Giant sunflowers welcome summer to the garden

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLJe4JUZ7XlN5pThsEJ_-K-G136IhtovnB_Z4lkSN_lH2fSaIXT-ID3o4tlK9YAxFZ5zbW8SdNSVzAP_dLjPpcGMen3zHZm-u22z-SxScV3NiUAc8RV4vXbin_fbGD3yLK-9VyUSxtC-d/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLJe4JUZ7XlN5pThsEJ_-K-G136IhtovnB_Z4lkSN_lH2fSaIXT-ID3o4tlK9YAxFZ5zbW8SdNSVzAP_dLjPpcGMen3zHZm-u22z-SxScV3NiUAc8RV4vXbin_fbGD3yLK-9VyUSxtC-d/s640/9.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">SWAC Husband is not quite 6' tall and standing amongst the tomato plants.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrvbcpM5NkRbQfsXEdTVxn7yNcco-G7KAR1Jlp6lf0pF6jPRTiKeMCWg8vyHyuN0Cl-09SHL45xBTdr8QXPspW0yt2Iox0Rj-LHtDjIHL0bL2ZSe8cIK7feKAyUue927jgi8YY8suIRUt/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrvbcpM5NkRbQfsXEdTVxn7yNcco-G7KAR1Jlp6lf0pF6jPRTiKeMCWg8vyHyuN0Cl-09SHL45xBTdr8QXPspW0yt2Iox0Rj-LHtDjIHL0bL2ZSe8cIK7feKAyUue927jgi8YY8suIRUt/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The moon was high overhead when the photo was taken at 9:00 this morning.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9mir6JUBe2wkWkYmn4Sb6_3am4PRRPBrK1AmrKtT_f2IHA6efqYPnDO_QPrV4thpPpaVpngj965BGs5uOjVSuJdbiVTWG8e9kufBw6yfuiOjsRl1W49ZgYpk9-BJJafpQvs2tXgQqbo7/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9mir6JUBe2wkWkYmn4Sb6_3am4PRRPBrK1AmrKtT_f2IHA6efqYPnDO_QPrV4thpPpaVpngj965BGs5uOjVSuJdbiVTWG8e9kufBw6yfuiOjsRl1W49ZgYpk9-BJJafpQvs2tXgQqbo7/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The deep blue Shenandoah Valley sky made a perfect backdrop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVghIWpdsRgU1lF5-UfKxfRa46auB91QQTGju-Pm_Pi6MyYp2L7IB-4C6-51evvkTUUJynrnQO_aYeE-z3T_SpNy89tntFjKHngDeX0s9t-Oim5zDe9OwAEPfIOBOLgcGnVRWLfEvnf4k/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVghIWpdsRgU1lF5-UfKxfRa46auB91QQTGju-Pm_Pi6MyYp2L7IB-4C6-51evvkTUUJynrnQO_aYeE-z3T_SpNy89tntFjKHngDeX0s9t-Oim5zDe9OwAEPfIOBOLgcGnVRWLfEvnf4k/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU2_j8D7EWpGtHr8lFb-7wJZxM-bkTkSLQiw4s_wLqzL6zhPUXRXdlAoHzsEwt41PfSkevlRPvopNf_5wyOFg0-quX5mc4y7DQsoGcocAZm5zJC7aiNvXSvDyjvujl1GKOaO16ERNf-fl/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU2_j8D7EWpGtHr8lFb-7wJZxM-bkTkSLQiw4s_wLqzL6zhPUXRXdlAoHzsEwt41PfSkevlRPvopNf_5wyOFg0-quX5mc4y7DQsoGcocAZm5zJC7aiNvXSvDyjvujl1GKOaO16ERNf-fl/s400/1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb1vIINczNd8Legnv0KTG94QNkBHyD5Rkq48pfLVwNIyp8ixEpYiwsG7uz3LWRoNFAVei6B7_4iXGbYwmQSRM1StvBR1OJplv3lo9mWSdtNTej9wjKQe-Lajzrjilw7p_DV_caxyF1Z3S/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb1vIINczNd8Legnv0KTG94QNkBHyD5Rkq48pfLVwNIyp8ixEpYiwsG7uz3LWRoNFAVei6B7_4iXGbYwmQSRM1StvBR1OJplv3lo9mWSdtNTej9wjKQe-Lajzrjilw7p_DV_caxyF1Z3S/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDPE3gf-UYdoT24cWJkYEP5IOIE26t4zvqK99dc_ux8GPdDAt7TWthxj2-wwu1dnWwdfYZkzR4PtTNIPOdQtVoLuwCNFKR0kCmUx7IaecWaAk3A73TXZkE2lC3zt8Do3IWvkrW1VpDfeZ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDPE3gf-UYdoT24cWJkYEP5IOIE26t4zvqK99dc_ux8GPdDAt7TWthxj2-wwu1dnWwdfYZkzR4PtTNIPOdQtVoLuwCNFKR0kCmUx7IaecWaAk3A73TXZkE2lC3zt8Do3IWvkrW1VpDfeZ/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSEh1R4IrXot2EPnMipAUr-NKNiQ7y_5y7MWWgjjoPu-6NEcCSvbip_1wfvVFZ4pbCJpEnwtvarye_bBWaE7lPZr2La2vEfSfOUAfwuys5ff7fgPcY3Z5yBPppRn7lEemb3y60cfolAuM/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSEh1R4IrXot2EPnMipAUr-NKNiQ7y_5y7MWWgjjoPu-6NEcCSvbip_1wfvVFZ4pbCJpEnwtvarye_bBWaE7lPZr2La2vEfSfOUAfwuys5ff7fgPcY3Z5yBPppRn7lEemb3y60cfolAuM/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiA8uQ2Gfh6zyea71VULf2yz_pnaunrt2FBNwIrlbnR1me2xziwTSkp0Mw44NVqyV3954Cw2DUn3Arsbztp0IBj9Fyder50rpc7h01gL6aixbqRtbNz3RGEqi3MzOYaPdJhi2PTZ9PcIwp/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiA8uQ2Gfh6zyea71VULf2yz_pnaunrt2FBNwIrlbnR1me2xziwTSkp0Mw44NVqyV3954Cw2DUn3Arsbztp0IBj9Fyder50rpc7h01gL6aixbqRtbNz3RGEqi3MzOYaPdJhi2PTZ9PcIwp/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunflowers just seem to shout "summer"!</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />Sunflowers<br />July 29, 2013

gardening summer in Shenandoah Valley summer vegetables sunflowers western Virginia Giant sunflowers welcome summer to the garden

SWAC Husband is not quite 6' tall and standing amongst the tomato plants. The moon was high overhead when the photo was taken at 9:00 th...

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Early summer morning in the garden

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4RK4Y0XqXMHCtqbEvyUgKOsdxOKmrzBlODCNErnwlTtbnAYYcXFM3cVMpPRXeJfiVUgXCd8_jWeOWLfHEB33x45fuOckW2WRaWaqZNcbOvPPULff3pzHE4uUtAjGBSaRU6ugQiK2wnVx/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4RK4Y0XqXMHCtqbEvyUgKOsdxOKmrzBlODCNErnwlTtbnAYYcXFM3cVMpPRXeJfiVUgXCd8_jWeOWLfHEB33x45fuOckW2WRaWaqZNcbOvPPULff3pzHE4uUtAjGBSaRU6ugQiK2wnVx/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The cool 52-degree air wafted in the open windows this morning as I reached for a sweater to go over my tee shirt. The late July coolness is truly appreciated so after breakfast I loaded the washing machine with towels and sheets to hang out to dry, and then, donning SWAC Husband's wide-brimmed hat, headed to the garden before the summer sun became too uncomfortable.  </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmO8pXaGyrpbgJjNbKGITnmhq7kMs_4L5qTkzHoWHJpYIjuPZYd6p1SZcd2fWSmE5XGnT0w_0Ci5RpwhVhB_jAzJ3EPhvDXL9iBqlgobTlYWQdL-wE9NbCIzJHi_4aBnwQOely3tuvIa5/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmO8pXaGyrpbgJjNbKGITnmhq7kMs_4L5qTkzHoWHJpYIjuPZYd6p1SZcd2fWSmE5XGnT0w_0Ci5RpwhVhB_jAzJ3EPhvDXL9iBqlgobTlYWQdL-wE9NbCIzJHi_4aBnwQOely3tuvIa5/s400/10.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My tennis shoes quickly became wet from the dewy grass as I made my way across the yard to the garden gate. The sun was peeking over the ridge so half the garden was in shade while the other half was already in full sun.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVs5Vd1q4Pg3l_bf74lLEBwTih382w3mgGOKsrSkFEm37Wsql7ujFUZFePNdOZjP15T5QYofk_FYi4z-fKjrAlJeNBmn9CJh45v0dcYxDoKGrGzcHcoY92Jyj2EeX2IBuAo-PRgIQo-6Xp/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVs5Vd1q4Pg3l_bf74lLEBwTih382w3mgGOKsrSkFEm37Wsql7ujFUZFePNdOZjP15T5QYofk_FYi4z-fKjrAlJeNBmn9CJh45v0dcYxDoKGrGzcHcoY92Jyj2EeX2IBuAo-PRgIQo-6Xp/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrFHVOHVRLHvWw2FmFcFm-Nd0d3vPVx8lHI1FuYjGXyKloCG7LEVychQKXAq_W-0ze1d0g2boEYhVn9b5_vTYGofYH6zfy0NOt5W50hVa3ML0bDzXVOsRNmZafV87GS0Q6hEBqZouA1iC/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrFHVOHVRLHvWw2FmFcFm-Nd0d3vPVx8lHI1FuYjGXyKloCG7LEVychQKXAq_W-0ze1d0g2boEYhVn9b5_vTYGofYH6zfy0NOt5W50hVa3ML0bDzXVOsRNmZafV87GS0Q6hEBqZouA1iC/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOqtsaic7MlWQ33ooYAS43Km7-IhRH9JAG3c4mJuCOVH34nbJwH64kfvhq-w_iOeoktt6WHa9GvPvcptDcHLtXRGvuqKJPfZcS1MLnArQDDAXEFHiYlv5CDh3CC-Ng9VhK9mW8FBCkvgG/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOqtsaic7MlWQ33ooYAS43Km7-IhRH9JAG3c4mJuCOVH34nbJwH64kfvhq-w_iOeoktt6WHa9GvPvcptDcHLtXRGvuqKJPfZcS1MLnArQDDAXEFHiYlv5CDh3CC-Ng9VhK9mW8FBCkvgG/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We have what I would call a salad garden this year. Yukon Gold potatoes were the exception but they are always so good -- and this year they have grown so big -- that they are always a first choice for planting. Otherwise, it's several varieties of tomatoes, several varieties of peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. Colorful flowers add bright splashes of yellow, orange, red, blue, and purple while attracting pollen-collecting bees.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienStV1nZxtm6POfZ1Cq9440i6-L9763jTsZBDufyVVeo4KtCYI5TAHsDrqx_2HNhr0qrsuSm-QoGX-yjQFsXm26IemTNRex7W_M4L4dDPzIXNe28CJX4Mw0VLPafVLsnXvH4yjTNt5cmm/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienStV1nZxtm6POfZ1Cq9440i6-L9763jTsZBDufyVVeo4KtCYI5TAHsDrqx_2HNhr0qrsuSm-QoGX-yjQFsXm26IemTNRex7W_M4L4dDPzIXNe28CJX4Mw0VLPafVLsnXvH4yjTNt5cmm/s400/13.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The necessary June bug <i>aka</i> Japanese beetle trap hangs in the corner of the garden although they have not been much of a problem this year. We didn't get the 17-year cicadas either ... only the usual summer variety.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPVVcR2BuQYxWOBfBLNrBfyTYf-UsoAz7ESUhjp4Me4DV8PtwTs3Q6K8apm38Mfp5-MZJyXQad17K2d7aGuHEsuEJFIxusWd-wbMZuIzTMvNrzn0-pmcVtOgFndh2U5GLlJI-apVV5S_h/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPVVcR2BuQYxWOBfBLNrBfyTYf-UsoAz7ESUhjp4Me4DV8PtwTs3Q6K8apm38Mfp5-MZJyXQad17K2d7aGuHEsuEJFIxusWd-wbMZuIzTMvNrzn0-pmcVtOgFndh2U5GLlJI-apVV5S_h/s400/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> It's nice to have a shady spot to relax after getting sweaty in the garden. This is my own oasis of quiet under the shade trees.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhXewEmqQkfk13GjxgBoZ4Il2UY49nDxm1CiRhagDEl6STf3OyHxQaH61AComUP8BQpe73d5JfyAgRlNPZu5WHWFCTbbjg0KTVVPhByoQ9iJKf8rtkHaw8a7HLp2xxDEU_bPDV5i4-hqj/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhXewEmqQkfk13GjxgBoZ4Il2UY49nDxm1CiRhagDEl6STf3OyHxQaH61AComUP8BQpe73d5JfyAgRlNPZu5WHWFCTbbjg0KTVVPhByoQ9iJKf8rtkHaw8a7HLp2xxDEU_bPDV5i4-hqj/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">By the time I finished in the garden and had hung the clothes out, the temperature had risen 20 degrees to a still-comfortable 72.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SQZUoDx9gL78COATRgzStm6zlyFuQR1_sJ2kBYnD8IorRTsHNfUV4mgaBBWTDXQdFomWlU1oMHAo3XX98i8tJEdLLcHpR7DrgBeyWqZ6dyPjlT_VOa3iOLP9IEa1IZ34YkqA8Ed0aE-l/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SQZUoDx9gL78COATRgzStm6zlyFuQR1_sJ2kBYnD8IorRTsHNfUV4mgaBBWTDXQdFomWlU1oMHAo3XX98i8tJEdLLcHpR7DrgBeyWqZ6dyPjlT_VOa3iOLP9IEa1IZ34YkqA8Ed0aE-l/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I've got to say there's something satisfying about growing your own food, and there's something comforting about consuming it and knowing where it came from. We know there are no pesticides on it and how it's been handled and exactly how fresh it is ... from garden to dinner table. Yum.</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />July 29, 2013

gardening home summer in the Shenandoah Valley summer vegetables sunflowers western Virginia Early summer morning in the garden

The cool 52-degree air wafted in the open windows this morning as I reached for a sweater to go over my tee shirt. The late July coolness i...

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