Dirt Date

Betty and I did some work in her flower beds again today. She called it a Dirt Date! I like the sound of that. Roger was working there too, so we got to visit all together a bit.

I didn't ask permission to tell the whole story on the blog, but I will just say that this lily was Roger's before he met Betty. It was planted by his wife, Evelyn. (Roger and Betty each outlived a spouse before they found each other.) Now it blooms every year on Roger and Evelyn's anniversary. A wonderful occasion for remembrance.

I really should have taken a better picture of this, but maybe I'll have another chance when the flowers are fully open anyway, and without a shovel handle in the way. I've never seen a lily with flowers as big as these are going to be. They are simply huge!

She also has a whole row of lovely snapdragons.

And finally for today, a clump of bachelor buttons.

I don't know how they keep all these gardens in such nice shape. This big one is fenced, as is another smaller one. There are plants all around the house, planters on the deck and other places. I suspect that a huge portion of their time is spent on garden care. Yeah, I helped weed for 1 1/2 hours, but it was a drop in the bucket for what that many gardens require.

It's truly hot. I also managed a load of laundry and some work on my own yard and gardens, and some of the ongoing inside projects. And I'm still waging war on the biting ants. They are armed with nasty mouthparts and the ability to crawl inside my clothes. I am armed with death from a spray can. I'd be happy enough to let the ants live, if only they wouldn't bite.

See Gardening with Betty