I was away for a week, and when I got home my garden had exploded in the near 100 degree heat. Thank heavens my chicken-sitter friend took it upon herself to water everything. Tomatoes are really putting on size now. The only problem is that I cannot tell one type from the other, as they are all tangled together in one bed.The bees seem to be doing fairly well, but I have not opened the hives to determine the final outcome of the difficult merger. (See that bee on the gaura flower? That bush was humming with bees at 7:00 am this morning.) If the weather is not too extreme this weekend I may take a peek at the hives and decide if any spring honey can be harvested. I hope so, as I am down to my last jar from last season.
Although the young chickens have been panting in this heat, the older hens are doing quite well in their new pen. They will do even better when the kiwi vines provide more shade. For now I think I will pile some brush on top of the arbor as a temporary fix. Friends who were over yesterday commented on how beautiful the ladies were, so I decided to include a photo of them as well. Finally, that amazing flower is from a button bush, which grows in wet areas. It is in my front, very wet bed, along with Sabal minor palms, native iris, and others.
