The Summer That Wasn't

 That's how it feels anyway 😟  Very few daylilies bloomed - why? As for everything else, due to my back issues, being unable to be upright for longer than a few minutes without extreme pain setting in, it all suffered. The garden was a mess - and seemed in mourning with my decrepit state. But a few things shone through despite the gloom of Covid and my own infrastructure problems, always a combination of cats and flowers. 

Elvi loves to soak up the sun in the living-room window garden

Hostas under the Hydrangea

This  Hibiscus is a bright yellow in the heat of the summer,
but more orange in cooler temperatures, seen below.

South Seas, one of the few daylilies that bloomed this year,
and it bloomed very well. 

A very pretty new Hosta

Succulents in the sun

Kobi poses with my birthday glads, late September.

Spring ushered in something nasty, and began a 5-month lock-down at home.
But it also began with these beauties:
Darwin tulips aptly named Beauty of Spring!

And of course, some things never change:
Ginja and Zena,
"You lookin' at me?"
Who's zoomin' who eh?

Meh - whatever - some know how to make it all go away,
Lily snoozes endless hours on the couch,
more so these days now that the weather is cooler.
'Night-night!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

Rainy Hibiscus

  

Smokey Amethyst Dahlia - first of the season

A Loss: Our Chaiyka, and Introducing Lily

Our Beautiful Chaiyka left us last October 13, 2019.
He had been diabetic for 2 years, and also had developed 
a bad skin condition, with which he became obsessed (chewing).
Here he is in his prime, shortly after he came to us one early
summer day, showing off that gorgeous long tail.

During this time, late summer, a shadow began to flit by in the garden on a regular basis, and more and more frequent as the days wore on into fall. And you probably can guess the rest already.

Here she is - Lily - showing off the new garden trug that just arrived in the mail. So cute, and we need all the entertainment we can get in these strange and difficult times. I am off work until May 1, so they say, and have been off since March 23.

PS - you may notice there are two contributors to the blog now, Anya and Anya 😉 Well, back when I knew less than I do now about all this, I had another blog with another email address. I don't use it anymore, but it meant I had to sign out of Google and do other sign-ins (all very annoying), to get to this, my main blog. (Not to mention the Google photos business, having to download from G-photos to then upload here - THAT is majorly annoying). This partly caused my absence - just too bothersome. Anyway, finally found a fix today: I invited myself to be a contributor from the other blog - and voila - no more signing in and out nonsense. There was probably another way, but I was afraid to lose all this content. 😁

It's Been a Long Time - a Quick 5-month Recap

Muscari in a pot, left forgotten on the ground last fall,
was a lovely surprise out in the spring garden where almost nothing is growing yet, let alone blooming.
Spring was late this year - very late, 
and all manner of things were delayed. 

A double-decker for our girl Elvie.
But don't let that innocent face fool you!
She is craving to get outside at last.

These lovely Muscari, spent the basement as bare bulbs (in the fridge in a paper bag), and were potted up only 4 weeks ago previous to this photo. So pretty. 

Viburnum Snowball produced the biggest ever puffs this year - just gorgeous! I have read they can grow up to 15 feet high and wide! Wow, now that would be sight!

Extra early daylily Middendorfii,
every year with more scapes - this year a record 20!
A much needed splash of colour.

Arborvitae Anna's Magic Ball - how could I resist?

Gift to myself this year - a nice and high wooden planter, serving a catch all for now, but I have plans!! :)

The Snowballs in the early morning light - awesome!

These beauties just refused to bloom for Christmas!
That's OK - as long as they eventually do

The always exquisite,
always different Gervase.
A stunner!

I Think this one is Double Dragon (some tags got lost this year)

.

Flirtatious and festive Samba.

Two scapes blooming at the same time,
as Gervase dances in the sun.
Summer at last!