Hip, hip, hooray

Pretty much the same old stuff is blooming in the garden, but I did notice a haze of reddish-orange as I looked out my bedroom window this week. What do you know, rosehips. These are from an Alba semi-plena rose that blooms once a year in June. I think the hips look cool but I know you're supposed to do stuff with them like make herbal infusions and tea and what have you. I've never really done that and probably won't. I read on a website that rosehips are good for circulation, heart, and bones. Also fluctuating hormones. I thought the author of that article could probably use some herself, as she went on to say that rosehips also protects and enhances our ability to love ourselves and others fully. Oh my.

I do fully love this verbena bonariensis which I finally grew this year after wanting some for just ages. Sorry I waited so long. This stuff is great. Look how airy and tall it is and it enhances just about everything, including the Graham Thomas rose that seems to have quit blooming on this pillar.
Another great plant coming into its own this time of year is Northern Sea Oats, which I bought by accident a couple of years ago. I planted it near the little pond. Yeah, that's a battery-powered turtle that swims in the pond. My grandsons love it.
Look how pretty these sea oats tassels are. I think they're going to turn a bronze color judging by other gardeners' blogs. I think mine did last year but I can't remember.
Another look at Heavenly Blue morning glories on the arbor. I've said how much I dislike the purplish-colored ones that seem to be the mainstay color of the volunteer morning glories. Well, an interesting thing -- I didn't water these for a couple of days and I noticed when they opened for those two days they were definitely purplish. I was horrified and quickly watered them. The next day they were Heavenly Blue again. Some weird garden karma going on.
Well, I'm off to spend a week in Oregon where I'll have some Marionberry pie. These are some strange sort of blackberry that I never heard of till I went to Oregon for the first time. Marionberries are advertised everywhere there, and the farmers in Oregon grow 30 million pounds of these a year. Makes me wonder why I'd never heard of them. Google says they're becoming legend at Trader Joe's and Starbucks. That could explain it. I don't drink coffee so I don't frequent Starbucks, and since Colorado doesn't allow alcohol sales (except 3.2%) in grocery stores we don't have Trader Joe's.
I do like clam chowder too, and Oregon is a great place to taste-test it up and down the coast. I heard about a new place in a converted gas station that supposedly has the best chowder in the state. The Dubious Gardener and I will be trying that. It comes in this bread bowl.
Speaking of bread bowls, I have to go try on clothes and see if I can find anything that fits and is decent enough to take on vacation. I can't wear my normal garden attire, though I'd like to.

Happy gardening till I get back!