The garden in August is really beautiful. I've been enjoying it more this year then years prior. I think it's part the more mild weather we've been having and the fact that we were gone so much in the first part of the year that we're really settling into being at home. No matter what it is, I'm loving the garden.

Butterfly Bush.

It almost died a horrible death earlier in the summer. When I returned home from being with my family while my grandmother was ill to find that the dogs had broken down the enclosure I'd made to protect the new bush and had snapped all the limbs off of it except for one. But this little bush has continued to bloom and be beautiful.

I love cone flowers. They're so beautiful in the garden and last for days and days as cut flowers for the house.

Echinacia
The color is like setting sun.

Sunflowers.

All volunteer and all amazing. I planted them last year and thanks to the birds who reseeded the bed for me, they were beautiful again this year. They're usually the first thing to bloom in the garden and I can see them from my bedroom window.

Blackeyed Susan.

Again, cone flower. Just love them. I can't wait to get our back yard landscaped. We'd hope that it would happen this year but since there's been a lot of family stuff going on, we're shooting for next year. When the new flower beds go in around the new lawn, all the cone flowers will be moved to in front of the garden fence that separates the lawn area from the garden.

Artichoke.

My father-in-law told me that the artichoke wouldn't produce but lookie here! We got 'choke! I don't know if it'll get big enough to be able to eat it or not but there it is. I hope it does. I'm not a huge fan but it would be a nice treat, especially since it's homegrown.

Swiss Chard.

I don't know if even like it but I love the color! Gorgeous red stems.

Tomatoes!

Not ripe yet but they will be. I can't wait. I've had to resort to buying them at the farmers markets because mine are coming in so late.

An almost ripe one!

This one has been the only plant that has actually produced any ripe ones. I've gotten three so far.

Bees

I love them. They are so amazing. This picture blew my mind when I saw. I was playing around with the macro setting on my camera and was very suprised at what came out. This picture is so amazing. The colors and the details of the bee, you can see the hairs on his legs and pollen.