Climbers

Only one of our three clematis seems to be doing well this year, and it's a bit sad to see the others lag. We cut one back because it had overreached itself and grown a precariously large ball of vines that would probably have ripped off in a big storm. The third, which grows on lattice on the west side of our porch, just doesn't do as well in this location as the ones in the backyard. One of the vagaries of gardening is the odd microzones in your own yard.

It's a quiet period for blooming in the beds. The daisies and black-eyed susans aren't yet ready, and the dwarf lillies and daylillies are just about to get started. Things are very green, and need some serious weeding. Luckily, the gardens are so full of plants, the weeds find it hard to compete.