sideyard

My gladiolas are pretty much done flowering, but the strappy foliage is still impressive.

I have lots of milkweed foliage- but no blooms. Nor any monarchs since the caterpillars in early June. I looked it up- excess nitrogen can make milkweed produce lots of leaves (which still feed the caterpillars) but no flowers. I don't think I gave this plant compost, but I did give it leaf mulch. I'll skip that this year- just clear the weeds away is all it needs.

I am happy to see one new, young milkweed grown up on its own! And I have met another gardener who lives nearby, has the common milkweed in her yard (with the broad leaves) she says it grows rampant and is happy to dig some up for me to transplant. Later, when it's not as hot.

The black-and-blue salvia is stunning. It grew so high that from the lower side of the retaining wall I can't even see the lilac now.

A hummingbird visits it regularly- usually in the morning; if I stand still by the tithonia, the hummingbird whizzes close by me. It's not flashy, gray-green and brownish- maybe a female? so I have to watch close to see it. Of course, any photo I try for turns out like this. It's too fast!

Bright blue salvia flowers scatter around.

It's kind of smothering out the 'may night' and 'caradonna' salvias- but I don't care. I'd rather have the glorious flags of black-and-blue. I hope the black-and-blue spreads, I would dig out the others to give it room.

Disappointingly, my lovage, which I hoped would grow into a towering thing filling this corner below the retaining walls, didn't get very big. I pulled out a suffering borage near it, and need to cut back the vinca. Maybe the thick stand of gladiolas next to it hogs the nutrients? or it needs a compost feeding.

Of all the patches of yellow japanese salvias I have under trees and shrubs, this one by the blue hosta is doing best. It has the fewest bug holes, and is the first to set flowers this year.

Blue hostas are flowering now too

and the heucherella I transplanted near it finally looks established- I'll have to cut back some of the mock strawberry around it.