Well, we sure haven't had the heat here like you've been having, Leslie, or like Redding has been having! We've been about 10 degrees cooler, plus or minus, than those up north.

But!!! I was so excited to see a bud ready to burst open on my newly planted trumpet creeper! Right after I planted it, it lost a bunch of leaves, and I thought it was a goner. One bloom would make me very happy! :D

I also have a Rudbeckia blooming, one of my sunflowers from seed is just opening, 2 hollyhocks are STILL blooming, Agastache...

Amaryllis belladonnas have sent up multiple blooming stems this year, and they smell heavenly!
Snapdragons are still going...
Butterfly bush has bigger, and MORE, blooms now!
Sundrops (Calylophus) still going strong...
Dwarf plumbago still very pretty...
Gladiolus just finished...
Heuchera is on it's third bloom cycle...
South African jasmine is still blooming...
Lantana is happy, as always...
And many Salvias!

Ok, I better stop! I think I over-answered the question. LOL

Lavender doesn't like much water at all, Leslie, so I'm thinking that might be the problem. When it's really hot, I water them and the butterfly bushes every 2 weeks. I hope you don't lose any plants!!!

I also hope it cools down this next week, too! Keeping my fingers crossed.

Brenda

I was in Stockton mid July and amazed at how cool it was. I think by noon it was still only high 80's with a breeze. Felt like a very nice day to me after leaving our heat here. At son's house the night before had cooled off enough he opened up & I needed covers:) I've been away from Lodi so long I'd forgotten what that Delta breeze does to keep it cooler.

I'm glad everything is blooming so well for you. I have lots in bloom, especially the roses the worms aren't eating, it's just crispy around the edges. I know lavender doesn't like water, it's just been so hot I haven't been outside enough to know what that sprinkler in front is doing or not doing. We reset it and I'm going to see what happens for a few days. The butterfly bushes are something else, the two on one side on the yard look totally different than the two on the other side of the yard. Don't know if it's the water or the full blast of the sun and heat or both. However, it's growing new flower spikes.

After an absence of 14 years, this makes the first full year of growing here in the valley again. I planted the butterfly bushes last summer. They were easier as small bushes. I do have butterflys and moths fluttering all over the garden. It'd be charming if I didn't think of those moths stopping on rose petals to lay new eggs. Big oops.

Nope, Brenda, that's what I wanted to hear, go on and on. Pictures encouraged too. I have one volunteer Lantana in my old mini garden that's 3' tall! It's doing better than the planted Lantana. Oh, I have grandboy's 2 sunflowers opened, pests ate the leaves, but he thinks he's going to get edible sunflower seeds off his plants. It was an end of school year project.
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Ack, I found a grasshopper in the yard yesterday! The first one I've seen in the 12 years or so we've lived here! I tried to chase it down, but it scrambled quickly. I haven't noticed any damage to plants, so hopefully, it was a freak thing. We're surrounded by farm fields, so I figure they're helping to protect us from critters. :D

That sunflower is gorgeous! I never used to care for them, but now, they cheer me up immensely! Especially when I see fields of hundreds smiling back at me when going into town. :)

I'm going to try to get pics soon! My trumpet creeper bloom is open, and she's HUGE! I'm so excited to see it next year, when it's packed with blooms!

Brenda

I keep finding grasshoppers too, small ones, larger green ones and then this giant one... He's about 3" long, I'm assuming he's a grass hopper. He was on one of the Floribunda roses.
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So hold you're forefinger up to the screen and that is really how big he is too. He's big and thick, if I could catch him I wouldn't want to squish him, too much crunch and bug juice. Euu....

I'm glad all your plants are doing so well and hope to see some pics of them soon. I don't remember how they make seeds though, the sunflowers, whether to keep watering them or let them dry up. The stalks on these are huge.

Glad we're going to have a cool down soon, I hope they're forecasting it correctly.

Wow, that's a big'un, Leslie! Not sure what kind it is, but it sure looks long and stripy! My mom said the real big ones hurt her when she grabs them for squishing, since the back legs have those "spurs", or whatever they're called. She said she's been stabbed a couple times. LOL & *shudder*

It was supposed to cool down a tad today, according to the forecasts, but it's 2:30pm and 98F....the hottest day of the week, so far! I cannot wait until we get 80s again...hopefully SOON!

I tried getting some pics this morning, and even though it was nice and cool, there wasn't enough sun, so most things came out blurry. I was able to salvage a couple pics, though. (I'm not sure about sunflower seeds, either, but from what I've seen in the fields near here, they look REALLY dried out and ready for harvest!)

'Autumn Beauty' sunflower - check out the tiny spider to the left of the center on a petal....

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Campsis x tagliabuana 'Mme Galen' (trumpet creeper) - the trumpet was playing only for the sun, and it wouldn't look at me! LOL

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Brenda

Ooohhh, Brenda I missed your pics completely! These are simply gorgeous! I love the color of the Trumpet Creeper, wow! Share some more!!!

I got pics of grandboy's sunflowers but I don't believe it looks anywhere as nice as yours does! He still thinks he's going to get sunflower seeds from it. The two plants he planted put out 3 flowers. Plus something kept eating on the leaves and I kept finding ants on it.

I had the last of the grandgirls staying with me and she was on the computer most of the time, LOL* I had one after another non stop for a month here staying with us, along with my usual babysitting for the two who live here. I've been busy:) That's why I've been quiet. Anyways the last one staying here went home and I have my computer back!!
Les

LOL!! You're one nice grandma for giving up your technology for the young'uns! Glad to have you back, though!

I really need to get crackin' with the camera. I've been slacking a lot lately in that dept. Thanks for your sweet comments! That sunflower bloom had 4 buds behind it, and one more has opened perpendicular to the one in that pic! They are very much crammed on the tip of the stem. LOL The only other one I got to germinate (old seeds...) has buds forming up now. I'm hoping the blooms on the 2nd one get some of the 'Autumn Beauty' coloration on them - burnt orange rings and/or tinges on the petals!

I received a huge blue dawn flower plant as an early b-day present yesterday, so I'll have to break out the camera this week and get pics of that and other blooms in the garden!

Brenda

I was just looking back at some old pics from late winter/early spring, and I can't believe the difference in my lemon verbena! This beauty is well over my head (I'm 5'9", or so), and wider than it is tall. It's one of the best investments I ever made, and the leaves smell heavenly!

But trying to fit it into a photo frame was impossible, so I'll just post these pics. :D

{{gwi:496816}}. I love these easy, bright flowers! In the upper right, you can see some dead stuff (Scabiosa - pincushion flower), but the green stuff is its triumphant return! I've had this plant for at least 4 years, and there are many reports that it only blooms really well the 1st year. This 'Butterfly Blue' just keeps getting better with each passing year! I'll try to remember to post a pic of it from earlier this year when it was in full bloom.

{{gwi:496817}}. I've tried these in the past, with little luck. Not sure why this one loves me, but I'm not complaining. :D

{{gwi:496818}}. I didn't notice the sun shining through the bloom when I took the pic! The trip home in the back of the pick-up didn't help it any, but I think it's recovering nicely. I'd really like to try this one in a huge pot, since protecting a huge, 5-gallon hole from gophers would be a nightmare. Not sure how I'm going to handle this one yet.

Sorry it always takes me so long to post pics. Gol'durned dial-up!

Brenda

These are beautiful Brenda! I love the Zinnias and I'm fasinated by the way the Rudbeckias grow. I like yellow ok, but I'd like to find this in other colors to try next year if possible. The Blue Dawn Flower is awesome, that's almost neon. Nice birthday gift, Happy Birthday in case I'm not around to say it or you aren't:)

Try a new thread for your pics, or wouldn't that help on your dial up?? I'd follow, LOL*