Caging Nature

The summer solstice has passed and the days are beginning to shorten. The seeds I’ve haphazardly put in the ground are beginning to flower as well as some volunteer seedlings that have found their way from the bird feeder. The garden, that had look so barren just a few months ago, is finally filling out. Coneflowers have taken over a full corner in the back while my roses in the front are trying to outdo each other with blooms.

Raspberry bushes I planted last fall have decided against the bush ‘look’ this year and are spreading more like vines. While I do not anticipate any actual berries this year I am a little perplexed on where the plant is trying to grow to.

I have a few sweet potatoes in the ground and some sweet potato vine as a decoration closer to the front. Those and the cucumbers have exploded trying actively to eclipse the brussel sprouts and acorn squash.

I have no idea what the other potatoes and doing and I’m trying to respect its space.

The volunteer sunflowers are the hardest to work with currently since they’ve decided the back yard is the happening place to thrive. Unfortunately that is also where Bear likes to run around and chase bees. It’s a thing. We are working on it. And failing.

So, in an effort to protect this lone sunflower I’ve had to resort to putting a tomato cage around it so my lug of a dog doesn’t tear it apart. The idea of caging something wild for its own protection seems oxymoronic to me, but I cannot deny it is thriving in its little wire frame. I’m not sure it will get very big, but I’m content to enjoy the show it provides in its path to beauty.