More from the garden...on the run.

Hydrangeas don't like the heat or direct sun.  We are experiencing our hottest days this summer, so I decided to cut the flowers, and bring them into the house.  If all goes well they will dry in the vases and we can have them for months.  Next Spring we are moving our shade garden into the shade! :)

Early in spring I planted Mesclun lettuce in a barrel.  When it got hot the plants bolted and I pinched the bolted part off.  The bottom leaves were still attractive so I left them.  Today I walked out to water and look at this flower the lettuce produced!  It is beautiful and blue, blue, blue! The flower only lasts one day.

We had planned to cut the Chocolate mint back this week but there was a flurry of activity going on.  Honey Bees were hard at work gathering the nectar from the mint flowers.  Cutting back the mass of mint was out of the question.  Buzz away little bees!

Pineapple mint has a similar flowering habit as other mints, but it is a hardier flower.  It also draws insects to its scent, and makes an attractive addition to the garden.

Ahhh...scented Geraniums are one of my favorite plants.  They have stiff, wonderfully scented leaves and a small delicate blossom.  This plant gets used in most of my wedding work.  It smells of lemon and roses.

Queen Anne's Lace is everywhere around Oregon and it is especially so this year.  We have seen entire fields of it and none was planted on purpose.  

  A ladybug and a bee have lighted on this lacy face.  Many people treat it as a weed, but it is pretty enough to use in formal flower arrangements. 

Here is another Queen Anne's Lace but growing in a different area.  Its color is quite different. 

I couldn't pass up this sunflower.  It's almost spent but still holds its own.  

Taking a little time to appreciate these everyday caches... is like honey to the bee.