July in bloom

The lily is 'Madame Butterfly' (bought from The Lily Garden, in Washington). Petite-flowered and chic but slender and wild enough for the rambunctious, sunny western end of our small terrace.

These lily bulbs live in three different pots, sharing with two roses and, in the foreground, with swamp milkweed, alliums, fennel and Gomphocarpus (aka hairy balls, or balloon plant - a South African native that I grow as an annual for late-season pollinators).  The white liatris has been in bloom for three week, and on the trellis the lablab beans (hyacinth beans, another African native) are beginning to stretch their tendrils. They are late to climb, always waiting until July to take off.

It's hot. Late this afternoon I will carry water to the pots. Kitchen-to-terrace, kitchen-to-terrace, about eight times, at around 20lbs a time when full. This is why gardeners don't need gyms.

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