Floral Friday - I got good news, and I got bad news . . .

. . . so which do you want to hear first? Oh, let's start with the bad news - after all, there's just a little bit of that, and lots of good news!


The bad news? Well, my pretty sunflowers that were up to about 3 feet or so tall . . . they are now only about six inches tall.





A couple of days ago I caught a squirrel trying to climb one of them, so I'm thinking they had a little 'sunflower climbing party'!





I had two, and both are totally broken and dying. So I guess there won't be any beautiful yellow sunflowers, and no seeds for the birdies (OR the squirrels) this fall. I'm either going to get a trap . . . or a gun. Any suggestions???


Oh well, on to the good news! The goldfinches are back. I don't know where they've been, if they've been nesting or just took a vacation, but I'm so glad they came back where they belong!





All my feathered friends are enjoying the bird bath - even a cardinal and a dove bathing in harmony!





And this pretty fellow watches everything that goes on!





The chocolate mint is growing like gangbusters!




The day lilies are brightening up their corner of the yard.

So are the 'Emerald Mist' roses.

The foxgloves are sending up their buds,

and some are even blooming.

This little beauty is what we (in my family) call 'Mama's Rose' because it's been handed down from my grandmother - my mother's mother. Even my aunt on my dad's side has one, and is so proud of her Mama's Rose, too! The blooms are small and short lived, but are a pretty pale, pale, almost white, pink, and have a sweet scent.

The pink peony is blooming now.

Although the rain hasn't done the blooms any favors - they are a bit washed out.

The clematis that ate the chrysanthemums is doing swimmingly.

And the zinnias that came up volunteer, apparently from seeds from last year's blooms, are really up and at'em!

And before long they will be blooming in their bright colors, attracting more butterflies and bees. And in late summer, the goldfinches just LOVE to eat the zinnia seeds.

The betony is gorgeous in their frilly pinky-purple blooms. The bees and butterflies love them, too.

And the lavender . . . . . ahhhhhhh, the lavender!!!

Do you smell that????? Heavenly!

And for today, this is my pride and joy! The obelisk is the framework for a moonflower, a hyacinth bean, and a heavenly blue morning glory. I have planted the morning glories every year for the last 5-6 years. The first few years, they took over, and bloomed from August until frost in October. The last two years, because of the drought I suppose, they didn't bloom. And they've never bloomed this early. This plant is just full of blooms, and I look forward to a summer of this beautiful blue color in my yard!

Isn't that just gorgeous???

So, while there was some bad news, and I really hate that my sunflowers are gone, I can deal with it and move on, looking forward to a summer of other beautiful bloomers in our yard, here at Camellia Cottage. Blessings, Friends! Becky