Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - Sept 15th

We've had some good hard rain, the nights are turning cooler but the warm breezy (non-humid) days we've had lately have been the best of the summer!!! Today is Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and I still have quite a bit happening in my garden. The spotlight is on repeat-bloomers and annuals.

White phlox are still (barely) hanging on

The ornamental kale plants that I grew from seed are really huge

The shrub rose beside the deck is blooming again: apricot buds turning into….

….white blossoms

The sedum is turning pink and the bees are flocking to them

Weigela is in bloom again

The 'Fairy' rose is loaded with its fall blossoms

Black Eyed Susans are not prepared to wilt just yet

The rain helped the pink snapdragons come back

Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster' waves gently in the wind

The big shrub rose is now full of hips

One or two Rose of Sharon blossoms are tucked in behind branches

Scabiosa that I grew from seed is everywhere

Browallia benefitted from its July haircut and fertilizer

My friend gave me a Gerbera daisy, which has bloomed again since I planted it

And we have lots and lots (and lots!) of home grown tomatoes!!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day is a Meme created by May Dreams Gardens http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Gardeners post images of what's blooming in their garden on the 15th day of every month. All are welcome to participate.

Novice Tomato Gardener

As you may have guessed by now, vegetable gardening is waaaay down the list of priorities at my place. My true loves are flowers and garden design but I grow a few herbs for cooking and this year I decided to try tomatoes again.
My yard is very deep - 100' from the back of the house to the back fence. When we first moved in 25 years ago, we built 2 raised beds for tomatoes. Over the years, growing tomatoes became a tiresome hassle, having to lug water to the back forty after work. My tomatoes were always "Poorest in Show" among my family.
This year when my Dad offered (once again) to grow tomatoes from seed for all of us, I joined in. I signed up for beefsteaks and cherry tomatoes. Being retired, I thought I would be able to devote more time to them.
I read up on how best to stake tomatoes and one YouTube video showed tying strings horizontally between 2 strong posts.
Well, my strings were just twine (duh!) so of course now that the tomatoes are growing and getting big and heavy, they were sagging and falling over.
Last evening, my hubby took 2 old long tree branches that have been at the side of the house and nailed them onto very strong posts.
This morning I tied all the droopy branches to their new supports and let me announce to my Dad, sister, son and nephew: the Competition is ON!! (Poorest in Show - indeed!!!)