I’m definitely planting more of these next year, and in different colors, too. For one, I’ve proven that they are impossible to kill. Second, they are prolific bloomers. Just the three stalks I planted have maybe 50 flowers on them. Third, the blooms last quite awhile.
It stormed this morning. I waited until it pretty much over before driving across town. I should have taken my camera with me, because the sky was stunning–bands of high clouds to the west, with muted sunrise colors reflecting off them, and lower down, scudding grey clouds, and to the east, the back side of the storm front, with its wall of grey behind giant, fluffy white cumulonimbus.
The sun is out now, but the flowers are still dripping with raindrops.
This came from my mom. I think she said it has red flowers.
This was a volunteer. I do not willingly eat basil, so I didn’t plant it.
I swear, there was nothing poking out of the ground a couple of days ago. Then, this morning, there were flowers! Surprise lilies are aptly named.
I haven’t had much luck getting a decent picture of these. It’s usually too dusky by the time their blooms open, and my lens isn’t fast enough for low light photos.
I haven’t done anything to the color on this one. The flowers really are neon magenta along the “seams.” Weird, but true!
I swore to myself that I’d get up early this morning and clean. First, though, I had to go look at the flowers. And the bunnies. But mostly, the flowers. There’s not much going on out there, aside from the echinacea. I forgot how long echinacea blooms last. They’re like the energizer bunnies of flowers!
The liatris is just starting to show a little bit of pinky-purple, too, so I should have that to look at soon. (Mine is behind, because it was transplanted so late in the season.) There’s also a plant I got from my mom, that she didn’t know the name of. It’s starting to get what looks like the very starts of buds. I think she said it has red flowers.
So, new flowers shall be forthcoming!
That’s assuming that the grounds crew doesn’t chop everything down. I came home Wednesday to find that they’d mowed and weed whacked, and my four o’clocks were lying on the ground. They didn’t actually cut them down, thankfully, but somehow the plants got bent over. I propped them up and everything seems happy. Not that it’s possible to kill four o’clocks, anyway. I literally stuck bare stalks (the roots had broken off) into the ground on the 4th of July. I have flowers now. I’m amazed.
The weed wacker got one of my echinacea plants, too. And he knew he did it, because he took away the chopped off plant. I could tell by the twisted fibers on the cut end of the stump that it’d been weed whacked, though. Grrr. I guess I should be thankful that he didn’t chop them all down?
Note to grounds crew: If there’s a big clump of plants with flowers all over them, they are not grass. DO NOT CUT THEM!
Green Tomatoes
The tomatoes are not going to get very big. That’s my fault, for crowding them. I should have transplanted them, so they’d have more room, but I was lazy. They’ll still be tasty, though, even if they’re a bit on the small side.
Green Peppers
The peppers are almost large enough to pick! And there are tons of them, and tons more blooms, too. I have a feeling I may have peppers coming out my ears. Too bad the tomatoes aren’t producing so well.
red paper boat 