Better Late Than Not At All

Another first! Bob went out and bought our very first purchased lawn mower. We've had at least four or five mowers over the last 20 (very) odd years, but they'd all been bequeathed to us by family, friends or celebrities. Our last mower died last fall and we relied on Crisco the Stallion to mow the lawn- which, to his credit, he did a lovely job (maybe the only think he did well besides spook...). Anyway, I haven't had the time or the temporary fence posts to move the fence around for Maggie yet so Bob and I were watching the grass get shaggier and shaggier.
Bob took the initiative and made the big acquisition on Monday so that when I arrived home from work, he'd already mowed around the clothes line and the vegetable garden. I mowed around the flower beds last night after a long day of planting up a storm.

(Pictured is my now historic gardening hat. While out tilling the Good Earth, I think it important to remind people of the egregious crimes wrought upon our nation and the world by previous administrations. I am assuming that half of our country probably doesn't even remember Dick...)

Here's a happier photo of one of the arrangements I made for a container announcing the White Garden Area. (Did I already share this picture? Someone please tell me as I've been so busy and feel so behind that I may be repeating myself. But it does look good!) I planted over two full flats of annuals yesterday and despair of finding several key players in my borders- specifically Nicotiana Sylvestris and (real) Tithonia. (You may recall the debacle that occurred last year when I planted Tithonia that just got bigger and weedier and never bloomed; what a travesty!) And please don't remind me of my own sloth; I simply didn't get around to planting the above cited annuals and am now in deep regret. If anyone spies these two plants on trips to garden centers, send me a heads up.
The weather has sort of cooperated; it's muggy but good for transplanting. I have been so "on task" that I almost forgot to notice the plants flowering really handsomely. The tall bearded Iris are great this year. I have to remember to label the so I can move some into parts of the borders, out of the cut flower area. A low blue mat-forming plant called Lithodora is spectacular- so deep blue with almost juniper like foliage. My Delphinium are in bud and I'm waiting for a few other things to pop. I guess it;s a reminder to stop and smell the roses!