Garden Gone to Seed, the Movie

Have you ever felt like you've bitten off more than you could chew, garden-wise? My back garden looks like it's gone to seed, literally. Of course, this spring was a washout due to my injury.  I accidentally hit "movie" on my camera instead of taking pictures so here it is, my first video blog.  Ignore the part where I stumbled a little.  Oh, and that music is the ice cream truck on the next street over!

Hopefully you can tell that there is nothing but weeds between the plants, save for a groundcover of creeping thyme and plumbago.  On the right side I've started weeding and mulching.  What a difference!

Meanwhile, I have to continually deadhead the 15 roses, five hydrangeas and three butterfly bushes.  Plus I have beebalm, phlox, hostas, daylilies, oriental lilies, daises, and catmint that have finished blooming.  I also have close to 100 irises that get ratty at this time of year and need to be cut down.

I just couldn't accomplish as much as I had planned this weekend due to the severe heat and humidity, along with intermittent vicious thunderstorms.  Oh, and a tornado warning Friday afternoon.  I'm just grateful I didn't lose my power.

Here's a beautiful woodpecker eating the flowers of a mullein.

 

Here's the view from the deck (it's two stories up off the kitchen; I have a walkout basement.)

 

Yes, that's a ladder.  All ready for me to start my painting frenzy as soon as it's cool enough.  Hopefully I'll be able to paint into December, like last year (except during the Great Nor'easter).

This is where I ended.

 Are you keeping up with garden chores, or have you thrown in the towel?