The summer bloomers are doing very well. The large gardenia next to the garage that was in place when I moved in has been flowering a lot in recent years.

I think I've got more blooms this year than I have in previous years.

The Frostproof Gardenia is also blooming very well. The only issue here is that I seem to have it too close to the Mr. Goldstrike next to it. If only I could move it over a foot or so.

I continue to have gladiolus flowers appearing. Most of these seem to be white and pink.

The only problem I am seeing is that a hard rain or a moderate wind blows them over.

The Vitex Shoal Creek is full of blue blooms.

This tree has grown very well since I planted it in 2016.

It has grown at a very enthusiastic rate during the 4 years that have passed since I planted it.

I've noticed that the blue flowers attract bees, in this case the large carpenter bees.

It looks beautiful each summer.

Vitex Shoal Creek.

The project for today was to do some maintenance trimming around the yard. I started with the Mr. Goldstrike next to the driveway.

It was starting to take over the sidewalk. So I cut a few long limbs back.

The loropetalums always need to be cut after they bloom.

I also cut some of the growth off of the Mr. Goldstrike. Like the group next to the driveway, this plant has a tendency to spread out.

I wish the loropetalums were planted further away from the house where I could let them grow to their full size.

The Bridal Wreath Spirea next to the mailbox didn't do as well this year. Maybe giving it a good pruning will help.

I finished with the driveway azaleas. I've managed to get them mostly the same size, and they seem to be happy.