Down the Rabbit Hole

This is my Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post, even though I know it's late.

Purple coneflowers
These have been so pretty in my garden this year, I purchased more.
The butterflies love them, and they bloom in very hot weather.

"I'm late, I'm late

For a very important date

No time to say Hello, Goodbye

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"*

Things have been a bit odd around here.  For instance, I woke up one night and there were 30 cows in my yard.  And that's been the least of my worries.

Lantana
I have several lantana and they all bloom well in extreme heat.
Mine have also returned for me every year so far.

"Curiouser and curiouser."*

My parents crawled under their house and got stuck!

Yes, you read that right!

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
Aren't these the most beautiful, delicate looking flowers?
But what they lack in durability they make up for in abundance.

"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid sir, 

because I'm not myself you see."*

I've been on a few trips, I've had lots of company, and more company and more trips are scheduled.

Hosta bloom
My hostas have grown quite large this year.
It's so exciting to think that eventually this area will be completely green, with no soil showing underneath.

"Now, I give you fair warning, either you or your head must be off,

and that in about half no time!  Take your choice!"*

I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland.

Iceberg rose

Christopher Marlowe rose
The roses are blooming sporadically.  They are real workhorses in my garden!

"My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place.  

And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that."*

My flower beds are very weedy.  The pile of mulch that I never got around to spreading out in the flowerbeds is now beginning to compost.  And the vegetable garden is history.  No vegetables.  Just weeds.

Cannas love our heat!
 Their foliage is beautiful, but I also love their bright flowers.

"That was a very sad story."

"Aye, but there's a moral to it."

"Oh, a very good moral, if you happen to be an oyster."*

I had no idea that June and July would be so crazy.  And even crazier still is that I don't see an end in sight.  Nothing bad, just life itself.

Chaste tree (Vitex)
It's amazing to me how many pollinators this attracts!

"How puzzling all these changes are! 

 I'm never sure what I'm going to be, from one minute to another."*

But one thing I know about gardens.  They will still be there when we come back to them.  Gardens can wait.  People are more important.

The crape myrtles are in full bloom.

Black Diamond 'Ebony Glow' crape myrtle.
Ebony Glow is new to me.
I was enticed by those beautiful black leaves paired with the innocent blush of white/pink blooms.
Now I just need to find time to plant it!

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here.  I'm mad.  You're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn't have come here."* 

So please forgive me for extended absences.  If you are wondering, I do want to continue with the Garden Book meme on the 20th of every month, and hope you will join in.

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum')
Too bad this grass is an annual here.

"One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter."*

I predict it will be a few more months before I emerge from this rabbit hole.  For now, I'm just going to enjoy my garden's blooms when I see them, not worry about weeds, post and comment when I can, and wait for things to settle down, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

I know most people's lives get a bit crazy at times, so I expect you'll understand.

I'm waiting for the Moonflower vines (Ipomoea alba) to bloom!
Moonflowers can be controlled here, unlike morning glories (Ipomoea violacea), which can become invasive.
Moonflowers are easily grown from seed, if you nick them and soak them in water first.

"Some say to survive it you need to be as mad as a hatter.  

Which luckily I am."*

* All quotes are from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll