July's Garden Tour, Part 1

This is where the tour really begins, at a place the locals call the Harpster Mall. The Southfork of the Clearwater River flows fast today near a big truck turn-around where there are dumpsters for the many ruralites to rid themselves of garbage and other valuable (to someone else, they hope) possessions. This is where we park to pool up in Hildi's 'Tour Van'.

I had to take this of the dumpsters. If you click on the picture below you can see a close-up of a bicycle parked for someone to take. Many good freebies are picked up by anyone who goes there regularly for bargains. Isn't that a hoot?

Below we are meeting Connie at her steps for an abbreviated tour. She has been very ill all winter, spring and summer, and her garden doesn't look up to her usual persnicketyness. We enjoyed it all the same. After all, SHE is the prettiest posy in the garden as far as we are concerned. We learn much from her, and we love her dearly!!

Her is one of Connie's heirloom Pansies. The 'faces' on them remind me of sweet animals of some sort.

Garden Tour, Part 2

Isn't this just the cutest buggy planter you've ever seen? I found this at a garage sale for almost nothing. My husband wondered with disdain what I could possibly want it for, which made it easy to give up, knowing that Connie would treasure it. I love to see what she does with it each year.

Oh, my, Rachel and I think Love-in-a-Mist, above, is simply divine!

Although Connie cannot get out and do much in her garden this year, her devotion to perennials is paying off. Aren't these Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) stately?

Connie loves bird houses and Clematis. This is just one of the houses for Swallows that return with their offspring to nest again and again.

These soft pastel Pansies are a favorite of Connie's too. I cannot stop taking pictures of them each time I go.

Garden Tour Part 3

At Janet's garden, the second stop on the tour, this vivid purple Clematis was going hog-wild on a trellis next to a white one doing the same thing.

This is our Garden Tour Crew, me, Maggie Pearl in the carrier, Rachel, Kate B., held by Rachel's mom Hildi...all standing in front of the purple Clematis. Hildi's youngest daughter, Greta, and Greta's friend Kelly, had joined us this day because of the lunch and river visit later.

I love all of Janet's Lilies; she has them in all shades from orange to red, to yellow to white and cream. Some are fragrant, much like Stargazers.

I don't know what this fluffly bit of yellow flower was because Janet had left us to roam by ourselves. If anyone knows what it is I'd love to get it for my garden.

We stopped after lunch to take a dip in the river, the Southfork of the Clearwater River.