How the Garden Weathered the Smoke and 10 Summer Days without Water - September 2020

 I am honestly surprised.  Thrilled, but surprised.

The garden survived the past ten days of no rain and smoky conditions basically unfazed.

The only things that may have suffered are the blueberry bushes (I have lost them before in smoky summers) and an area with very shallow soil over cedar roots with some random tossed things grew. 

Lots of flowers for Floral Friday Fotos

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/

The Pollinator Garden after a bit of clean-up.

 

 Things need the ash sprayed off, and deadheaded.

This spiderweb in the pyracantha is covered in ash.

 

The calendula decided if it wasn't going to be deadheaded it wasn't going to bother with any new flowers.  I just rubbed off the ripe seeds and pulled out the plants.

The late, smaller, black-eye Susan are still doing well.  

Blanketflower and calendula in a raised bed came into their own while I wasn't watching.

This bed must have been one of my "toss the leftover seeds" and "stick the seedlings" here beds!  Blanketflower, calendula, and black-eyed susan are all new to the already existing perennials of yarrow, strawberry mint, daylily and a little peach tree.  I think there's some cosmos coming, something feathery.  

I think this bed enjoyed being along for ten days!

In the front yard, everything is fine, including the many spotted spurge weeds!  They are actually easier to pull now that they are mature, just gather up the long growth and pull out the center root.  I couldn't get many when they were seedlings, as they were growing where I scattered wildflower seeds.

The Red Riding Hood penstemon is actually blooming for the third time this year!  This isn't even the original plant, it's a rooting I planted this past year.

These three lance-leaf coreopsis grew from mixed seeds from the Dollar Tree.  They'll bloom next year.  The coreopsis behind them was a transplant I grew.  If coreopsis had its way I'd have nothing but!

They very young daylilies are fine too!  Even these, $3.00 Grape Magic from Walmart.   Here's an nice shot of the spotted spurge!

I did choose, especially in the front yard (which began as more of a rock garden and evolved), drought tolerant plants, and it paid off!