It's been over a month since I updated everyone with photos of my herb garden.
It changed dramatically in a little over a week and a half. 
This is what it looked like 10 days ago. 
It was still at its peak of performance and I was still getting great daily herb clippings.
The blackberries that I had tied securely to wax linen string on the fence 
were still producing 
big, luscious, sweet fruit.
Four days later, the blackberries 
were nearly gone.
Six days after that, I added more cardboard and paper to the lasagna garden, hoping for more green fodder 
before the brown fodder
in the form of falling leaves
is added.
In the "flower bed," the Surprise Lilies, also known as
Naked Ladies because of their single stem with no leaves
came and went with the beating of each rain storm.
The flower bed is looking full and horribly overgrown. This is the time of year I'm ready to cut it all back to nothing. 
It's also the time of year the back yard seems to look its best. 
This year, with all the rain, the yard looks very overgrown, though. It's truly time to get out the clippers and get rid of some of the overgrown brush. Unfortunately, the heat has not been kind to my body, and I simply can't stay out long in this 90 plus to around 100 plus degrees F (35 plus to 40 degrees C) and high humidity weather. 
By the time I take care of the required maintenance each day, I am
exhausted and feel shaky, clammy, and weak. Only a cool shower helps. I'll be thankful for autumn when I can enjoy my front porch or back patio. And even though I have central heat and air, the small window AC unit sits in my office which has a total of eight windows that surround the room, and I (not so) affectionately call my green house sauna.Thanks for looking. I realize this is an art blog, but there are days I think this is a bigger (and far more intense) art than anything I put on paper or sew.
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15 thoughtful remarks:
I consider the arrangement of the garden to be an artistic endeavor. I move my little patio pots around, trying to get a more pleasing arrangement and knowing it would be better if I had a more artistic eye.
Your blackberries bring back fond memories of my childhood, when we had rows of blackberries we would try to beat the birds to each morning and Mother would make blackberry jam and jelly and cobbler. Sweet. Your blackberries look tasty!
I'm planting herbs with an eye towards attracting butterflies, and mine have done ok this year except for the parsley. I planted parsley (the flat-leaved type) for the first time this year and it was a miserable failure. :( All of your herbs look good :)
Thank you for sharing your garden photos. I love these posts :)
Gardening is definitely an art, and one I have not really mastered - I just manage to keep my boxes and pots of flowers on the balcony going! Your herbs and flowers look great, and I hope you enjoyed the delicious blackberries! It's not good to be out to much when it's so hot and humid, so you are right to look after yourself! Hugs, Valerie
Yuu are a garden artist indeed to manage all this herbs and greenery..love your "FLOWER BED"
Take care - not too much work in the heat!
oxo
Susi
Your blackberries look delish! Your herbs are doing very well. I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears!! Gotta come up with a good salsa recipe to can.
I am so envious of your blackberries! There is little I like better than a peak of someone's garden, and yours look good and seems tasty, too!
Your herb garden alone is a work of art! Oh, those blackberries do look plump and delicious. I have not shown my outside flowers because all is overgrown here, too. With the heat and humidity plus the threat of getting poison ivy, I just don't feel like taking that chance. At least our nights have gotten cooler on and off, that is!
Nature's art is always interesting Elizabeth. Your yard is a wonderful display of it also! Take care in the heat, please. We too have been in the hi 90s and low 100s! Very unusual for being by the coast where low 90s should be the norm. I'm trying to create but the hands aren't cooperating so I have projects in various stages of completion all over my studio. Have a wonderful week, E. Hugs from me and the Girls.
Your yard is looking good. I know you said "overgrown" but that's the way I like gardens to look. Full, green and lush.
Darla
I really look at life as art with so many ways to be creative.
Everything sure looks lush and green in your yard and those blackberries were gorgeous!
I bet you were happy to have so much rain because I can only imagine how often you'd have to water your containers. The high heat can be brutal.
I'm with you on not taking it well especially with the humidity.
I get heat rash and feel ill from the heat.
Having lower humidity can make such a nice difference.
We've had some cool mornings so I guess change is on the way.
You and your green thumb are doing a great job E!
oxo
Hello! I love your gardening posts, they are a work of art for sure! Just seeing all the green and the pots makes me smile. YAY for blackberries and herbs, so glad they are doing good. I can't imagine taking care of all that yard work in the heat either, hope it cools off soon for you. We haven't had much rain, here and there for a little so we our grass is drying and brown, not very pretty.
I just walked Lucky and thought about making a mandala today, seeing your nature goodness really makes me want to also. Let's hope I can fit it in today.
Thanks again for the visits this week, so wonderful seeing you there. I just posted our Sunday and am so glad it's done and I finished through to the end.
Elizabeth, it was so fun to see Sam play and win, he did so good! It ended up being hotter then planned and he hung in there and would get on his knee at times to catch his breath and push through. Last year he would have called to get out and sit out awhile, he has matured so much. Have a lovely day and will try to visit for tea tomorrow, later in the day.
Your garden is beautifully lush, despite the awful heat. I would find it unbearable. Your herbs are doing fantastically well. I enjoy using fresh herbs in cooking. Have a lovely week Elizabeth :D
I love how your garden looks Elizabeth! I don't envy you the heat though - it was 23C here yesterday and that was too hot for me - although strangely when there were higher temperatures in France I was fine - I think it has do do with humidity! We used to pick wild blackberries along the riverside close to our flat but they have built on the land and ripped out all the blackberries and wild flowers!!! We can find some a little farther away though so I can still have my crumbles!! Chrisx
Such a lot of work Elizabeth!....but you do it well. LOVE your flower bed!
Your flowerbeds are not the only one overgrown. My look like jungles instead of flowerbeds and I haven't even kept up with deadheading like I usually do. The birds are enjoying the seeds :)
At least the weather has become amazing this week !!! Lower temps and humidity so hopefully things will start shaping up a bit. Your potted herbs seem to be doing really well.
thanks for your tour-de-garden, i really enjoyed it!
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