mother nature adapts

Here is the champ of all the fruits in my garden. A neighbor gave me a couple of cuttings of this raspberry a few years ago and the berries are orange.The best part is, they're sweet and they grow new fruit until frost and slightly after. I was munching some of these this morning.

For me the summer weather was lovely--hardly ever humid, enough rain to help the growth and mild enough to go about one's business, fully energized.
But--the garden was confused. this little bit of greenery in the center is my supposedly hardy hibiscus. This is as far as it got this season. I may move it to the back into a raised bed to see if that will help it along.

These mums apparently figured that smaller is better and this is the best they can do for now. Truthfully, I don't like Mums but they do add a bot of color in the fall. I guess these guys got my message and they refused to cooperate.
And look at the ornamental Kale. they happen to be sharing their space with an active underground hive of bees (my son the expert says they're mud bees) and I shudder to think what those poor little roots are enduring.