July Garden Update and Just Bee-cause Tablescape

Happy July, friends! Today I want to share an update of my garden since my last post with May progress. But first, I also have a sweet little tablescape to share, just bee-cause I've been inspired. My post is heavy with photos, much like the summer air with humidity, so enjoy your air conditioning and the photo journal which follows.

Just Bee-cause Tablescape

My table for two was mostly inspired last year with the appetizer set of Queen Bee plates I bought on sale at my local boutique which sells MacKenzie-Childs. I layered a set of Williams-Sonoma salad plates I already had, along with an adorably inexpensive plate from Dollar Tree.

With a few other elements I already had, I set my table. Then I received another sale item I ordered from MacKenzie-Childs directly - a votive holder with bee design - and plopped a floral arrangement from the grocery store inside.

I added this to the table for a few photos, and then decided I liked it better on my kitchen counter. Notice my little artwork on the wall below? That's from my talented blogger friend, Jenna, at the Painted Apron. Jenna has a Society6 shop where she sells her artwork, and that little Garden Fantasy doodle made its way to my home.

Other elements added to the table include a few estate sale finds: the pale yellow tablecloth, watering can napkin rings (embellished with bee magnets), and black matte flatware. The stems are La Rochere. The other linens are MacKenzie-Childs (a dish towel layered atop the tablecloth) and HomeGoods napkins with cute, little tassels.

Summer on a table!

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Garden Blooms from mid-May to July

I planted several new perennials this year, and am always excited when they bloom, hoping they'll be happy long-term.. As those of you who garden know, it can often be a crap shoot, given the fickle nature of weather, soil and infestations. My USDA hardiness zone here in the southwestern part of West Virginia is generally considered Zone 6b, although my particular location being situated along the Kanawha river lends itself to 7a conditions for the most part.

Without a lot of fanfare, I'll just mention what plants have bloomed in my garden since late May, primarily for my garden journaling effort. 

Neon Flash spirea (transplanted this spring when amending my grass line)

Evening primrose and garden glass art by my friend, Mary Nunn, who lives in Arizona.

Lavender bouquet harvested from new, more reliable variety English Hidcote.

One of three baptisia (false indigo) plants transplanted fall 2022.

Baptisia blooms

2023 containers: verbena, calibrachoa, and dracaena

Bubblegum Blast bee balm (new 2023)

Various daylilies in my landscape, all inherited from previous owner.

Zinnias and alyssum, planted from seed. Japanese beetles began infesting these vigorous annuals' leaves at the first of July.

Zinnias and alyssum dug from the overcrowded bed and put into containers.

Zinnia containers placed on patio, along with a petunia basket. Amish-made 360° swivel and gliding Adirondack chairs and table are the latest additions to the patio,

Front: 2023 east facing annuals: geranium, vinca and angelonia.

Spiderwort

St. John's wort

Western Star Gemini Shasta Daisies (purchased last year from the nursery orphan rack, divided and planted, blooming in 2023 first time),. Can you see what's on the central flower, beneath the taller one?

A baby praying mantis!

Everlasting Garnet hydrangeas

Pow Wow Berry Coneflower (new this year).

Love-in-a-mist passalongs, originally from my sister's mother-in-law's garden. After receiving from my sister in 2005 or so for my previous landscape, I passed the seed heads along to my daughter in 2018, only to have them come back to me this year. 

First love-in-a-mist bloom in new landscape, 2023.

My first hummingbird was spotted July 3, on my blooming crocosmia (Lucifer). This is exciting for me, since I am not feeding birds other than with my flowers planted.

Western facing flower pathway.

Southern facing garden bed. I have been working on this one quite a bit in 2023.

Below: garden totem "the earth laughs in flowers", gift from a close friend. Surrounding the totem, from top R, are Ice Cream Dream Shasta Daisy (new), balloon flower (new), dwarf butterfly bush (pugster blue, 2nd year), and white guara (new, also called Lindheimer's beeblossom, Indian feather, whirling butterflies, dancing butterflies).

Pugster blue butterfly bloom, July 3, still not fully flowering. White gaura in background.

North facing flower bed. The Magnus coneflower on the left was replaced this year after dying last year. I amended the soil. The one on the left is 2nd year.

My north facing landscape. This has been my labor of love/hate in 2023. I've dug out lily-of-the-valley, amended soil, transplanted most everything in this bed, and altered the grass line (still slightly visible. If you look very closely, you can see where the start of the new grass line meets the old). 

Progress and a prayer.....that's my 2023 garden motto! I'm still holding out for several winter damaged boxwoods to heal (most notably that upright one pictured to the left of the round holly plant above). It'll take time.

Oh, a special shout out to Linda from Life and Linda, who helped me by updating my blog header a bit. It's a cleaner look, don't you think? She's a blog fairy, you may or may not know.

Thanks for stopping by. Leave me a comment on what this year's gardening challenges and successes have been so far for you. I love reading of my friends' gardens in other zones. We can commiserate and cheer together.

Rita C. at Panoply

(A special thank you to Barb from French Ethereal Share your Style No. 395 , Cindy at County Road 407 Farmhouse Friday 308  and Linda at Life and Linda Share Your Creativity #210 for featuring this post!)

Parties I Share With: Pieced Pastimes, Love Your Creativity, BNOTP, French Ethereal SYS, Eclectic Red Barn TFT, Follow the Yellow Brick Home TFT, Grace at Home, County Road 407 Farmhouse Friday