I bought a flat containing seven Sombrero ‘Flamenco Orange’ coneflowers, and one lonely ‘PowWow White’ on Tuesday, but I was too tired on Tuesday to plant them (still haven’t planted the Wave ‘toonyas I got before Memorial Day weekend!). I managed to get three of them in the ground yesterday, which was no mean feat because even though it was only 84F, the humidity made the air feel like a hot, wet blanket, and actually moving at anything faster than a 90-year-old’s shuffle meant sweating. They weren’t going to plant themselves, though, so I managed to get these in the ground. Probably won’t do more tonight because it’s laundry night, but I have high hopes for the weekend (HA!)

That was my big accomplishment after work. Otherwise, I wandered around, looking at stuff. I did put some Black Kow around the newly arbor-ed (it’s a word!) trumpet creeper, but I’m not quite to the point of taking pictures of literal cow shit, so I didn’t. Some of the Lonicera flava cuttings I took…whenever that was…finally did root, so I took a few more and didn’t bother with rooting hormone. My thinking is that it took forever to do the other ones because they were inside, and these will be outside. We’ll see! Rooted on right, newly stuck in soil on left.

The little cattail that C gave me is making himself a friend! I got some “mini cattail” on eBay, but have not yet received it. If it’s the same kind as this, I might pot it with this little guy. Might not…I don’t know because this is supposed to be a very fast grower, and it might get too crowded by the end of the summer.

I have no idea how ‘Sweet Tea’ even survived last winter with so much of its crown exposed, but it did, and it’s just started blooming nicely. The creeping zinnia seeds I put around its base have done jack shit, though. At least they were seeds, and not expensive.

I don’t hold out hope that it’s permanent, but I’m very glad last year’s salvia ‘Radio Red’ made it through last winter; they’re so pretty.

Much of my outdoor time yesterday was spent hanging out with Big Bertha by the pond. She looks rather different once she’s been sitting in a dry spot for a while. Almost like a different frog, but it’s definitely Bertha!

Terrible photo, but I had only my phone and I didn’t want to scare him. Nonetheless, it amused me. I put the oriole feeder up with nectar in hopes of attracting an oriole. I get grandkid woodpeckers and Mean Little Birds. I put this orange feeder up with oranges in hopes of attracting an oriole. I get a Northern Pearly-Eye.