bothering the fish, to my knowledge. I added Guppies to the little pool, to keep moquitoes down. Very successful, and now I notice a second, almost microscopic crop of baby fish. Its good Guppies tend not to hunt down the babies for food.
interesting to me is that a good many plants, after massive seasonal bloom, give little, scattered repeats. So the Crossvine, Bignonia capriolata has continued with a few flowers, all Summer. It has taken over one end post of the fence around the pool deck.
A European species of Honeysuckle, I think, Lonicera periclymenum also grows on the end post. Scentless to me.
I have limited our native, hardy Passionfruit to one sprout on a side of the fenced in veggie garden. It cannot rob light from the garden there The fruit is useless to me, being a mass of seeds, but I suppose one could seperate out the pulp.
Buddlea weyeriana 'Honeycomb' also is still putting out some small heads of bloom. It grows in front of the screen that blocks our view of the gardening work bench behind the pool.
And one good thing is that the huge Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas 'Golden Glory' has not died. It fell over, even though bare in Winter, when a heavy, wet snow brought so much down around here. Most has been chipped or cut up for firewood, and the cut stump shows in the photo. I thought it was lost.
On the side of the circle of plants in the lawn, we see from where we sit, a line of Daylily called 'Happy Returns' grows. Quite a few of the leaves always turn brown. Maybe the plant requires more water than our soil easily supplies and more frequent watering is needed. Japanese Honeysuckle has over-run the whole bed. I am, slowly, clearing out sections, and the vines go into the shredder. 'Happy Returns' seems to be early in its rebloom, this year, but maybe not. Its buds and flowers don't escape the browsing Deer, if not faithfully sprayed with repellent after every rain. Despite good sales pitches, I am convinced no devices work to keep Deer away, and I cannot afford 6 foot high wire fence.
The beautiful Trumpet Vine, 'Jersey Peach' continues to overwhelm an end pole of the pool deck fence.
A brilliant orange clone of our native Honeysuckle, L. sempervirens was very dominant on the end pole of the pool fence. L.s.'Magnifica'. Other vines have usurped that space. But it still is there and, while late June seems to be the time for major bloom, these occasional flowers are appreciated.
The first of the bulb Amarillis squamagira 'Nekked Ladies' has shown up by the shrubs behind the pool. So hardy and easily replanted, they are now in many places on the property. I expected them in late August or Sept. They have rank growth in Spring, and now, with foliage gone, they are blooming on stems about 3 foot tall.
A southern native, I believe. I have planted a number of other really nice sorts. None are still here.
Another annual I save is Dolichod lablab, the Hyacinth Bean. Until I looked it up, I had no idea that this African vine was so important as food for us and livestock. The flowers, leaves, pods and seeds are, apparently, eaten by people. The flowers are purplish, usually, and the purple seed pods, that come, are an addition. Since I like white, I found the clone with white flowers, but the pods are just green. So mine is Dolichos lablab'Alba'.
At the start of the front walk, the Pee Gee Hydrangea has been trained into a tree. Leaning to the light or South, and I suppose I could brace it to make it perfectly upright. Probably here for over 30 years.
About as good as its going to get, and really fine. Euphorbia marginata or Snow on the Mountain, is in a pot at the end of the lens shaped rose bed. Deer never bother it, so I should get plenty of seed for next year. I have only this one plant.
Very pleased this video will even load. I imagine the squirrel scared the little frog, who jumped into the pond, and the squirrel ended up taking a bath.
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Everything in your garden is looking lovely.
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