scenes from summer part deux

Things are in full bloom and looking pretty good around here. Mother Nature has blessed our region with plenty of rain, and only occasionally do I ever need to water the garden by sprinkler. Of course, all the rain means lots of weeds and killer mosqitoes. I have more bites than the last two years combined.

We finally have a flower on our Lily! This plant has been in the pond for 2 years and this is the first flower we've gotten. There are about 30 lily pads right alongside of it.
another view of the pond. In the lower pond are the cattails, which are taller than I am! The lovely orange flower is on my favorite tropical plant that I bought this year, a Bengal Tiger Canna. What you can't see are the tadpoles with their tiny legs and our new Koi.
Hey, who gave this kid sharp shears?
I bought this hanging plant last weekend while shopping for Father's Day. It's in a huge iron frame lined with a cocoa mat, 6 or 7 plants, and it was $40. A total steal. Of course it weighs more than I do and requires 2 watering cans a day , but still a steal.
Our major project for the weekend was trimming the birch tree. The lower branches were touching the top of the tallest plantings, so Bart decided to take off at least two layers. I can't believe the difference! Before it was almost like being under a willow tree. Now it's very open and sunny. We'll see how the shady plants like the change.

Happy Monday!