This sign isn’t quite new – I bought it – I think – in the winter. It was on clearance. But I finally decided on the perfect spot for it – on the catio fence in the butterfly bush. That’s the big white one (White Profusion). It’s the biggest, but it’s almost always the last to start blooming. You can just see a few bloom spikes starting.

All of the others are blooming nicely. From Left to Right we have Black Knight, Buzz Lavender, and Queen of Hearts. I also have Royal Red – but it’s very close in colour to Queen of Hearts. Queen, however is a more compact variety, compared to Royal.

And they are giving lots of nectar to the butterflies. I haven’t had much of a chance to get pictures, but I was out in the milkweed forest (we’ve got about seven plants in Willow Grove now), and…

We’ve got Monarch Caterpillars!!! There are tonnes of eggs too – so Monarch watch has begun! With any luck, we’ll find a chrysalis or two and be able to watch them emerge as monarchs!

But that’s not all that’s new and exciting in the garden.

The Crocosmia are blooming. I have this one – called Sunglow. And a pretty red-orange called Montbretia. They have such a beautiful tropical look. They are native to East and South Africa, and it amazes me that they can grow here.

And I’m finally having a little luck with the Dahlias. The yellow one is planted directly in the island garden out front. The pink pair are in a pot in the catio. I think all the rain we had over the last couple weeks have really helped. Though the other two I have in pots in the front garden are still looking pitiful.

Of the cosmos seeds I started in the peat pods, I only got a couple plants. This is one, and I’m so glad it made it. It’s called Xanthos and it’s just the prettiest shade of pale yellow. I have a couple other cosmos in the front garden that seeded themselves naturally, but they aren’t blooming yet. Next year, Im going to plant more – but directly!

And this is super exciting! Back in may, I planted some annual sweet pea seeds at the base of the new arbour. But they didn’t take (I’ve always had issues with sweet peas). But… a few weeks later, I found a couple perennial sweet pea plants at a garden centre. They’ve been growing well, but I was starting to think they would never bloom. But I went out there the other day – and there were these bright pink flowers staring back it me! The only down side is the perennial ones don’t have the lovely scent like the annuals do. But…. at least these one are growing.

My blue Rose of Sharon got off to a very slow start – so slow I thought she might have died – but she’s doing beautifully now. The pictures do not do these blooms justice – they almost glow in the light. They are such a pretty colour!

The Honey Suckle on the catio fence also had a sad start. In spring it was hit hard by aphids and barely bloomed at all. But thankfully, this one is a re-bloomer and just look at her now! Both Dave and I have seen the hummingbirds stopping by for a sip on multiple occasions.

That’s about all that’s new… almost everything that’s going to bloom is – with the exception of the Helenium, Asters, and Toad Lilys. But I don’t want to rush them because then it means Fall is really on its way. For now, I’m just enjoying the abundance and riot of colour that is my yard.