...Holy Hibiscus! That flower is bigger than your face!...

Holy Hibiscus, Bat Girl!

There are 129 days until Halloween which means that there’s fewer than 100 days until October! The mistake that many of us make is getting so revved up for the fall holidays that we tend to ignore summer. This year I am going to try to make a special effort to seize Summer Days & Summer Nights… before they both drift away! That’s sort of a Grease reference…anyway. I encourage you all to make your own lists because I realize that not everyone is close. Some of my suggestions may actually just be suggestions that I don’t plan to personally try myself but… heck, maybe I will give it a go :D

This was going to be part of a longer post but heck, I arrived home from work to find that it’s officially HIBISCUS DAY! For those of you who haven’t witnessed my hibiscus obsession, today I discovered the first bloom on one of three hibiscus plants. On that very plant, there were TWO blooms. GWEEEE!!!!! So of course, I got very much focused on tidying up parts of the garden… including cutting back several hibiscus stalks that were growing straight out toward the ground instead of growing up. Sigh. I hate doing that especially when there are buds but it’s the evil part of gardening—cut back, move forward.

I also found those stupid squash bugs on my pumpkin patch stalks so I plucked off as many as I could and will need to seek out some organic insecticide (shout out any advice if you have it! I've never grown pumpkins before!)

Summer Fun List

Pumpkin flower!

Sunday, June 21
I bought my first watermelon of summer! Didn’t carve it into a jack-o-lantern this time because I really just wanted to dive in (another reason not to go grocery shopping when you’re hungry :-/ )… also had a cherry limeade to toast the Summer Solstice!

Monday, June 22
I went for an 1.25 hr walk around town. Go Go Bat Fit! Eeek, that reminds me that I need to catch up on making my good things wishing stars! So many good things have been happening this year!

Tuesday, June 23
Arm chair cemetery tourism…. aka researching. This wasn’t as fun as being in a cemetery but sometimes prep is important!

Wednesday, June 24
HIBISCUS DAY!!!! Gardening in the evening after getting home from work and making dinner and discovering at 8:30pm that it is still light outside. Happy sigh.

Thursday, June 25
Get some Unhappiness on in the Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden for Unhappy Hour. This month’s theme is “Hop-Frog,” one of Poe’s tales of murder and revenge. I’ll be reading that tonight as a bedtime story to myself.

Friday, June 26

I have a lunch date and some shenanigans planned with a friend.

For now the weekend is going to include some errands such as buying appliances for my fella’s house so we can put it on the market. That isn’t exactly FUN but it has to be done. But I’m sure to find some fun activities this weekend.

... first blooms on a Hot, Hot, Hot day...

Goodness! It is hot out there! But that didn't stop me from running out the door this morning because I knew the hibiscus blooms were coming. That's one nice thing about perennial hibiscus. You can almost always predict the day there will be blooms because the buds begin to peak. Of course, wildlife do find hibiscus flowers tasty (as do some who drink tea). I expect two blooms but the third one surprised me... and what a nice surprise it was!

Oh, if you haven't been up close to a perennial hibiscus, the blooms are as big as one's face!

... Hibiscus red...

Hibiscus Red

There are so many reds that aren't right for my skin color. I've always been pretty darn pale even in the summers when I spend a great deal of time outdoors.  Everyone seems to have an opinion about what is the best color but since it's my skin, I get to decide right!?!

I have always been drawn to reds in nature. There is nothing more stunning than looking out towards the woods on a snowy winter day and seeing a Cardinal. Not only do red flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, I'm drawn to them. If you have red this blog or known me for more than five minutes you'll know that I'm pretty darn obsessed with my perennial Hibiscus plants. The blooms are literally as big as my head! I start photographing the stalks when they're not even the size of a pea, and continue stalking them (pun intended) daily. When the buds arrive, it is like Christmas. And on the day of the first bloom, I'm gweeing!!!! all the way out the front door to watch them. And just like most magical things, each bloom only lasts one day and then droops into a gooey mess. It isn't a surprise to me that the shade of the Hibiscus red bloom is the exact shade that I want on my lips.

Past men in my life have always preferred orange-reds while I have mostly been drawn to blue-reds (wine colors that are rich and dark). Nevertheless, there comes a time when a girl (or a boy for that matter) wants RED-RED. When I was in my early 20s, I attended a Mary Kay party and tried on a ton of different "reds". I went home with Currant. I've had this one lipstick tube for nearly twenty years, way longer than anyone in their right mind would recommend owning a makeup product. I'm not a dirty girl (usually) but it's hard to let go of the perfect color and the shade has been disconnected. Luckily, a few years ago, I found the Nars Cosmetics Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned. Damned and Currant are nearly the exact same shade BUT they're still deeper plum-reds and I wanted a bit more *in your face RED*. Finally, this summer I bought Maybelline 's Elixir which advertises itself as "Hyper-saturated color, ultra cushiony feel" in Signature Scarlet. This is more of a lipgloss which is absolutely perfect for me because I tend not to smile in red lipstick since I'm so afraid of having lipstick on my teeth. With the Elixir, if it smudges, I can wipe it off. If I smooch my fella, I can wipe it off without a smudge. I'm pleasantly surprised that it has worked so well and using the Maybelline Elixir over the Nars Lip Pencil gives me the RED that I have coveted. Another bonus is that because the Elixir is so "hyper-saturated" I don't have to reapply lipgloss again and again... for me this is a big deal because I take some medication that causes dry lips. So while this isn't a fashion tutorial, I do offer a fashion tip. Find what you love... and smear it on your lips?!? Yeah, something like that.

...a born again summer garden...

“Each morning we are born again.

What we do today is what matters most.”

~Buddha

 

I’ve been a bit down about not having a pumpkin patch this year but it really has allowed me to focus on other plants. I just bought a climber that will hopefully make its way up the lattice the pumpkin patch had use.  

The elephant ears are back. My fella loves them and I admit that they make me laugh. They grow quite well here in Virginia. I have these giants in the backyard; and, we have them in the side yard and front yard as well. One set seems to have resurrected from several years ago since neither one of us planted any bulbs in that location. Typically they act as annuals here but nature is her own judge. 

Similar to the ‘Bela Lugosi’ daylily, I added a ‘Nosferatu’ daylily in the front yard. This variety offers a shorter height, and more oval-shaped petals. My fella mentioned that there was an empty spot. Actually, the empty spot is where one of the Bleeding Hearts lives until about July when it burns up like a crispy critter when the sun begins to hit it. So I added a ‘Nosferatu’ and a ‘Custard Candy' Daylily because my fella likes yellow and they'll look cool beside the Nosferatu Daylily. That is, they looked cool until I knocked off the bloom in the process of planting it. 

I also *filled in* the front yard with another hibiscus, the 'Luna Rose'. 

 

In total I have five-ish with three hibiscus plants in the front (rose, pink, and red), one red in the side yard, and one (or do I have two) in the backyard.

Here are some of my favorites this summer.

... gardening, buying myself flowers, a ^o^ hand sanitizer holder, and more Yankee Candle Halloween please...

I'm not intentionally ignoring my garden. I need to cut the grass tomorrow morning and then maybe I'll add a few pictures. I live in a town-home with a HOA but the landscapers are tortuous on my plants so I end up locking my gate and doing the work myself... which I actually prefer. Last week I pruned the heck out of one of my butterfly bushes, and because I live in Central Virginia with the temperatures still in the high 80s and low 90s, it's like the pruning didn't take. The darn thing thumbed its branches at me and grew right on back. Sadly, the hibiscus are nearing the end of their blooms. There were two red blooms yesterday but none today. I'll know more when I'm pruning tomorrow. I have cut back all three hibiscus plants quite a bit because they appear unruly without blooms. They probably appear unruly to some with blooms but those flowers are lovely. In the meantime, I bought myself some roses today. I can't believe these stunning white roses were only $9.99. If you change the water regularly, the roses will last in a vase for at least a week plus.

Whenever I prune, I feel like I'm both closer to nature and to myself. I've mentioned that I didn't actually become a "gardener" until 2009 when I Ctrl+Alt+Del'ed my life. I started with growing plants and flowers in pots on a small apartment balcony. Once I had this town-home built, I have a complete clean slate that I was able to transform into my little secret garden. Yesterday when I arrived home from work I noticed a Gold Finch in my side yard. They are stunning little birds and while they are mostly fond in open fields, I do have a bit of open space to the side of my yard (being an end unit).

This evening I had to go to the mall to run an errand. The local mall has a Bath & Body Works and a Yankee Candle-- Yeah + Yeah! A few years ago, I bought the BEST hand sanitizer holder from Bath & Body works. Since then, they haven't carried it until NOW!  Their Halloween collection wasn't actually out on display but when an associate asked if she could help me, I asked. She casually mentioned the return of the bat hand sanitizer holders and I about fainted right there. She went in the back and brought me two that I bought. They are slightly different than my original which I do like better. The new ones have more glitter which is awesome but I can tell that the rubber is a lighter weight (more prone to tearing :-/ ) and the light-up eyes don't have two settings like mine original one does (where if you push once the lights blink and twice the light aka eyes stay on). The newer version has one setting where you push and the eyes blinked for about five seconds and then automatically shut off. Whatever, I bought two so I'm thrilled that they're back.

Since my fella and I weren't hanging out together tonight, I browsed around the mall a bit and decided to poke in to Yankee Candle. Like many of you, I attended the Yankee Candle Halloween Premiere but I'm always on the lookout to see if a store adds products during the season. Sure enough, there was a BAT CAULDRON in Witches Brew. I just looked online and OMG they even have added a BAT WINGS topper!!! (which I will be purchasing as soon as I post this). Many of the Boney Bunches which were sold out are now back in stock. I'm on to you, Yankee Candle (glaring face). But alas, their items are so cute what is a girl to do!

...'mums' is the word...

I have been back to work for a few weeks now but last week was the first week of classes. That always adds another layer of adjustment, which leads to first-week-exhaustion. Today is Labor Day and the university is closed. Along with some errands, I ended up purchasing fall mums! I have wanted to for weeks but they had not been out until this weekend.

My Labor Day turned into a day of garden labor. I delight in my backyard secret garden because it is fenced in and I can do pretty much whatever I like. The front yard did not need much work because it is somewhat regulated by our townhouse community association. Boxwoods are boxed; and, as I believe I have pouted before, the landscapers weed-wacked my hibiscus and daylilies. Although I won’t have any blooms from the Nosferatu daylily as it’s a once-a-year bloomer, the plants are all growing strong. I should even have some light purple hibiscus blooms this week.

Our “summer” is nowhere near finished. The pumpkin plant in the back is growing strong (nearly an inch from the top of the privacy fence) even without any fruit. And, right now it is terribly entertaining to be back there because nature is happening! The butterfly bushes are in full bloom, and hummingbirds and bees are having their way with each and every flower.  I have plenty of nights ahead of me sitting on that back patio. This is also the last year of the patio furniture. It falls apart a bit more each time I sit down or touch it. If I had more frequent visitors back there, I would have had to replace it last year but I was determined to make it one more year. It was a gift from my parents about 15 years ago. When the days turn cooler, the patio furniture will be taken to be recycled; and, my fella and I will figure out what works best for both of us.

But back to the front yard…

Technically, seasonal displays are not allowed until 30 days before a holiday; and, they are only allowed to remain there for 15 days. A neighbor put out a Halloween flag so I got down my Halloween wreath, which is really the only true Halloween decoration I have. Living with Halloween-inspired pieces year-round makes me delight in the new items with the realization that there is not much room left. I’m pretty good at tucking and making things work but it means that the pieces have to be high-quality pieces and/or so dorky that I cannot live without it. Of course, the latter have a way of going to my work office since my fella, who has a great deal of tolerance for so many things, is a bit creeped out by others. While I huff and puff sometimes about no longer being a single girl living alone, he has made my life and our home so much better by moving here. His first comment to this post would be to mutter “flat screen television” but sometimes I miss the ease of my big, boxy, all-in-one tv with a DVD and a VHS player!

Today when I picked up mums, I immediately headed toward the dark wine-color flowers but hesitated. There were yellow mums too, which are my fella’s preference. In the end, I picked the orange mums since orange is a color upon which we both can agree.

It will be a few weeks before I mourn the end of summer; fortunately, that takes us into fall, one of my favorite seasons. I already can feel the magic of the holidays lingering about. My schedule is completely full beginning in two weeks. It will take me through October and into November when finally starts to slow down, rhyming with the growth in my garden. 

My colleague's daughter gave me this print, "Advice from a Bat." I have been trying to follow some of this advice for years but having it come from a bat is even better.