July in the Garden

Dahlia Cafe au Lait 

July in Georgia is best described as hot. Grass-killing, breath-stealing, flower-wilting, wring-out-your-socks hot. It's oppressively humid, you could fry an egg on the hood of your truck, and the chitter and drone of the cicadas is so loud you have to shout through every outdoor conversation to be heard over them. That's nothing new, though. Welcome to summer in the South. I'm grateful we got all the way to July before the air started to boil and am dreaming now of fall and all its splendor. 

The heat - and the dry spell; please rain! - make for early mornings and late nights, juggling plant and animal schedules in an effort to keep everyone and everything cool and watered. I tend to squeeze in a little blogging time right after breakfast, write during Strider's late afternoon nap, and spend the rest of the day doing farm stuff. 

Spoof (red and white) and Lily (chocolate and white)

I mentioned on Instagram that one of my minis, Spoof, gave me a bit of a health scare a couple weeks ago. Thanks to some electrolytes and Cushings disease meds, he's feeling much better. All three of my geriatric equines have metabolic issues, which makes rich summer grass a challenge. Spoof is missing quite a few teeth, so for him it was a med issue rather than a dietary one. He's so skinny! Which makes me sad. But it's best for now. Hopefully as the weather cools, and once his system is more balanced, I can up his feed a little and beef him up for winter. 

The flowers, though, thanks to manure, Miracle Grow, and judicious watering, are in general pretty happy. It's been exciting to watch the cutting garden go from an idea, to a dig site, to now a daily, fresh-cut bouquet. 

Dahlia Sweet Nathalie 

The dahlias have been the undoubted stars for me. I'm using my Instagram (@hppress) to document the different varieties so I know what to expect for next year. The zinnias have been gorgeous, and a huge hit with butterflies and bees. This was the first year growing sunflowers, and while they didn't come is as thickly as wanted, the bees are all over them, and they add a very charming, cottagey touch to that side of the house. 

I'm also growing pumpkins, and we've started putting up a T-post and cattle panel trellis to help them grow upward rather than across the ground. I've got ornamentals, including gourds from down at the barn, along with a cantaloupe and watermelon.

While there's still some finishing work to be done, as well as an exterior skirt to keep the hens and predators from digging, the chicken run is done! The chickens now have a nice roomy outdoor space where they can run, fly, and scratch around. They seem pretty happy about it. 

Sunflowers

Accidental manure pile gourds 

Zinnia Benary's Giant Enchantress 

Dahlia Mystery Day 

Velvet Queen sunflower 

Tomatoes like crazy 

Happy hen 

Swallowtail butterflies in the zinnias 

Dew-drenched dahlias (Linda's Baby)

Start of the pumpkin trellis (feat. Strider)

Baby watermelon 

Thanks for walking through the garden with me! I hope you're keeping cool, wherever you are. 

July also marks the release of part one of Lord Have Mercy! The all-new Dartmoor book ten starring Mercy, Ava, and their extended Lean Dog family. You can find out more about it here. 

Happy weekend, everyone.