Hurricanes and tropical storms aside, this summer has been a great year for blooming. Everything from tomatoes to tulips had a great season with bountiful yields.

Luckily, we planted some new items in our yard that seem to be very happy. Rural areas contend with the weather and the multitude of animals that seem to think everything pretty you plant was put there for their enjoyment. This year, we specifically shopped for various deer-resistant perennial plants, and I was very happy with the choices!

The Pop Star Blue Balloon Flowers are doing quite well. Although these flowers appear more purple than blue, they are quite interesting. Blooming in the early summer, these pods do look light blue just before they pop open. One plant produces many pods and it is beautiful to see.

Silver Mound is not only silvery green but fluffy and soft. This little starter plant blew up! I did not read the tag stating it grows to 10-14 inches tall. This flopped over a bit as I put it in a planter pot instead of the ground. Either way, it’s still beautiful!

Gold Dust Aucuba is a fairly large plant that grows 4-6 feet high and wide when mature. In an area with so many different green plants, adding these dappled leaves is a nice splash of color. The tag said this was an evergreen…so we’ll see what happens over the fall and winter!

Stonecrop was so interesting we had to buy one. The leaves are thick and waxy, just like a succulent. As we head into fall, pink foliage and flowers are supposed to appear, adding more color to the yard! This plant is growing steadily and will reach 12 inches tall once mature.

Fingers crossed that all the plants survive as the tags say they should. I hope everyone has had a summer of growth in one way or another.