Just A Note

While this blog is a garden blog first and foremost, gardening enables me to spend time with another of my favorite past-times which is photography. I shared another interest of mine last week (soy candle making), I have brought up my pets more than once, in fact I have thought of starting a blog about my dogs, cats, and fish tank but decided I didn't have time. Cooking is another passion of mine. I baked this Lemon Meringue pie today and thought it would make a nice photo. I got the recipe at Taste of Home website.

Thursday in Iowa

We still need rain, the grass is turning brown, I spent an hour or more after work tonight watering. I had to water some things that I rarely ever water. No rain in the forecast and it is supposed to get hot again Sunday.

I have never met a lily I didn't like and this one is no exception. The rose is on a climber. My sensation cosmos are just starting to bloom, I love Cleome and Sensation Cosmos planted together but the Cleomes do not seem too happy this year as they are very short, with no sign of a bud. I hope they catch up. I remember when I was child I used to walk to this elderly lady's house, she had a huge flower garden, all planted in rows, she had what she called spider flower (cleome), it was one of the first flowers I started planting. I no longer remember her name but I remember her flowers.

Erin my faithful garden companion, isn't she just too cute??? :)

The Heat is ON

It is still really warm and humid, I guess there were scattered showers last night but we did not get a drop. I just finished watering again.

This plant is Standing Cyress, it is not supposed to grow in zone 4 gardens but I have had it in my garden for a number of years, it is a biennal, the first year it only gets about an inch tall, then the second year it grows to about 5 feet and blooms this time of year, it self seeds. I used to have some yellow ones as well, but for some reason they are all this dark orange/reddish color now.

Soy Candles

My good friend Connie at Ash Lane Farm asked about making soy candles, I will share it even though it is not really about gardening. They are fun to make and are not difficult at all. You need a Pyrex (4 cup) dish to melt the wax in the microwave. You let the wax cool to about 120-130 degrees and then add the fragrance oil, about 1-3 ounces per two cups of melted soy wax, stirring for about 3 minutes before pouring into a container. I pour mine into canning jars that I put a wick in, there are little stickies that are used to stick the wick to the bottom of the container. I am lucky that one of the biggest suppliers is in New Hampton, IA which is only about 40 miles from me and 2 miles from where my parents live so I get up that way often. http://www.enchanted-lites.com/ and I also buy supplies from http://www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/?gclid=CIH-mZHem40CFSCTWAod81M57A You can also find lots of information on this web site. They burn longer and much cleaner as someone mentioned.

Zinnias

Another hot and humid day here in Iowa. I have been on a mini vacation since the 4Th but now reality sets in and it is back to work tomorrow.

This AM I got up early, walked the dogs as I start every day, then before it got really hot I picked raspberries, this is the 4Th picking and they are still coming on strong. After watering everything, I spent the rest of the day inside making soy candles. I share the candles with my coworkers and friends. Today I made Creme Brule, Nag Champa and Peony. They are fun to make and really not difficult, another use for one of Iowa's major crops.

My zinnias are starting to bloom along with my bright light cosmos.

Bloomin Sunday

Here are some recent bloomers in my garden.

Heat Wave, Lantana, Blue Sky

It is a good day to stay inside, I spent over an hour early this morning watering everything that the hose could reach. When I was finished, the dogs and the cat were all laying in front of the door as if to say, hurry up and let us in. I took a few pictures for the Sunday Blooms. I liked the way these turned out. Nothing is prettier than blue sky. The last photo is marigolds, the others are Lantana, I am sure people in the south will wonder why I grow Lantana at all as I have heard it is weed like in the south. I grow it as a pot plant because it will not survive Iowa's winters.