Summer is in full swing here in upstate South Carolina. My yard is looking tired. Having spent most of 2020 in a wrist brace (tendinitis) made it impossible to make any progress. This year has shaped up to spend time recovering from a pinched sciatic nerve. Thanks to Dr. Nikki at Parris Family Chiropractic, I am 100% better.

I will share a few photos. There are plants that need to be thinned out. Let me know if you’d like to “adopt” some plants.

There is way too much Spider-wort. It’s a beautiful shade of blue/purple. It’s reached a size where it has fallen over and looks as tired as I feel. The poor plant must be saying, “Hey. I need help. Dig me up and share the abundance. Until you do, I’m going to just sprawl out and look exhausted.”

The Flowering Almond has just been a total shock. I’ve got a few more just tiny plants that have never grown beyond a few inches in height. The one I put near the patio has overtaken the patio fence and will need to be moved in the fall. Now that I know it can get this big, the tiny ones will need to be moved to a more favorable location; just not the patio fence.

My Clematis is just pitiful. It will need to be moved yet again. We placed it at one end of the patio and Mr. K built a nice trellis for it. However; there is some kind of fungus on it and the leaves turn brown and die. It’s just nothing like what it once was. Makes me sad…and tired; like I need to be more tired.

This Moon Vine is a gift from my Sis. I was surprised at how big it gets. It comes back every year and you can see my HVAC in the background. That gives you an idea of the size. Looks like it will need a bigger spot this fall as well. Don’t y’all want to come help me dig? (grin) These blossoms look like an angelic trumpet. WOW!

Experimenting with taking pictures at night. The color of this petunia is much richer than what you can see here.

There is something about water droplets that add drama to this photo of one of the daylillies. The color of this one is closer to orange sherbet than what this shows. I may have to try using an actual CAMERA instead of this crazy cell phone.

It’s easy to stop and smell the roses; especially when they are standing in a bucket of water at Aldi. Roses will always remind me of Ms. Carolyn. She loved fresh flowers. (Hugs to you, Fran.)

I just had to share this photo. It was taken with my cellphone through the windshield of the truck. I saw many log trucks growing up in Edgefield. They were usually hauling pine; although, this one appears to be carrying a load of hardwood. It’s been a long time since Edgefield has been my home. To this day, the smell of pine resin takes me home. My Grandpa Langley’s clothing was often fragrant with the aroma of trees and logs and a little bit of diesel fuel. Who needs aftershave when you have pine resin?

Do kids today even know what a tire swing is?

The featured image is the one all the way at the top. It’s a view from my “back” door. Standing on the deck and looking across the yard….I never get tired of this view. Living in the country where it just never gets old. This is my favorite shade of blue as the clouds drift by.

This lovely purple/lavender beauty is just a weed. The Maypop Vine grows wild around this area. There are two varieties that I’m aware of. One produces edible pods and the other one does not. If you’ve seen a plant labeled “Passion Vine” this is it. This one is NOT edible.

Pine cones at night. Another experiment with taking pictures in the dark. The green needles remind me of fireworks. Maybe my imagination has run amuck.

There were no peaches this year. I’ve looked online and all to no avail. I am at a loss. Perhaps it’s time to reach out to my local Clemson Extension Office. There has been no fertilizer applied anywhere near this tree. There is plenty of sunlight. The tree is old enough to produce fruit and has never been pruned. I’ve kept it covered every time there was a chance of frost after the blooms had faded…..Looks like I’ll be making a trip to Happy Cow. There is no substitute for fresh freestone peaches.

Until next time; y’all have a blessed day and a restful weekend.