Willow-Herb

Isn’t this little flower a beauty? I photographed this on the edge of an industrial park, while Steven was in a business there, but I don’t think the location matters as long as I photograph it and you get to enjoy it. I must be a little shutter happy as when I see lovely flowers of whatever size, colour, type and wherever they are, I grab them for later. The trick is in seeing, which involves actively looking for them (and of course having the camera with me). I had to balance on a stone ledge that was wobbly, as the flower was just down the bank leading to a stream. I suppose this is a little like our moments of joy, come to think of it. At times it is so easy to focus on the frustrations and wobbly moments and to let the good around us pass without appreciation. Turning it around so that instead those good moments become the main focus will push those other annoyances farther into the background. I know that sounds trite and is easier said than done. But it’s worth a try, to see how it can change our perspective on the day. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #397 

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Hydrangea Sargentiana Rehder Buds

Sometimes the industrial parks and malls have lovely flowers hiding in plain sight. This beautiful Hydrangea Sargentiana Rehder is outside a tool shop, next to a furniture store. Mostly you just see the greenery but a closer look behind, near the wall revealed this lovely head. Although the petals are lovely with their pink splotches, I really loved the bits in the middle, which I think are buds. The texture and detail of them if you take a close look is exquisite, seeming to be protected and coddled by the outer petals. Hugs to all today. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #399 

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Late Golden Daylily

I remember finding a late blooming golden daylily last year in my hairdresser’s garden and sharing it here. The other day when we were in the big city, close to the ‘Fruition’ flower I shared the other day I found this bright yellow last flower and had to share it for you today. The colour is so intense but you can see the autumn tones in the foliage behind it! The fall is all golden and red light here and it has already started, with the branches that hang away from the main tree beginning the ‘turning’ first. There is a brilliant red one that overhangs the road just up the street from me and it looks wonderful in the early evening sun on my walks. However I am clinging to summer as much as I can in sharing this flower. We had a hard frost the other night and I was glad that I had covered my pepper and last tomato plants so they escaped damage. I picked the last of the dahlia flowers so they would survive a little longer in my blue jug. I have plenty of summer (and even spring) flowers waiting in the wings for the coming posts, but while I still find flowers growing to photograph and share I will. Whatever the season where you are, don’t rush it but enjoy every day with what it brings. You can click or tap the image above to view in large in the gallery directly now, a new development on my posts. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #396 

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Party Dahlia

This little city beauty was flowering alone in a bed on a sidestreet where we had parked to get some takeout food. The other plants around it had all finished blooming and this one stood out in the drab surroundings in its lovely soft red and white skirt with cream bodice, decorated with a golden centre. It reminded me of Maria in West Side Story or the Rose in Spanish Harlem (though neither Puerto Rican nor a rose, I know). It certainly has some wear and tear, as if after a late party but was standing so pretty and bright that I had to photograph it. I hope this flower lifts any drab parts of your day, my friends. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #398 

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Purple Edged Dahlia

This is a domestic flower from our own garden (or possibly from the flower farm down the road) and was so delightful that I had to catch it for you today. The sun was just hitting it perfectly to backlight the outer petals. I never tire of the variety of the patterns and colours on these dahlias. And it seems that you can eat the tubers, rather like potatoes. I have never done so, but if you have, let me know what you thought of them. As I write this it is a beautiful sunny day and I can’t get out into it without first doing a lot of cooking today. So I will love you and leave you for now. Have a lovely Tuesday, my friends. See you all tomorrow. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #395 

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Red Chrysanthemums and Friends

There is a privately owned local garden that is open to the public to enjoy, only a short drive from us. It’s on the top of the tall hill referred to here as the “North Mountain”. Don’t mock. We are not blessed with the Rocky Mountains on this side of the country, as our charms are maritime. But we do need our mountains, it seems and so we make ours out of molehills. So we drove up the “mountain” and found this garden and went in and parked. It is beautifully cared for and such a peaceful place to wander around. Something that kept me intrigued for a while was watching the automated lawn mower making its way around the lawns between the flower beds. I guess I am easily amused. Although it is late in the season there are still some flowers to be seen (and photographed), including this patch of red chrysanthemums. I was admiring them, when I noticed these two ‘friends’ quite still, on the top of them. So rather than highlighting one flower as I so often do, I am featuring a landscape view of them with the insects as points of interest. If your life is as exciting as mine you will find such wonderful sights in the most unlikely places. You can click or tap the image above to view in large in the gallery directly now, a new development on my posts. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #394 

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White Flower

Speaking of being creative in naming my posts (as we were yesterday) you are no doubt thinking that this is hardly a creative title. This white flower is probably a zinnia, but I am not certain and in any case it doesn’t matter what it’s called! Just look at this little beauty and you can see the reason I had to share it with you today. It has such an extraordinary design, with what look to be little tubes reaching up around the middle, as well as tiny yellow threads of what? They are the same colour as the pollen which you also see scattered on the pristine petals, evidence of bee activity. A reader did say that bees love zinnias and certainly bees like this flower, so I could be right. I’m pretty certain it’s not an aster (but, as always, I stand to be corrected, and frequently am, so don’t hold back!). Whatever the name, it is a gift today from me to you, hoping that your day is a good one. You can click or tap the image above to view in large in the gallery directly now, a new development on my posts. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #393 

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Bee Dahlia

I am having to be creative when naming my posts and by extension, my flowers. Each post has to have a unique address. With over 390 different flowers on this Flower a Day project alone, I am bound to get repeats. The other thing is that often I haven’t a clue as to the name of the specific variety of, say, dahlia, or rose. So today we have a bee dahlia! One of my friends in particular enjoys our ‘Pink Flower Day’ posting, so today is another PFD for her (and for you). Bees are all over the flowers at the moment, so it’s hard to get a photo without one or more bees getting in the way. I’m joking, of course, as I love to see them and if I can get them more or less in focus on the flower, then I include them. I love to see them busy working, knowing that the gardens I visit are helping to keep the little insects fed. Hugs to all, today. You can click or tap the image above to view in large in the gallery directly now, a new development on my posts. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #392 

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Squash Flower Surprise

“Why surprise?” you might be asking, if you read the title. Well I didn’t plant squash so I wasn’t expecting to get squash flowers. You do know the normal way things are supposed to go in gardening? You plant a seed and then it grows into what was on the package. In my case last year I did exactly that and lovely squash plants appeared. I gave loads away to friends whose plants behaved exactly as expected and produced wonderful squashes of the varieties I had planted. Mine, however, were pretty quickly completely destroyed by pests. The flowers rotted, the stems hollowed, the leaves withered… you get the picture. I decided that this year I would not sow any squash to avoid the inevitable disappointment. And then, late in the season, growing out of the side of my compost pile appeared a vigorous and healthy squash vine. I let it go, amused to see it there and curious to see how far it would grow before being consumed by pests. So far no pests, just glorious yellow flowers (mostly male), with the occasional small squash. There isn’t actually enough time to ripen the fruit, which is a pity when it has gone to so much trouble to grow, but the flowers are worth the effort as you can see. Life is full of surprises. Even though they might not be the surprises you want, you can usually find something to make you smile in them. Like this rich yellow flower. Have a good day, friends. You can click or tap the image above to view in large in the gallery directly now, a new development on my posts. View all posts on the Home page.  A Flower a Day #391 

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