Garden in September

The garden always starts to look a little sad in September, it doesn't matter how good the weather is.  We still have quite a few flowering plants that are making the wildlife happy.  The asters at the bottom of the rain garden are always covered in flowers and the bees love them

I got this from my Webster plant swap group this year and the hummingbirds love these flowers.  Apparently it should self seed and come back every year, chances are it'll be gone for ever or I'll be cursing as they come up everywhere!!!!!!

Lots of swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley this year, I saw at least 10-12 in one day

My toad lilies are always beautiful at this time of the year.  I brought them from our old house and they were the first thing to flower in this garden

I decided this needs to go.  The plant is huge, but the flowers are not that great.  I tried to dig it out, but the roots must be massive and I couldn't shift it at all.  It may get a last change and I'll try cutting it back as it grows next year and see if I can keep it shorter

My streptocarpella on the front grew really well but had NO FLOWERS.  I took them to work as it's been very cold some nights, now they are flowering like crazy.  I hope I can keep them through the winter

Ben's first accident

Ben and his friend were going to go walking at Creve Coeur lake and were sideswiped by a truck as they got off the highway.  He was so upset that his car was damaged, but luckily they were not hurt and the car was essentially OK.  Luckily, the other driver took full responsibility and we were able to get the car fixed without any problem.  Of course, they found more damage when they started the work (as always), so he had to deal with a rental car for over a week.  But, his car is back to beautiful now.  It had to happen sooner or later.....

25 years ago today.....

 

Sam and I got married 25 years ago today!!!  We should have been in Barbados right now, but, you know, COVID........

I remember it like it was yesterday, and yet it seems so far away now.  So many things have happened since that day.

We arranged a whole wedding in 3 weeks, with 100 guests, including Mum who flew over at the last minute.

There is nothing I would change-apart from maybe the hangover I had from the night before!!!!  It really was a perfect day and the past 25 years have been quite the ride.  We may not make another 25, but we'll take each day as it comes, as we always have.....

Moving into the new hospital

 After 5 years of waiting, the new hospital opens tomorrow.  I had a chance to walk through some of it when it was empty, but haven't had time to fully explore yet.  I'll probably be looking for the coffee shop first!!!!  They moved all the patients into the new hospital over the weekend, and new patients coming to ER will go to the new hospital as of today.  Everything will be in the new building tomorrow.

The new doctor's office building will be open for business tomorrow, all clinic patients will now go here

The faculty offices are now in an old school building next to the new hospital.  I have been in there once for a meeting, it's about half a mile from my office, should get a lot of steps in if I go there a lot!!

Garden in August

After being skeptical about this foot planter, I've become quite the fan, mostly because this plant has done so well.  I originally planted three plants.  One got immediately crowded out, so I moved it to the back planter where it did well for a few weeks until someone ATE THE WHOLE THING!!!  The purple petunia is fighting to survive, but I could have easily just put one plant in here and it would have been fine

The garden has been battling the usual heat and dry ground, but there's still enough for the wildlife.  We have started to see monarch caterpillars (not very many though)

The turtleheads are starting to bloom now, we have two patches on them in the rain garden

I got this from someone on the Webster plant swap Facebook group, it has done really well and should self-seed.  It's the only thing flowering in my shade garden

My hibiscus is still doing really well

I replaced the fern in this bark holder, I think I wasn't watering the other one enough and it was pretty much giving up

Wildlife smorgasbord!!!  Cardinal flowers, milkweed and black eyes susans in the rain garden

The bees love this calamint and it's still going strong

I came across this creature when I was cutting back some of the rain garden, gave me quite a fright.  I have never seen one before, apparently it's a Missouri garden spider and this one must be female by the size!!!!!

Another month of COVID

There is still no end in sight for getting back to normal.  We are all still at home most of the time.  I have been walking every morning, some mornings I see the moon!!!!

The dining room is still being used as my office and Ben has pretty much joined me too

Ferdy is not always too impressed that he can't sit on my lap all day every day

In addition to my daily walk/run, I have been doing yoga almost every day and just finished this yoga Bingo card

We have had quite a few major storms recently.  One of them washed out all the seed husks from under the bird bath and they ended up in the rain garden.  We also had water come in the store room in the back-first time in 5 years

Tilles Park was closed for a few days due to the flooding. The water had come over the road in several places, this doesn't happen very often

I love this dead tree, I suspect it died because of the constant water accumulation.  I'm sure its days are numbered.....

Ben and I were standing in the line to get into TJs at the weekend and I noticed where he was standing-not done on purpose at all!!!!!

A trip to MBG

There are very few flowers at MBG this year, but it makes you appreciate the different colours, shapes and textures of the greenery

We tried to get Ben to stand on one of the lilies, but he just would not do it!!!!!

I'm not convinced they'd hold you up even though I've seen old photos of people standing on them

Water lilies are lovely as usual

The climatron was open, which was a surprise.  Ben said "Mum, you've got loads of photos of this"

More shades of green.......

Sam's BeeBee tree was flowering and had bees!!!!

Stumpery has really filled out now