Cooler but 97% humidity - yuck

So far we have missed the severe thunderstorms. Some lightening to the south and west in late afternoon yesterday and then lots of water bomber action – droning in, scooping water (from the river?)and lumbering out again – so there must have been a lightening fire somewhere. Hopefully the amount of rain we’ve had overnight will have dampened it down.

A muggy day with occasional rumblings, periodic deluges, and blinks of sun during one of which I started deadheading to tidy-up the garden and more importantly to allow all the food the plants are generating to go to the plant not the seeds, plus it would be nice to get another flush of flowers from plants that will rebloom, like the roses. Deadheading lavender is such an enjoyable task, delicious smell and a neat rounded bush after. I may prune them back more later in the fall. Deadheaded yarrow, all hemerocallis but the dark red ones. Noticed that the alpine cinqfoil is blooming again. The second canna spike is flowering. And there are lots of yellow cherry tomatoes which seem to have ripened overnight.

I ordered lilies today: A couple of low-growing hemerocallis ’Pandora’s Box’ and a Martagon lily, a purple turkscap, for the kitchen window garden. There are a couple of “blood red” lilies brought by my friend but they are not looking very lively so I am not sure how well they survived the journey from the prairies.

Hemerocallis ‘Black Emanuelle’ and ‘Night Embers’, a darkish red double, to replace some of the 3 dark red ones in E2, the 3 which have different names but look exactly the same. I have got an Asiatic lily ‘Monte Negro’, actually 3 because I liked the colour and they were only $5 for the lot. I think I will put them by the ‘Toronto’ asiatics. Lastly 3 hybrid oriental ‘Scheherazade’ which I hope is as stunning as its picture; I have not finally decided which of two places they might go.

I keep thinking of more places where I could squeeze in lilies but I have spent enough – at least there was a credit owing so it isn’t quite as large an amount as might be – hhmmm, gardener’s logic.

Saw the squirrel dancing along the hydro-wires this morning. Haven’t seen him/her for quite a while. Lots of quiet bird chatter in the bushes, I think the birds are on the move.

Photos: allium moly luteum seed pods; mahonia berries; Graham Thomas rose – the shape and colour and scent of these roses are so exquisite they make me want to cry with pleasure. I am seriously thinking about getting another David Austin rose next year. The pot of Muriellei; small black violas which have bloomed non-stop since I put them in which doesn’t usually happen.