Gardens and Hope Spring Eternal

Despite the continuing drought, some plants in the garden are flourishing.

I am happy to report that the 4 1/2 inches of rain we got the other week has helped to move us down the drought scale from exceptional drought to extreme drought.  Heh, we'll take any improvement we can take.  And it is nice to finally be able to see some green grass again.  We haven't had that pleasure since early May.

 The butterfly bushes are alight with visitors.

 Dozens of bumblebees were droning around the bushes.

A monarch butterfly atop the butterfly bush.

 Fritillary butterfly.

 This pretty little blue flower is doing well under the considerable shadow of the butterfly bushes.  The only problem?  I have no idea what it is or even if I had planted it to begin with.

Rosie?  Any ideas?

 Sedum Autumn Joy about to go into bloom.

 Black swallowtail.

 But alas and alack, much of the back yard will have to be torn up and reseeded as this grass is dead, deader, and deadest.

If you look closely, the grass in the far distance is nice and green.  Too bad it is such a small portion of our yard.

Update:
Here are some better pictures of the mystery flower.

 While the flowers do indeed resemble periwinkle, or vinca minor, they are smaller, being only about 5/8"across and the flowers form a cluster.  The plant is also not a vine, but grows upright and is less than a foot tall.  The leaves are hairy and rough to the touch.

More research needs to be done.