Welcome to My...Um...Garden

Today is the Spring Garden Party hosted by The Preacher's Wife. I have to tell ya, it's not spring here anymore, so this is a tough post for me. Most of these pictures where taken in April when I first started planting. You don't want to see the current state of affairs, trust me.

It's been blazing hot for over a week, with no rain. So my "garden" isn't doing so well. Nor is my gardening mojo. All I want to do is stay in the air conditioning or sit by the pool. Which there will be no sitting with a one year old who is learning to walk.

Let's start at the front porch, shall we? This bed is filled with lariope, a few day lilies, and two begonias.I have (had) some pansies on the porch sitting pretty on a chair.

And here is my garden bee. I just love the whimsy of this bee, don't you?

Next to front door, I have Susie's Garden. No, my name isn't Susie. Susie is our first daughter who passed away in 2004. While I was pregnant with her, I dreamed of spending hours with her in the garden, teaching her to love growing things the way my mom did. It was a dream that wasn't realized. And I didn't have much heart for gardening until our Ladybug was born last year. Then my desire to grow things returned.

For my first Mother's Day after Susie's death, Hubby surprised me by painting this plaque and buying me two roses bushes. Here's one of the rose bushes before it bloomed this year.

And while blooming! Isn't it gorgeous? I do have the occasional butterfly stop by. I just love butterflies! When I lived up north, I had a great butterfly garden and would love to have one here too. The butterfly has it's wings half closed, and it's sitting near the base of the cherub. Can you see it?
Here's a different shot. It moved and has it's wings open. I was trying to take these pictures while wrestling my woddler (baby-toddler).

Next, we have my problem area. I just don't know what to plant in this bare space on the right. Do I need to balance it out with similar bushes? The middle one is an azalea. I can't remember the name of the two on the left.

I could plant a butterfly bush there. But then it wouldn't look symmetrical. Hmmm... Any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by to visit my garden. I hope both the garden and I survive this heat and lack of rain!

And stop by The Preacher's Wife Garden Party to see how else is showing off their green thumb.