Around The House and Gardens

The front garden is a profusion of blossoms and scents. Honeysuckle, Confederate Jasmine, butterfly bush, and Maid of Orleans are just covered with blooms that provide exquisite heady scents that lightly perfume the day and hang heavy in our humid nights.
Datura, roses, coreopsis, agapanthus, iris, lantana, Jasmine, ginger, bird of paradise, guara, hummingbird bush, snapdragons, begonias, gomphrena, hibiscus, Mexican heather, ruella, crybaby tree, bottle brush, society garlic, dahlberg dasies, coleus, sweet potato vine....and maybe some I've missed are all blooming their little hearts out in the front garden!

Here is one of my favorite flowers, Shell Ginger. It's such a striking dramatic flower and a whole clump of blooming shell ginger is a sight to behold.

For the highest of drama.....Giant Bird of Paradise. It is now quite a bit taller than my house and its blossoms are well over a foot long.

Here is one of the very large blossom stalks from my butterfly bush or buddelia I believe. It smells heavenly. In the back are pink and red Knock Out roses. Since these came out, landscaping is changing slowly in our area. Finally a rose that doesn't succumb to our extreme humidity. Roses unless tirelessly tended usually looked passable but mostly pathetic. Knockout roses seem to have no disease that threatens it and grows to huge heights totally covered with blossoms and gorgeous dark green foliage all summer long. People stop to admire my mother's roses that surround her 1820's home all the time.

A little lizard clinging upside down in the corn. I'm certain this is a good sign, because so far no problems with bugs! I also have a ton of lizards that scurry around the outside perimeter of my house. I accredit them with the lack of roaches in my home. I don't have to use any poisons. Roaches are almost family in the New Orleans area.

One of my white onions developing up fine.

The ears of corn are forming now.

This is a variety of zucchini called "Grey Stripe". It's supposed to be an Italian heirloom. So far none of the fruit has developed any stripes like the picture on the package, but it still tastes great stir fried in a little olive oil with onions. My mouth is watering.

These are some great new pots I bought at home depot! I filled them up with bright coleus and potato vine. I adore the bold colors. I find in the intense heat of our summers nothing but bright colors can compete.

Here is my mother's day present. One of the two retro lawn chairs Byron bought me. Slowly I'm getting seating to place around my garden so I can do the most important thing.....Relax and enjoy it!