Rain, Helenium & Hollyhocks

RAIN! We finally got rain!!! Rumor has it more will continue to fall through the weekend- and I couldn’t be happier about it. It has been hot and dry here, and even my most stalwart of plants are looking wilty and peaked. I’ve been doing more hand-watering than usual and even that feels like not enough.

The Helenium, however, is looking mah-velous, darlings. I mean, what is not to love about these flowers? Bright, cheerful, sturdy and tactile. I just want to boop them every time I walk by- I adore them and wish they came in more colors so that I could sneak them into every garden space we have!

The Hollyhocks are still going strong- though they are moving steadily towards going over. I’ve been so pleased with their color and stature and durability in the garden this year. They’ve held up to some enormous, sustained winds and look all the better for it.

The black flowers have held their color well and we even have some semi-double forms trying to grow- I do plan to collect seeds from these so it will be interesting to see what they produce. But seriously, that color. I love it and it has been the perfect foil to the pinks and reds of the rest of that space.

The Rudbeckia I grew from seed last year has taken off with amazing growth and have given real stunners of flowers. These are a really lovely compliment to the Helenium and feel just the right amount of showy & blousy.

We are getting the first few raspberries coming ripe now, they never make it into the house and are always still warm when eaten. The variety ‘Anne’ yellow raspberry has been really prolific so far and are quite delicious- a bit milder in the raspberry flavor with a more stone-fruity undertone. Lovely.

Sorry I only managed to get my fingernail in focus. I was too anxious to eat it to get a better photo.

I’m off to enjoy the thunderstorm and the start to the weekend. Hopefully these good soaks will make weeding easier/faster. Always with the weeding!