Frickin' August

I am not a huge fan of August when all is said and done.  June I adore, July is a personal favorite, but at about this time every year the promise of summer has faded as the garden offers little more than heat and drudgery.

There's a path in here somewhere

There is supplemental hand watering if you are still fascinated enough with some specimen to work hard to keep it alive.  Past that there is weeding.  A whole lot of weeding.   Especially if like me, you periodically turn a blind eye to weedy spots.

Such procrastination is dangerous.  Bermuda grass can sense my disregard and whenever left to its own devices hops right to making legions of baby weed producing seed heads.  Don't even get me started on the bindweed.  It seems everything that is not busy dying is busy overgrowing its bounds.

Rather than fall hapless victim to a growing sense of fatigue exacerbated by afternoon heat and Sisyphean chores, I decided the other day to make a list of what I am happy about in my garden beds.  I figure a different perspective may provide the extra little shove I need to keep from disgustedly throwing in the trowel for the season.

So, to follow, in no particular order, what I am fond of in my August garden.
 
1)  New hardscape elements
I am fortunate to have a late summer birthday in that it provides me with the opportunity to ask for gifts such as a new bench, or bird bath.  I am even more fortunate to be spoiled by The Hub who surprised me with both my requests this year.  A past example is the sundial given me by my Mom over two decades ago.

That is what is wonderful about things versus plants, especially in frickin' August.  Things don't need to be watered, weeded and best yet, they do not die.

 

2)  Goals reached

I've wanted to grow sunflowers as a returning element close to our major bird feeder each year.  I had several come up and develop good sized blooms but the squirrels kept gnawing the bloom heads from the stems and running off with them leaving little trails of petals in their wake.

Despite that?  I did manage to get one good sized seed head matured.  It matters not how long it has taken me to get to this point.   I prevailed by gum and I'm going to call it and relish it as a VICTORY!

3)  Welcomed visitors

I have been fretting about not seeing very many anoles this year and I've hardly seen any bees.  When I do spot a specimen of either it is exciting, both note and photo worthy.

Where's Waldo?  Double click and see how fast you spot the anole in the vines.  

After bees and anoles, my other most desired visitors are of the flutterby variety, and recently this guy, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio-glaucus) brought me an hour or so of sheer pleasure as I watched him waft around the lantana.

Hello, gorgeous!

4)  Repeaters

Every year I enjoy the bounty of vigorous reseeders of the non-weedy variety.  Cosmos and Tropical Salvia are two of my favorites, and I can't imagine gardening without these surprise repeaters spontaneously adding their pops of August-resistant color.

Last but not least?

5)  Surprise bloomers

I put garlic chives in what I consider my "kitchen" garden, which is not so much a bed as a collection of plants intended to provide culinary support.  It was a complete delight and a bit of a surprise to see the wonderful blooms they develop.

The best part of making a list of the upside of August in my garden?  It was one late summer task I set myself that turned out to be more gift than challenge.

Despite the heat, despite the weeds, despite the preponderance of seemingly endless and thankless tasks?  As it turns out, my garden is indeed a constant source of delight and wonder.

Even in frickin' August.