August Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Blooming Friday, and Camera Critters

I'm a little early for May Dreams Gardens' GBBD, and Camera Critters, and little late for Roses and Stuff's Blooming Friday.

I am enjoying this combination of petunia, and 2 kinds of lantana.

I can't remember which kind of sea holly this is, but I like it.

The stocks and petunias are still blooming since I have kept up pretty well with deadheading.

This nicotiana is not getting very tall, but it sure is blooming well!

These are the first blooms for this volunteer snapdragon.

I planted this rough goldenrod in my back yard last year, and it did not bloom, so I have been watching for the buds to open in great anticipation the last few weeks. They finally are starting to!

The Jacob Cline monarda I planted early summer is blooming. It's sprawling a bit, even though I tied it up.

This heliotrope is in a pot to fill in a gap in a bed.

I enjoy planting various colors of gazanias.

This is Trachelium caeruleum 'Devotion Burgundy'. I've never grown it before. It's a tender perennial, so it may not survive the winter, but it sure is pretty! The butterflies are supposed to like it, too.

This is one of the cockscomb plants from the seeds my neighbor gave me last summer. I have 3 colors, and some are growing taller than others. My neighbor's get more sun, and are huge, still, I am pleased these are growing, and I'll have more seeds for next year.

This delphinium is still on its second flush of blooms.

An American Painted Lady on a butterfly bush.

I have one daylily plant that is currently in bloom.

The hollyhocks are starting to look ratty. The leaves usually get eaten by insects, and frequently get diseased, but their blooms are still pretty. I'll be cutting the flower stalks off at the base of the plant when there are not many flowers left blooming, and I can't stand all the seedheads.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail:

I'm not sure what kind of bee this is.

I think these Monarchs may be mating here. They let me get pretty close to them. I saw some like this in the grass a couple days ago. I know they like it here, because I have seen 1 to 3 every day for a number of weeks. I should find out about being involved in a count of some kind. Every day when I go out, there is one that swoops down as if to greet me, then flies off. I plan to look up this behavior to see if there is any information on it.

The zinnias, Mexican sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds and other flowers I'm not remembering right now are also blooming.

Have a great weekend! Tomorrow, the crew is going to work to finish up our block and get the dirt put back in. They don't normally work Saturdays, but they want to finish up our block so they can start in the next ones. I am having them put dirt back in up to the street level, except for where the sprinkler heads are, and then filling the rest up with my garden dirt.