The backyard is blooming!

The backyard is blooming!, a photo by ddhabicht on Flickr.
These Helenium Autumnale or common sneezeweed is in full bloom. The days are long and hot and these beautiful yellow and orange flowers are like a bright light in a dark flowerbed. I love them, standing about 3' tall they are covered in blooms until the frost. This is such an exciting time in the garden, and in the yard. Things are blooming, the garden is producing and we are weeding and trimming like mad! It seems to be the year of the bugs though, I have been fighting things like spider mites, and tomatoe worms along with silverfish and bunnies this year. Gardening isn't for the faint of heart!