It's Bloomin' Tuesday & Cottage Flora Thursday

Despite the heat . . . and I mean HOT and DRY! . . . a few things are blooming in the gardens.  It's been a scorcher here the past few days.  We're in the midst of our 5th heatwave of the summer, and temps are expecting to be in the triple digits by Friday.  

This year, so far, everything in the veg/cutting garden has been doing so well.  So much better then in the past few years.  I don't think I did anything different this year then the last 16 years, but all the seeds that were sown have germinated and are growing nicely, and the vegetable plants I put in are thriving.  

As you can see, one of the varieties of sunflowers is blooming.  Still waiting for the Chianti sunflowers to show their pretty bronze-toned petals.

The zinnias are showing off their colorful blooms.  Time to cut a bouquet :o)

Patiently waiting for the tithonia or Mexican sunflowers, below, to start blooming.  I love these plants.  They've been a regular addition to the garden for quite a few years now.

For those of you who may not be familiar with tithonia, below are couple pics from last year's garden.

Below, one of the first cosmos blooms showing it's delicate face.

Another favorite blooming now are simple morning glories.  I don't even have to plant new ones each year.  They self-seed in this spot on their own year after year.  

Several years ago a friend and neighbor gifted me with these gorgeous asiatic lillies from her mother's garden.  They're thriving behind the shed.

Also planted by the shed, and growing virtually all over the shed ~ and actually inside the shed as well ~ is a climbing vine called trumpet vine.  Planting this was a lesson for me in being mindful of native plants.  I purchased the plant many years ago at native plant sale, and although it's a gorgeous growing vine with huge orange trumpet-like blossoms that the hummingbirds just love, it's terribly invasive and hard to control.  

Hubby has commanded me to get rid of it as it's literally tearing up the shed.  That'll have to be a major project for next year.  But ain't it purdy anyway?

I was taking this pics early in the morning, so the flowers hadn't fully opened yet.

Moonbean correopsis along the driveway.  Love this variety.  It blooms all season.

The crape myrtle is finally showing off.  Looks like I need to give it a "sucker" haircut down there at the bottom.

The blooms below are of the vegetable, or more accurately, gourd variety, but blooms nontheless.

These plants popped up in the very spot where I plopped the cast-off pumpkins last fall by the compost bin.  Hubby keeps threatening to run them over with his tractor.   

Look!  A baby pumpkin just starting to form.

 Super hot chilies make pretty "blooms" in the veg garden.

Still waiting on red ripe tomatoes. 

 Any day now . . . .

Black-eyed Susans or rudbeckia ~ our neighboring state Maryland's State Flower ~ in the perrenial garden.  

Lastly, I'm sharing my new collection of bird's nest.  I spent this past weekend trimming all the shrubs and some of the trees on the property, and came across these abandonded nests.  A bird's nest, in my opinion, is such an amazing feat from one of nature's creatures.

 I have them placed in this little vignette on my potting bench outside. I hope they last a while.  Is there a safe way to clean and preserve these so I can bring them indoors?  

Linking up my garden with these other fine gardeners:

  Bloomin Tuesday

Cottage Flora Thursday

Be sure to check out other blogger's gardens, and delight and be inspired by what they're sharing.

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