Garden Post & Blog Swap

knockout rose :: dahlias are my favorite flower :: st. john's wort (was in our wedding flowers) :: tiger lily :: sunflower out back :: hardy hibiscus, two times :: lace cap hydrangea :: nelly moser clematis :: delphinium growing up through the potted ficus :: the damnable slugs :: the hosta in its home :: the host out of its home

The colors in the yard are absolutely electric. I don't alter my photos at all and it's almost as if you need sunglasses to look at them! The deer have left me alone this year except for a few favorite things they can't resist. For some reason, they munch my pepper plants at every opportunity!? Who's ever heard of that? My real frustration in the yard this year is the slugs. Oh, my. Have you ever seen slugs as big 'round as the garden hose? The ones in the pictured did die a very quick death though I cannot vouch for it being painless.

The slugs were there, hiding behind the hosta that nearly broke my back and my shovel. My sister in law has had voles much her hosta and I needed a spot for my mushroom log (more on that later). So digging this big one out by the water spigot and sending it to live in Richmond was the natural solution.

What's blooming in your yard-en?

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In other news, I am participating in a blog swap hosted by the lovely Amanda from Sweet Potato Claire. The swap started mid-July and its only requirement is that the gifts be homemade and/or useful/edible.  I started right away and then life snuck up on me. We've travelled, had house guests and travelled some more. Our anniversary was celebrated, we've both had some big work projects, and now a month has gone by and I'm in the weeds. I hope that by posting this, I will gain accountability for wrapping things up and getting something in the mail to my secret blog swap-ee by the end of this week. Got it? By Friday, I should be posting about what I'm sticking in the mail.  Learn about all the fine blogs in the swap here.