It’s the Fourth of July here in the US, Independence Day, and long story short we have taxation WITH representation now rather than without.  That appears to matter to 50-60% of eligible voters in a presidential election year but drops to only about 40% in midterm elections, so maybe it was more of a cool slogan than a real sentiment, but whatever… Happy Fourth!

The front porch is suitably patriotic for the season with a bit of streptocarpella in the hanging baskets this year.

Barbecue and fireworks are the real tradition these days, and here in PA the grilling we do would probably mortally wound any barbecuing Southerner, but we try.  There will be plenty of over-eating regardless and the fireworks will be covered as well, although with the dry weather our home will be sticking to floral fireworks instead.

The first of the red hot pokers(Kniphofia) are firing up and they’re a favorite of mine.  The newer selected forms have a longer bloom season and rebloom as well so that’s a win-win over the flash in a pan older versions.  

Were it not for the entire spring being spent picking rocks and hauling stone, there’s a good chance the gardener would have divided and spread more pokers around the garden… but… there’s always next year  😉

A slightly less-weedy garden border.  To be honest much of the plantings are self sown so maybe it would be no loss to pull much of it out and spread more pokers around!  I’m sure everything else would return anyway, and in less time than I’d like to admit. 

So fireworks and food.  This year for the first time ever I’m neck and neck with the robins in the race to get blueberries.  I think because it’s been dry the robins have moved to wetter gardens, and the lazy young robins which enjoy sitting in a blueberry bush all day, napping, eating, napping, have moved out with them.

There’s about a pint of blueberries sitting on the counter waiting to transform into a nice pancake or muffin, and it looks like we have enough for a couple more pickings.  

Fireworks, food, and fragrance.  The last few weeks the back garden has been filled with the fragrance of the little leaf linden (Tilia) and the buzz of the thousands of bees and beetles and bugs which swarm to the tree, but this week it’s all the regal lilies (Lilium regale).  A warm, muggy evening spent watering the potager vegetables and enjoying the scent of the lilies is not a bad way to spend a holiday weekend.

Regal lilies are easy from seed.  They’re easy in general, just keep an eye on them for the bright red lily beetles which have finally made their way here and become a problem in my garden. 

…and don’t forget the ‘Don’t tread on me’ part of Independence day.  This spring I noticed that as the garden fills and matures I’m less likely to allow the same weeds which I used to ignore.  I realized this while pulling a couple bull thistle(Cirsium vulgare) seedlings which aren’t really a problem here but aren’t really that nice to bump into while “weeding” other things.  Maybe my garden is becoming more civilized, and these armed plants which used to be just fine in the wild-West of my garden’s early days just aren’t safe to have as plantings pack in and mature.  Today I permit a few fancy thistles armed with open spines in the main beds, and regulate some stinging nettles with their concealed weapons in the back end of the yard, and altogether it’s a much safer world.  What a concept.

The woolly thistle (Cirsium eriophorum) even has purple tips on the spines and a fuzzy fluff!  You really need a little training and have to know what you’re doing before you play around with this plant, but it’s still worth keeping around. 

So there you have it.  Food, fireworks, fragrance, and some independence.  I hope you have an excellent summer week and if you’re off for the Monday, please enjoy 🙂