Now Blooming

I know it's a bit late for Floral Friday, but I wanted to share a few things with you any way. It was so nice being able to stay home today and rest up a bit, and clean up my dirty kitchen! A few days of being away from home most of the day, and the dirty dishes seem to multiply! :o)

So, on to the bloomers! First, I wanted to share the seed pods on the blazing star. When the bloom first falls away, they look like this >>>


See that one in the bottom right corner, that's how they look, but when the pod is about mature, they open up and look almost like another flower!


Look at that star shape! I think it's lovely, and soon the seeds will be mature and I'll save them to share with friends.

Next up, I just wanted to show you the white beauty berry bush, now with green berries. When they are mature, the berries will be white, unlike the regular beauty berry which has brilliant 'fuchsia purple' berries.


See this pretty buddleia? I know, it's a bad picture, but it's been rainy for several days now, and the sun is hard to get just right! Anyway, this buddleia was a freebie! A couple of years ago we went to the lake for a weekend of camping for hubby's birthday. This buddleia was about 18 inches tall and kind of leggy, and right smack in the middle of where the lake would have been if it hadn't been about 16 feet down due to the drought. I dug this baby up and brought it home. It grew and grew and grew, and this spring we cut it to the ground. I mean - all the way down! Now look at it, it's gorgeous! I think next spring (early) I'll cut my other two to the ground, too. They aren't nearly as pretty as this one is now! Anyway, the purple blooms are so pretty, and the butterflies, bees and hummers just love it!



The weeds! Well, not really, I never thought I'd say it, but I'm so tired of pulling up morning glories, moonflowers and hyacinth beans! They are still coming up, and I get out at least 2-3 times a week and pull up the babies. They are just all over the place! I do have a few on trellises that are lovely, but if I left them all, we wouldn't be able to see the house!


The zinnia's around the mailbox are just beautiful! Every one came up volunteer from last year, and I've already been scattering seeds from this year in hopes they will come up in other places next year.


The cleome jungle is gorgeous, and I'm collecting seeds - trying to keep them divided by colors, and I'll share these with family and friends, too. Don't you love the views through the trellis?


This one is called 'Rose Queen' and it's very tall (5') and stately. I love the different depths of the color, from palest pink to brightest pink.


And, the star of the show this week! The moonflowers! I have a couple of them, and a couple of hyacinth beans growing on a wire obelisk right beside the garage door. There's just a bit of a wall - about 18 inches wide - and this is tall and fits there just right. Don't they look like a shrub!


And the blooms are gorgeous! They start opening right before dark, and if you are patient and have plenty of time, you can stand and watch the blooms unfurl. The scent after dark is intoxicating, too! The blooms are at least 6" across - about the size of a small bread/dessert saucer.

And the moonflowers will re-seed. As I said above, I'm still pulling them up and throwing them away! I love to have morning glories, moonflowers, hyacinth beans and four o'clocks planted all together, because there is something blooming around the clock right in one spot!

That's it from me for now. I'll be doing the drawing tomorrow and announcing the winner of the giveaway on Sunday. Good luck to all of you, and thank you for entering! Have a great weekend! Becky

Floral Friday - A Few Blooms

Happy Friday, and Happy Fourth of July Weekend!!! I just wanted to share a few bloomers with you, and a couple of other things, too.

First, the garden phlox is just blooming and blooming, and there are tons of babies coming up around the bottom. Obviously she's a happy camper!



The squash are still blooming, and being pollinated by the bees, but I think the bunnies must be enjoying the squash, because I'll see them at about 2-3 inches long, then they disappear. First chance I have, I'll be putting circles of flour around the plants to keep the bunnies out.



The white foxglove's big, main stem is done, but there are bunches of smaller stems blooming, and it's so pretty!

The cleome is blooming, and I just love that purpley rose color! Many people know these as spider plants. They re-seed very vigorously, so I hope to collect a bunch of seeds later on.

This is a bud from the burgundy hardy hibiscus. Those blooms just burst open over night!

And this is how they look once they open - aren't they gorgeous??? The blooms are about 5 - 6 inches across.

And just a quick photo of my tomatoes! Can't wait until these 'Pink Girls' are ready to eat!

Well, that's all for today. I hope to have a make-over project to show you in a few days. We got my dad home from the hospital yesterday, and he seems to be feeling better for now. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers! Have a blessed Independence Day! Becky

Floral Friday - Just A Few Bloomers!

I just wanted to share a few of my current bloomers with you today. Of course the big heavenly blue morning glories continue to shine, but I didn't want to bore you with more of those so soon!


The geraniums are beginning to bloom again.



This white foxglove is just beginning to open up.

Aren't the deep reddish purple spots pretty?

The yellow buddleia (butterfly bush) is just full of buds, only a few have opened so far, but this bumblebee seemed really happy! This will bloom all summer, up until a hard frost.

Lavender. What more can I say but, ahhhhhhhh! I guess I should pick it, but I just love the way it looks in the yard, and the butterflies and bees love it, too.

Bees love betony, as you can see here.

The sweet rocket is almost gone.

Pretty pink zinnias.

Isn't this pink bachelor button precious!!! I had two come up this year, the other one will be purple, I think.

Hyacinth bean blooms. The hummingbirds just love these!

This is an 'anise hyssop' called golden jubilee. When I took this picture this morning it was drizzling rain and cloudy, which didn't do justice to the color. It's a really golden green, and the blooms are soft and pretty.

Next, the promise of things to come! Starting with blooms on the tomatoes (yum!).

Blooms on the squash plants (yum again!).

I was able to save one of the sunflowers the squirrels tried to destroy. It was only 'bent' and not broken, so I staked it up and babied it for a while, and it's rewarded my efforts with a tiny bud in the center.

The tall garden phlox is beginning to form buds. This one is a lavender with purple eye.

Lettuce leaf basil. I've never grown this type of basil before, and the leaves are a bit larger and more ruffled. I can't wait to have some of this on a sandwich, in a tomato salad for bruschetta, or in my orzo pasta salad.

Oh, I almost forgot! The cleome is coming up like crazy. I'm moving and transplanting and giving away cleome babies. It's a lovely flower, and re-seeds very heartily. It gets to 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall!

That's my bloomers for today. I enjoy going out every morning and looking to see what is new, what's coming up, what's changed. Having a garden is a constant source of enjoyment for me.

Have a great weekend, folks! Blessings, Becky