How Does my Garden Grow?

Early this morning, while it was relatively cool, and the humidity was low, I snapped some photos of the plants we put in this summer.

 ( "We" means Bob - he has been wonderful about planting plants that friends have given us, and tending to the weeding etc. The one thing that I love to do is the watering,  but sometimes I postpone that until the plants get a little droopy.) 

The first two plants are my spearmint, which thrives no matter what, and the purple basil, which I just got two weeks ago. 

This next plant, the white one, is shooting star hydrangea, which Bob's ex gave me for Christmas. It survived the ice storm back in January, when my house temperature was about 35 degrees (Fahrenheit) for about a week, so it is sort of a miracle plant. It doesn't resemble the traditional hydrangea at all, but I really like it.

This vine is a gift from my buddy Emma; it is a Cardinal creeper, and it is really thriving with all the rain and heat we have been having. Eventually it will have little red blossoms.   

These are on my side porch, and there is also some out front, climbing a pole. Hope it brings some hummingbirds!

Here's a little Norfolk pine which Rachael gave me Christmas before last. It's another miracle plant, considering what it's been through with the hurricane and the ice storm... 

My tomato plants are doing very well, considering they 

were put in late. 

This succulent is an ice plant. I was surprised to see it in this part of the country, since I had only known it along the highways in California. 

And last, a little cypress tree, one of two we planted. They were given to us at a neighborhood park, and so far, seem to be thriving.

Along with my plants doing so well, the weeds are having a record year, along with the mosquitos and chiggers. They are worse this year than they have been in a long time. I guess it's the excessive rain we've had, followed by excessive heat so early.