Monsoon woes

It's that time of the year, when we have either too much water or too little, and are not happy either way. In this case, we have had both. Too little water to make the spring flow again, but enough to turn my garden into a green mush. I suppose it does not matter much since I don't like to go out anyway because of the leeches, the mosquitoes, and the invisible biters. And oh yes, the snakes.
Also, I have been feeling like a garden failure this year. The kitchen garden was not an absolute failure by any means, but it definitely was not what I had seen in my mind's eye this spring. Of the grand plans for the flower beds, quite a few things got done, but it does not look like what I had imagined.
But today is sunny and it is wonderful how that helps the spirits. The fall veg season is almost upon us, and this time I will get it right. And my garden is quite good in parts, like the curate's egg. Here are some of those parts:
1. Dahlias: The imperial dahlias still have a few months to bloom, but the others are doing nicely. Here's the magenta one

2. Jerusalem artichokes:
Last winter, I was lunching at Mrs. L's house and I ate some crunchy tubers that startled me into an involuntary gasp of pleasure. "they are a weed" she groused "but do you want some?". I did indeed. And here they are. Pretty flowers now, a fine dinner for thanksgiving.

3. Pumpkins: We planted several, and so many came to naught. The acorn squash got eaten by rats, the delicata only put out female flowers which shriveled for lack of pollination. We ate the flowers, but that was hardly the squash stew we were looking forward to. The Potimarron however did well, giving us three lovely pumpkins before the monsoon which we are storing.

Now there are still several on the vine, but it is to be seen if they manage to ripen before rotting. I do hope so. The one we tasted was very fine indeed. 

4. I have written about my rose arch before. Since I have been tying in the rose as it climbs higher and higher. Here it is now, with an additional bean vine:

5. Here is exhibit A for why I don't want to have a 'tidy' garden. This turned up by itself and I kept it because I was curious. I am so glad I did. It is lovely and has kindly placed itself between my rosemary and agapanthus resulting in a rather pretty medley of blues.

I think it is verbena. Am I correct?

6. And here is exhibit B for a 'wild garden'. The sunflowers are done with and looking rather bedraggled with the rain. I should take them of course. But then what would the finches do?