33 Celsius and Brown-outs

It is 32 or 33 degrees Celsius here today and seeking a cool location is on everyone's agenda!!  A friend recently posted on Facebook that she was shopping for fans, both for work and for home, a total of seven fans, and another shopper attempted to take one from her cart!!  You know it's hot when people are fighting over the supply of fans!!!

On another note, rotating brown-outs have hit Alberta, with 90% of Edmonton being affected.  There is no indication of when this will end but luckily we have not been hit yet.  Tomorrow's another day, though.

In the meantime, here are some photos of the garden taken this evening.

 There are severe storm warnings for our area.  These clouds promise the warning is true.

 Hours later, though, the sky has cleared without any incident of bad weather.  Perhaps this evening it will rain, which would be welcome to help cool things off a little.

 The clematis on the left and the summer wine nine bark above are new additions this summer.

The delphiniums are beginning to bloom, above, the clematis behind looks a little sparse this year, while the magnolia (Royal Star), in front, looks full but short.  It died right back this past winter.  It's so odd that some plants reacted this way while others, my Jackmanii clematis included, prospered over the mild winter.

Above and below, carpathia bellflower is in bloom.

 Jackmanii Clematis above and below.  I don't recall ever seeing so many flower buds on it before!

 Delphinium, above and below.

 While Jackmanii clematis loved this past winter, the mock orange above has fewer flowers than normal.  This happens every so often.  Perhaps there is a direct correlation with blooms and the type of winter we had.  This past winter was terribly dry, so that may play a role here.

 One corner in the back yard.  From left to right:  peony, Rose Glow Barberry, Arctic Willow, Dwarf Gold Ninebark, Summer Wine Ninebark, Pink Diamond Hydrangea with a juniper in front, and to the right, a topiaried white pine.

 Side of house is flanked with three varieties of hosta.

 Above and below, front bed.  Includes: host (2 varieties), ostrich fern, astilbe, palace purple coral bells, astilbe, dwarf Alberta spruce.  In planters:  pansies (planter to the far right), and sprite astilbe with blue trailing lobelia and white ? (the name escapes me at the moment).

 Bird's nest spruce, rose glow barberry and a ground cover juniper share the raised bed with Schubert chokecherry.

 Above and below, Stella D'oro daylily.

 The littlest helper, in the loosest sense of the word, Lilo.

That's it for now.  It's way past my bedtime of 9 pm and I think I hear thunder.  Let's hope so!!!

Goodnight world!