FIRST IMPRESSIONS - back from vacation

Of course I will have some vacation photos to share but first I want to share some of my impressions upon coming back to brand new garden beds that have been left untended for three weeks. 

After all I have never experienced anything like this before; this is my first year in a new home where I planted roughly 600-800 sq. feet , which may not be a lot to some of you, but is many times anything I have ever tended in the past (that was not wooded).

 I am thrilled with the overall result, although not everything has gone perfectly.
It would be boring if it did.

Hundreds of tiny spent brown blooms are giving the Hardy Geranium a slightly worn-out look.  I was planning on dividing it and putting half under our new cherry tree in the fall, but I suspect a good haircut would work wonders on it now.  

I may never get fruit from my black currant: it needs pruning, again; so when are the berries supposed to grow? 

Upon close inspection there are subtle differences between shades of bright yellow in the Heliopsis, but all of them veritably glow. If anything, these plants look even better than when we left.

The Crocosmia that were buds when I was leaving are just beginning to bloom. Can they really be that slow?  Good thing I think even the buds are beautiful. 

In no specific order: first impressions:

- sunflowers are getting big

- a single, blooming sunflower confirms I can expect an incredible show when 50 spread out along the fence next month!!!

- is that one a weed or a "volunteer" worth keeping?

- the grape vines need to be pushed up, it is like walking through a car wash

- grapes beginning their slow march from bright green to dull red  

- there are still a billion grapes - when do the birds come? 

- will that be how I tell when they are ripe?

- is this one one a weed or a "volunteer" worth keeping?

- Creeping Bellflower really IS that aggressive

- shockingly clear where my watering can with fertilizer hit and missed three weeks ago

- what I had presumed was a Bellflower I had grown from seed turns out to be the most fabulous blue Bachelor's Button I had forgotten I had planted. I am thrilled

- I love blue flowers

- are these ones weeds or "volunteers" worth keeping?

- Lily beetles have taken their toll in the backyard despite my vigilance  

- no sign of them in the front yard, why not?

- must kill lily beetles

- are those ones weeds or "volunteers" worth keeping?

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Sharing with Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday Fotos and Weekend Flowers 
and of course Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday