Paradise Regained.

7-30-24 VERMONT: Judy and I are back in VT as of Sunday, the day Anna, Gardner, Emmett and Yangchen left for NYC. They left the house in good shape and had a great time here, judging from all the pix and stories. We are very pleased that they had a good time, and just wish we had been here to be part of it.

Both Judy and I have some residual fatigue and cough, but we are 98% recovered from Covid. I resumed PT yesterday. Judy is preparing for this week’s guests, Alison and Dan. 

The gardens have been busy on their own in my absence. [As if they would behave differently in my presence.] There are lots of new blooms, all ahead of schedule. The last daylily, I think, came out today as July ends. We had 2.3 inches of rain, but the ponds have gotten lower still. 

I brought a couple Rose-of-Sharon volunteers from Short Hills. They are growing all over that yard with many volunteers available. I tried to transplant one here in the 90’s that died during the winter. Neighbor Valerie has some growing in her garden, so I decided to give it another try. 

New blooms: mullein, lily, fall anemone, white turtlehead, cup plant, meadow rue [second kind], Joe Pye weed, helenium, more phlox.

These are true lilies. They last for several days. Daylilies are much easier to grow.

Another kind of lily.

White turtlehead. These are smaller and much earlier than the larger pink ones.

Helenium, also called sneeze weed because it comes out at the same time as ragweed, but is an innocent bystander.

Fall anemone usually blooms in September, but here it is now.

Meadow rue, a similar tall plant with the same name blooms in June. That one has flothy, cotton candy like flowers. This one is a favorite of hummingbirds. The hummers also like the bee balm and hostas that are out now, but are very territorial and chase each other away. They also drained the feeder, which I refilled.