Summer Activities... have I mentioned I hate the heat?

Sorry - I am in full blown summer misery, I do not know why some people love the heat, bask like lizards in it, worship the sun etc., and here I am every year acting like summer is a personal affront!  Sigh...this too shall pass, it will not be long until I am bundling up again and because of the heat and the garden I will have fun stuff to eat. (I do understand the connection!!)

I have been trying to clear my 'things to do in the yard' list of the stuff that I have been putting off because it is too daunting, for whatever reason.  I am pleased that I got two of those things crossed off in the last week!  The first one I did not take pics of, just forgot, but I was putting it off till I knew what the plants were, finally identified the last one and thought "oh dear"!

Turns out this is 'Bittersweet Nightshade' and while it is not quite as toxic as it's more famous cousin, it will make pets and small children sick!  So that had to be the first section to be done!  You can sort of tell from this photo that the area was overgrown, many weeds, twigs and (shudder) - large spider webs!  .

This was a two day project but since it is right behind the house it really has made a difference!  Much cleaner and I was able to use the grass rake on the Vinca and get a lot of the twigs, leaves and webs out of the ground cover - the flamingos are happier - I can tell!  ;)

The beginning of the fence...

 This next project involved the old honeysuckle vines on the fence that have not been trimmed for many years.  They are filthy and dirty and underneath a maple tree so they are full of seeds!  This also was a two day project but again, it really needed to be done and I think it makes a big difference in the look of things. In a future post I will share what I found underneath all that!

to the far end by the Lavender

By the time I was done - two 32 gallon trash cans and a pile of wood later - I was filthy and covered in twigs and seeds - but the fence looked a lot better!  Hubby and I had a discussion about cutting/harvesting the lavender and agreed that we would only harvest two bushes as the bees were having so much fun in the flowers - I hope someone is getting lavender honey!

So here was the beginning - I removed the dead ones and trailed the living vines up the now clean fence!

This part was trimmed and weeded but I left the dead vines as hubby and I are (a) half convinced they hold up the fence here, (b) trying to grow some more vines off the old ones, (c) using them as a privacy screen between us and the neighbors!  It is cleaner anyway.

Whole, sliced and spears!

We have begun the canning/preserving season as well, here are my first 5 quarts of dill pickles!

My first Hollyhocks!

And just to 'show off' a little, my attempt to add flowers this year has had a few snags but here are a couple of beauties!

Oriental Lilies!

These poor Lilies - I planted them 3 years ago and they didn't come up, forgot they were there and rototilled them last year - they barely broke the surface of the dirt!  When they came up this year there were 9 instead of 4 and they are lovely aren't they?  (must be pretty hardy as well!)




Looks like we may be in for a little more rain this evening so hubby is out mowing the lawn!  All I can think of is that it will be damp and hot then!  ugh!  Oh well the plants are in hog heaven and the garden is happy and if I don't move too much in the afternoon and sit in front of the fans - it is bearable - and I do love a fresh tomato!!!

Thanks for stopping by!