I always think that I have planned my garden well, that I have spaced things nicely and given each and every plant enough space to do its own thing. And then comes the end of June and the full sun of a DC summer. And the rain, there is so much rain sometimes (like this year).

And silly me, I forget that those growing conditions turn plants labeled as “growing to 12 inches in diameter” into plants that would cover a small car with their height and width. I planted new rose bushes this year, and I was oh so sure that I had taken everything into consideration. And yet, for weeks now, I have thought I had lost track of this new beauty.

Good thing the corn flowers and daylilies were keeping it safe, because I sure wouldn’t have wanted to miss it in all its glory.