What's Cheery in the Garden This Friday?

Geraniums!

As geraniums go, this one is nothing special - only two blooms where many are loaded with blooms in late summer. But, if you knew what it looked like a few weeks ago after the neighborhood deer gang denuded it, you'd be ready to give it a blue ribbon.

It was full of blooms, a real pop of color when most of the garden was looking a little tired from the August heat. Then one morning I noticed there were no blooms and on closer inspection there were no leaves either. It was like something from the Adams Family greenhouse. Of course, geraniums are on the 'deer won't eat' list, but these deer are not picky at all . . . so after religiously applying anti-deer spray the sad little geranium has made a comeback. There should be at least four weeks before the first frost so I'll baby it and perhaps it can almost recover to its pre-deer glory. (Did you know the tannic acid in tea leaves is beneficial for geraniums? I try to put a handful of tea leaves on my geraniums each week - if you use tea bags, just let them dry then tear them open and sprinkle around the base.)

I hope there's something cheery in your garden today and that the holiday weekend brings something fun - maybe a relaxing meal outside, a football game, a cookout (not a barbecue, please - in the South barbecue is a noun!), or a chance to check some early fall garden tasks off your list. Whatever it is - enjoy!