August On The Farm

The grass in the south field appears to be sufficient for seven cattle and two miniature horses. They are keeping it low but no one is going hungry. The good news is that they are eating some of the broad leafed weeds they formerly ignored. I thought my obese cows might have lost a bit of weight, but an observer said he thought I was wrong, that they were still plenty fat:

The little horses come and go as a regular, accepted part of the herd:

And even Teddy, the rented bull, seems to get along with them. Teddy and Blue even napped together:

Remy has kept his trim figure, at least in comparison to the pudgier members of the herd:

The little Mandarin Honeysuckle I planted began to grow, accelerating as it gained height. It won't be climbing up the big trellis I built this year, but it does look like it will thrive:

The variegated Weigela doesn't appear to have grown, but it does look entirely healthy and happy in its new home:

The Magic Carpet Spirea has grown some, and even blossomed a second time:

The flowers are small but contrast nicely with the light colored leaves. Furthermore, all the new leaves emerge in a raspberry/orange color, making the bush look from a distance as if it is always in bloom:

My little garden has gotten so crowded that it appears I will be forced to move the Magnolia in October. It is growing wildly now, so I sincerely hope the move doesn't hurt it:

I bought a cold hardy, scarlet Hydrangea and planted it in the lawn on the north side of the house. It began wilting under the summer sun, so I've decided to plant the Magnolia beside it to give it more shade:

This attractive arrangement consisted of wild Goldenrod and the leftovers of the June Peony flowers:

The old fashioned rose I rescued became infested with the dreaded Japanese Beetles but we've had so much rain it has been difficult to spray them. I haven't seen Japanese Beetles since we had huge infestations when I was a boy. I remember a road covered with them and hope to never see such a sight again: