Normally, July in Illinois is not a rainy month. Hot & humid, yes. Wet, no.
Normally, we are wanting a good rain. Not so much this year. 
I am thankful my gardening is done predominantly as a hobby and for enjoyment, rather than for our livelihood … such as the grain farmers.
This morning, in between (and even during) sprinkles, I took the camera around the garden patch at my house. The pumpkins are at Mom’s place this year, so I’ll get photos of them another day.
In the foreground are a few rows of popcorn, then you will see the taller ornamental corn, beyond that is a farmer’s field of corn.
The ornamental corn is starting to tassel. The tassel is considered a “flower.” It will drop pollen onto the budding ears’ silks. The sticky silks catch the pollen. A pollinated silk forms the kernel. One silk for every kernel. That’s what I’ve been told … I’ve never actually counted. 😉
I was glad to see the ornamental corn tasseling before the popcorn. I did not plant them at the same time, hoping to avoid cross-pollination. However, ornamental popping corn may have been fun, though?
This is the 3rd year for my apple trees. The blooms got nipped by frost last year. This year, I have a few apples. I don’t spray for any bugs or issues – maybe a few will mature into nice apples.
Only one beautiful Monarch butterfly was dancing about this morning.
The row of annual flowers are thriving with the rain. 
My sister decided we needed to add sweet potatoes to the fall fun. She said we needed to plant plenty. Since she was helping, we bought two batches of slips … 35 or so plants! They are doing well; beginning to vine. I have taken to mowing between the garden rows!! Too wet to till or hoe.
Ah, but I did find a bit of sun!
Thanks for putting on your boots and taking a walk with me. Hope you enjoyed – weeds and all.
Just Make the Coffee 
Loved your post and the walk with you in your garden. LOVELY pictures to make me homesick for Lombard ,Illinois where I grew up. I can jsut smell the earth in you phoptos and rejoice in teh lovely butterflies , of which we see very few this far north anymore. Tnaks for this and wondering how the animals are doing in the rain. blessings, Merri
It has been a very strange year here also…way too wet and cold in the beginning, then sweltering here…now we are back to rain.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I remembered that you are having some strange weather. Let’s hope our fall doesn’t get cheated and that it’s beautiful!!
Beautiful photos! We, too, have had a wet summer thus far. The crops are looking great in our area, and I’ve never had so many gladioli blooms! Looks like you’ll have plenty of sweet potatoes.
I am looking forward to the sweet potatoes! The flowers love the rain and humidity … except one bed I have in a low spot and it is almost drowned out. 😦
Very nice
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Not so sure your specialty corn won’t cross pollinate with your neighbor’s corn. Seems awfully close together.
Oh, it may with a good breeze. Last year I had a little of that happen. It was still pretty.
I had high hopes of a beautiful garden this year. Then the rains came. I couldn’t get everything planted I had hoped to plant and anytime it isn’t raining, I’m fighting the weeds. What I should really do is studying all the weeds growing in my garden this year. I probably have some good medicinal weeds out there 🙂
I still have hopes of planting turnips. They are a fall plant that can be planted late-July into August. I had a great crop last year!
Me too! I have turnips, rutabaga, and parsnips I hope to put in the ground. First, I need it to dry out a bit and pull tons of weeds. Maybe I need a goat 🙂
I sure did! A great walk in your garden. Thank you!
I’m watching it rain again this morning! Definitely need to sharpen the mower blades. 😉
Sweet potatoes–what a great idea. I didn’t realize corn pollinates itself. Duh. Learn something new every day.
We are looking forward to home-grown sweet potatoes! Glad you learned something new about corn pollination!