I've Completely Lost My Cool

We actually had some rain and it was cool for a day or maybe it was two.  At least the temperature has dropped from the nineties to the eighties.  Some places in the garden look pretty good.  The cone flowers, sedums and sunflowers in Ed's garden down by the road look great!  He has been carrying water to them and the clay in the soil helps to retain the moisture.

This Scheherazade lily looks magnificent!  It is in its second year with us but this is the first flower here.  One downside to spring planted lily bulbs is that they sometimes need a year to settle in before they flower.  It took a winter potted in the sod house, a spring attack on one of its sisters by the grey rodent and several trips into the basement on cold nights to produce this flower.  Add in its scent and the whole package was definitely worth the effort.

The sparkler alliums are taking the July heat and scant rain in stride.

Ed is still out there harvesting his garlic.  I could be out there collecting poppy seed.  The brown seed heads are opening at the top, and the wind will scatter the seed if I don't get it first.  I suppose it's possible I might go back out later after dinner if it cools off.

I have completely lost my cool!  Right now I feel as hot and bedraggled as this transplanted summer sweet.  Wait, I exaggerate!  This plant looks pretty dead and I assure you I'm not that bad.  I'm just overheated.   A long cool shower should fix me right up.  The garden needs that too.  The rain that we have had barely wet the surface of the soil.  The soil looked dark this morning, but the bright sun has it back to dusty and dry.