What’s in Bloom?

It’s a perfectly lovely evening here in Central North Carolina.  Not too warm, the humidity is way down (compared to this past weekend, which was like swimming), and a light breeze blowing.  I took a stroll around the gardens (poor neglected things that they are), and took some pics to share with the world.  Clicking on the pics will embiggify.

Pansies

Daylily

Daylily bunch

Pink/Purple Hydrangea that was supposed to be Red

White Hydrangea

Light Blue Hydrangea

Dark Blue Hydrangea

Dark Blue Hydrangea Bush

Black-Eyed Susans

Black-Eyed Susans

The pansies are in a pot on the table on the back deck, leftovers from the winter.  It’s really too hot for them now, but they’re too stupid to die.

I snagged the Daylilies from my sister when she was ‘thinning’ hers.  I swear she can grow anything, anywhere, and it always thrives and multiplies.  I’ve gotten some of my best plants that way!  I have several ‘clumps’ around the yard and up both sides of the driveway.  They’re so bright and cheerful, and they bloom nearly all summer long.

I ordered the Hydrangeas from Spring Hill Nursery a few years back and this is the first year that they’ve all bloomed together.  They’re supposed to be Red, White & Blue.  I was going for a theme.  But the red one is a funny purple/pinkish color, and the blue one is the light blue, so they just didn’t work out the way I wanted.  I think it has something to do with the acidity of the soil.

The dark blue Hydrangea was bought separately, a few years earlier, and has been transplanted twice.  The flower clusters on it are HUGE.  I was hoping you’d be able to get some sense of their HUGENESS in the shot of the whole bush, but you really can’t.  Some of them are like 9 or 10 inches in diameter.  I simply MUST cut some and bring them to work to put on my desk.

The Black-Eyed Susans are outside the kitchen window.  I thought they were all the same variety when I planted them, but apparently I was mistaken.  Which is cool; I like the different looks to them.

Tell me – what’s blooming in your yard?

Zombie Fire Ants from Hell!

When you have a pest problem, like fire ants, does it really make sense to import another pest, like parasitic flies, to combat it?  Texas thinks so.

Fire ants lose heads over parasitic flies – Health & Science – News & Observer

Shared via AddThis

Just to reinforce the point that these ants are, in fact, zombies, the video below explains in no uncertain terms exactly what a zombie is:

Black-Eyed Susans

I planted these two years ago, but they haven’t bloomed before this year.  I’d pretty much given up on them.  I’m blaming ‘transplant shock’ for the first year, and a significant drought/watering ban for last year.  This year, they’re making up for lost time!

Funny part is, I only remember planting one variety; looks like I’ve got three.  Bonus for me!

As always, click to enlarge.