Did you ever wonder where the term, the "Dog Days of August" came from? Do you suppose it refers to hot weather and a general malaise? Well, sort of. The Romans named the days from July 23 through August 23 for the dog star, Sirius. Romans feared these days so much that they did some vile stuff to appease their gods. Orthosiphon aristatus, cat's whiskers, is a wonderful herb that I grow as an ornamental plant. I overwintered it in the greenhouse last year. I won't go into that here. This is a garden blog where we want sunshine and blue skies. Right? Mesa Bright Bicolor gaillardia (blanket flower) has bloomed nonstop all summer. I'll be surprised if it comes back because blanket flowers almost kill themselves by blooming too much. I think there might be a metaphor in there about book promotion. People can bloom themselves out too. In years when June and July are...

Remember all that hurrying and scurrying we did from late February to June? Well, the dog days of August are here, and because I don't have to work so hard, I've had time to make a few August garden observations. I really like the plant combinations around the red fountain this year. Pineapple sage, 'Dallas Red' lantana, 'Pink Crystals' ruby grass and 'Victoria Blue' salvia (returned from last year.) 1. Weeds never leave. Sure, once things heat up, the spring weeds take a hike, but they are soon replaced by the summer weeds. Any spring weeds I missed set seed in the gravel paths to torment me later. If I didn't know it before, I know this much now. Gravel is a great seed starting medium. I find stray plants in it everywhere especially that of Verbena bonariensis, zinnias, the various gomphrenas, anything that self seeds. So, use grit on top of...

If your mind is still a blur from all the sensory input even two weeks later, how would you write the stories of the Garden Bloggers Fling? First, we'll start with some facts: This year the fling was in Portland, a gardener blogger paradise. Three full days of glorious garden touring. We went to seventeen gardens. That's a lot! The first two days were sunny and very hot--yes, in Portland. The last day was cool and rainy, perfect for taking photographs. Eighty plus people came. It was overwhelming for this introvert and others I hear, but also, so much fun. Like other garden bloggers, I'll tell the stories from the fling with my favorite photos. You can get other fling posts on the Garden Bloggers Fling website. They are linked either under the gardens, or under a miscellaneous category of sorts. Let's start with Chickadee Gardens and their creator, Tamara Paulat. I loved her tightly-planted, urban garden...

I got home last night at Midnight after a seven-day journey first to Boise, Idaho for a visit with Mary Ann Newcomer and then to Portland, Oregon, for Garden Bloggers Fling. I am weary. I almost posted one tomato blossom for this July Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Almost. In the middle of the south side of the back garden looking back toward the house. You can see that the split-rail fencing needs repair. It should be more straight. There's something about coming back from garden tours that always makes me full of dismay about my own plot of Earth. My house isn't grand. It's a log cabin. My garden wasn't designed by a famous designer. It's a collector's garden designed my me, and I'm no Beatrix Farrand. I try to use all the tips and techniques I've learned like repetition of form, focal points and symmetry, but mostly, I garden for the plants....