The moment we've been waiting for

There's a time in the summer garden when the old blooms are just fading, the recent blooms are coming on strong, and the latest are just beginning. Today, July 1st, is that day. The entire garden is in full color. The agastache, nearly obscured by the Russian sage (which is getting too much water), is drawing in the little hummingbirds. Even in the dim light of sunrise, the blanket flower, bee balm, cone flower, coreopsis, speedwell, are so lovely. Back through the trees you can just make out the stalks of the glorious "garden variety" day lilies, putting on their best show. In the shade of a pine tree, even my newest deep red bee balm, planted after the heat began, is giving us a hint of next year's display.

Sadly, my hybrid day lilies have all been topped by the deer, both blooms and buds. In 28 years in this house, we've never had so much trouble with the deer. But the two new large houses in the gully across the way explain it for me. With the loss of all that lovely scrub oak, the deer seem almost desperate for food. Even without blooms, that day lily bed needs weeding, so off I go.