We worked hard for this

The best thing about the front garden is how nice it looks from the street.

Our neighbor down the hill in the big house wondered if Emily and Laura might do yard work

That was good for a chuckle. 

Child labor still requires direct adult supervision.

One big garden is enough; there is plenty to do this summer.

Here's a look around at the last two weeks; not in chronological order.

Aunt Laura's iris. This little bed is past its prime, now.

Dad's oriental poppies and Jan's clematis. After two years I may have nursed the clematis back to life.

The peonies. 

Nina's pinks have doubled over these two summers. 

Stella de oro. This bed of bee and butterfly plants is just coming into its own this year.

Solomon's seal and more butterfly plants. The allium in the back is done, and this peony outdid itself this year. This fall it will move back and further down. Better balance.

I bought three very expensive bearded iris last fall. There was a bed of iris in the yard when I was very young and I liked them. These may grown on me. This light purple is too light.

The dark purple too dark. The third iris has no buds.

 The hanging basket I nailed!

The hanging basket I almost nailed. I do like the nasturtiums. 

The hanging basket I'm still fiddling with. I could have bought two ready made for the price of the bedding plants.

That August lily in the triangle just came from Mark's house. Jan spotted his beds of them when she took over some of Aunt Laura's iris to plant at his house.

We had a huge August lily at my childhood home that my dad's mother gave my parents. The cutting we took did not survive the drought of 1988, when we moved here.

And look! On my way back up the steps, the step daisy has new flowers coming. Yay!