Not only is it hot and disgustingly humid again… but now we’re not even getting the rain. Rain has been on the lighter side this summer – but we were getting it regularly. But not now. We’ve had a sprinkle here and there but not even enough to refresh the parched ground.

I generally don’t water the flower beds. I’ve tried to plant things that can hold their own. But when we don’t get rain for over a week, I’ve got to help them out a little.

The signs of stress are just starting to show – mostly on the coneflowers.

They are still going strong, but their colours fade fast. Interestingly, some of the fancy hybrids seem to be doing better, which isn’t always the case.

I planted some zinnias over in Potager Parlour, specifically for cutting.

But they look so cheerful and pretty there, I can’t bring myself to cut them.

I’ve got some more that I’ve just planted out here and there in the garden, but it will be a while before they start to bloom. They should provide nice colour through fall though.

The cosmos are just getting started. The one on the right is a new one – it’s called Seashell Cosmos and you can see it has pretty double, scalloped petals.

The Black-Eyed Susans look amazing this year. And I’ve got clumps throughout the gardens.

The perennial mums are starting to show off. These ones are a little different than the ones you get at the grocery store (though I have them too). These ones are taller – on par with the coneflowers, and bloom earlier. The plants also live longer – the grocery store ones generally only live three years or so.

Globe Thistles are among my favourite flowers. And as you can see, I have them in blue and white. The leaves are on the prickly side, but not as bad as the purple thistle. And they turn into seed heads the birds absolutely love. And before that the blooms are a pollinator favourite!

Last, I’ll leave you with my favourite fun fact about sunflowers. Solitary bees often use them a beds for the night. It’s not uncommon to find a bee or three curled up on a bloom at dusk, or early in the morning.