If garden work was putting a drag on my mornings (the wetness, the humidity, and most of all -- the bugs), then something needed to change. If I am to stick with cleaning up the flower fields, then something else has to give. Going through the beds with clenched teeth isn't cutting it.
I thought of a simple realignment: how about a new route? Instead of plunging into the thick of it all from the get go (which stirs up the bugs from the very first minute of lily snipping), how about starting easy and working the edges first? There are three benefits to this: the already mentioned deferred bug confrontation, but furthermore, it should keep my clothes dry for at least the first half of my time among the flowers. And finally, if it is a particularly difficult morning out there, I can stop and let the mid-sections go. I'm nearing that time of the season where the hardships of gardening start to mount. I can't keep up with the weeds, I'm recognizing poor planting decisions, and of course, there is the sad state of true lilies -- consumed by the red lily leaf beetles. None of it causes me to give it up for good, or even for the season, but I am looking for ways to make it once again a joyous enterprise.
I'm not the only one feeling the sting of wet buggy weather. I talked to a farmer at the market today -- a friend who grows exquisite blueberries -- and she warned me not to come out to pick in the afternoons. You'll get eaten alive! Hmm. We may skip the u-pick this year. It's enough to have to fight the bugs here at home.
It was once again a wet morning, but the adjusted attitude and the changed pattern of lily snipping helped. Too, the lily count is really going down. I was at 577 today. That is entirely manageable! I can do it in a few secs more than an hour, picture taking and all!
(this is one of my favorite lilies; the froggie agrees -- wet, but beautiful!)

(you learn that lily blooms like to face the sun; this field is probably the richest of them all and very beautiful if you stay on the secret path to the south of it)


(the orange trumpets before snipping)
(a cleaned up bed)
( one that I love...)
(Big Bed and a chicken)
By 9 all my morning work was finished: animals fed, lilies clipped, spot weeding accomplished. I went in to check on Ed.
His cold is just starting to recede and though we'd planned on going to the farmers market together, I told him to reconsider. Stay in bed! Of course, he makes up his own mind in these matters and today he insisted that he'd tag along.
I have to say that it was wonderful to have him there -- we did the whole market and picked up flowers for our table and also for my daughter, we stocked up on lots of carrots from Bill (it may be the last week of the good ones!), blueberries from Kay, and maple syrup from a couple of different vendors. No corn. Our farmers down the road (the Stonemans) are finally selling theirs and we are part of their fan club. We'll bike over there tomorrow!

A few fresh croissants from Madison Sourdough...

... and we're home again, just as the rain comes down. A late but awesome breakfast on the porch.

A heavy rain does bring down the phloxes. Some will shake off the drenching water and get back up. Some will not.
Next on my schedule: a side trip, to deliver my daughter's flowers to this carrier-person (at the end of her drama program):

You wont ever guess what I did then: I sat down at my computer and looked at the bulb listings, selecting several hundred daffodils, tulips and crocuses for Fall planting. This is the time to get the ones you like and at good prices. They wont come until late September (if then), but at least I'm demonstrating my enduring commitment to growing things! (And the good news is that when it comes time to plant the bulbs, the mosquitoes will be history.)
The sun finally came out in the late afternoon. I did some flower pot feeding, and porch plant maintenance. Good stuff, to remind me that working with flowers is actually quite lovely. I really do believe that.
with love...