Not the eight legged sort, but, instead, spider daylily photos were requested by Carol of May Dreams Gardens and Mary Ann of Idaho Gardener.  On Plurk the other night, we were all discussing my article on Examiner.com on how to choose a good daylily.  They seemed to enjoy it, but both of them wanted to see some spiders.  So, I promised to provide them.  Carol requested purple and green blooms, and Mary Ann wanted something in the apricot range if I remember correctly. First, before I get myself in trouble with true, spider, daylily enthusiasts, I want to make something clear.  The daylilies photographed in this post are not actually spiders.  A daylily cannot be classified as a spider unless its petals have at least a 4.0:1 ratio.  From the American Hemerocallis Society's website: "On a Spider, the petals and sepals are much longer in proportion to their width than...

I do believe June is my favorite month of the year to take photographs for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day hosted by Carol of May Dreams Garden.  May has her Marilyn Monroe glamour with the roses finally coming on strong.  June is more like a showgirl doing the Can-Can in a French burlesque show. There's so much to see. So many colors. So many different blooms. Truly, variety can come in small or large packages. There's more, but I must go outside and weed the beds before the grass takes over.  We've had a lot of rain in the last few days.  The garden is smiling its approval, don't you think? Carol, thanks for again hosting bloom day.

Dear Carol and Mary Ann (and all those who walk in the vegetable way), Welcome to my garden this week where we're a bit betwixt and between.  I harvested the last of the peas today and pulled up the vines. As you can see, they were mildewed, and it was time for the carrots and cucumbers to have their moment in the sun.  If you remember, I planted cucumber seeds in the same spot with the intention of using the same fence.  I don't have as many cukes planted because they are extremely prolific, and not enjoyed by everyone in the Red Dirt Family.  This was a very good spring for peas with the unseasonably cool and wet weather. The 'Sungold' cherry tomatoes have tiny fruit, but all of the others are in their growth period.  I can see I need to get out there and tie many of them...

At Gardening Gone Wild, they're holding another Picture Perfect contest, and this month's entries are roses, so you know I had to participate.  I can submit up to three photos.  Above is 'Frontier Twirl', one of my favorites, although it does get blackspot in early summer.  However, it is such a rampant grower that it seems to outgrow the disease.  I just clean up the debris and hit it with some copper spray.  I don't have another rose with this precise coloring, and the petal configuration of the fully open blooms is something to behold.  Being from the Midwest, Dr. Buck nearly always named his roses cheery names like 'Hi Neighbor', 'Aunt Honey', and 'Country Dancer'.  I like the fact that most of his roses don't suffer much from blackspot and also are extremely cold and heat hardy. What I love about 'Graham Thomas' is its free form habit.  In...