Floral Friday: Instagram Fun

This week's Floral Friday highlights photos taken during the week with my iPhone and shared via Instagram. I'm so happy that the iPhone takes such nice photos - it takes the pressure off always having my camera gear with me. (Sometimes I find that I take photos with my Canon and then whip out my iPhone to capture it that way as well.)

The garden is looking a little shaggy at the moment, since its mostly in between bloom cycles. There are still flowers blooming, but overall, I need to be more methodical about pulling weeds and deadheading spent flowers. In the past I've entered August and experienced "the slump." A gardening friend who owns a nearby garden center once told me, "You're not alone - everyone is miserable in August." Maybe it's the heat. Or perhaps it's trying to hold on tightly to the fleeing summer days. But this year, I didn't experience the August slump until now. Today I even thought it might be nice to have fall weather and blooms, which if I admitted that a month ago would have been blasphemy. 

But despite all the "problems" I see in my garden, there are still flowers clamoring for bees and attention.

"Party Crasher" from the Patio Party Hibiscus collection, loves the summer heat.

I should have started this sooner, but the morning glories are beginning to
bloom along their string supports on the shed. I'm definitely doing this again
next year. Maybe I'll throw some black eye Susan vine in the mix as well.

This is a hibiscus I wintered over and had to nurse back to health this summer.
It's finally blooming again.

Cafe au Lait dahlia is just stunning. I need to grow more of these next year!

This is Grandpa Ott's morning glory. I planted it once - and now it reseeds
with abandon. Sometimes morning glories get a bad rap for their "enthusiastic"
tendencies, but if they go somewhere I don't want them to be,
they are easy to remove.

The bees love the tall Joe pye weed growing out front.
This plant is taller than me!

More morning glory goodness.

The second wave of fall-blooming anemones is beginning in the front garden.
This one is called "Bressingham Glow."

Coleus has definitely won me over in the last few years.
This one is "Fairway Rose" grown from seed.
Again, I need to start these earlier next year!

I am ever the optimist deep down - I sowed these zinnia seedlings in late
July/early August after I harvested my garlic from this raised bed.
I'm hoping they bloom in time before frost.

What's growing in your garden this week?

To view last week's Floral Friday, click here.
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