Friday Blooms

It is Friday already and time to "Flaunt Your Flowers"
with Tootsie, over at Tootsie Time. So go on over and
join us on ' Fertilizer Friday' in flaunting your
flowers while they are still blooming.


This morning is another cool morning wit a crisp
breeze and the humidity is gone. Feels like a Fall
morning as it has all this week.
The squirrels are running around in the woods around
the house and in the big Oak tree in the yard eating
their fill of acorns and hickory nuts. I watched one for
quite a while yesterday as it carried a walnut, almost as big
as its head, gliding and jumping from tree to tree to a nest.
We use to have flying squirrels in the woods but have not
saw one now for a few years.
The katydids, praying mantis, walking sticks and crickets
are seen now all around the flower beds, and they are
making quite a racket. There is a constant drone of sound
now through out the yard and in the woods.

On to what is blooming.



The poor Moonbeam Coreopsis is on her final blooms....



but the Gerbera Daisies are still looking pretty.



The containers of Nicotiana and Petunia's are still
blooming but are getting fewer now.



I cannot decide whether I like the red Nicotinia or the
dark pink the best so I have them both.



The on going saga of the mixed up Orchid Mist double
blooming petunia goes on with this one putting out single
blooms.






The Nora Leigh variegated phlox has put on a few more
blooms since she was dead headed.



The poor Knockout Rose ' Rosa Radrazz ' that has been
move around so much, is putting on a few blooms. Don't
tell her that she will be moved this fall once again.



The purple 'Stock ' blooms are getting fewer and her
stems are full of, what I hope are seed pods, since she is
new to me.
Gardeners, do I break off the pods and dry them to get more
seeds or do I wait until they turn brown on the plant?



And what would I do without my geraniums?






Gardeners Choice Geranium



Sedum 'Neon' blooms are starting to turn neon pink.



Stachy is new and did not bloom this year but its woolly
leaves are so pretty and it growing fast now.




The Amethyst ' Browalia' finally showed up, better late
than never this summer. She really took her time.



The birds are dining on the Elderberries down along the
woods......



and the Poke berries are starting to ripen.



This Great Spangled Fritillary was getting a drink from
the Purple Heart that was just watered.

Happy FF Day and Happy Gardening Everyone!

Flaunt Those Flowers

Today is 'Fertilizer Friday' , so Flaunt Your Flowers !



Everyone go over to the hostess Tootsie's blog,
'Tootsie Time' and look at all those that are flaunting their
flowers today.
Tootsie's yard and flower beds are a riot of color now in the
summer beds. She has some of the greatest garden decor
and ways to flaunt her flowers. Her yard is beautiful.

This has been the most frustrating day to get this posting up.
This is my third attempt at it since two others have
disappeared right before my eyes as I added a picture
to the posting. I even trying saving the last one as I went to
make sure it did not fly off into the unknown but that also failed.
Oh dear, stuff happens I guess.

We have gotten some much needed rain here in the Hocking
Hill's the last two days. My water barrel and cistern were
getting low.

I live upon a very high hill and old homes such as
mine were built with cisterns to catch rain water.
Back in the day when money was so scarce and hand
digging 450 feet was impossible they used cisterns
for all of their needs.
Over the years of learning to ration water I do not
take water for granted still today.
After we could afford to get a water well drilled I still
kept the cistern, pumps and waterlines in tack to use
to water the garden, flowers, the fountain, the bird baths,
around the potting bench, etc and an occasional washing
of the car.
Now the last few years I have had a rain barrel hooked
up to the cistern with a large plastic pipe attached to the
barrel's over flow spout which runs the rain water straight
into the cistern.
Other than a good soaking rain the garden plants
and flowers love the rain water from the cistern.
If we get a rain every week or two there is always
plenty of water for my plants and flowers.
Last summer we had a drought through July and
August and I had to use the cold water from the deep
well and the flowers did not like that cold water on a hot,
dry summer day.

Now to flaunt some flowers that are blooming around
the yard.

The Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' that were grown from seed is
starting to spread out and bloom all over the containers
and beds where they were planted.




I added some to the pot around the Poinsettia
I had at Christmas time. It is growing so big in
the sun and big pot.
It is grown as an annual here at holiday time
but I wanted to try to keep it and get it to bloom
bright red for me again this winter. It is worth a
shot and nothing lost in the trying.





Also coming in bloom from seed is this Helitrope 'Marine'.
It's dark blue tiny blooms are so pretty and it smells good too.
It has been slow growing for it though.





For those of you who occasionally read my postings, the weird
petunia ' Orchid Mist' is still blooming with three different
colors of blooms on the one plant. I was wondering if the blooms
would change all back to pale lavender after it had grown for a while
but it is still blooming with the three different colors of double blooms.






The Rose of Sharon are starting to bloom now.




Much to my dislike the pesky little Japanese beetles have found
the blooms. Nasty little critters.




The Knockout Roses never let you down for a adding
color to the garden.



The Rainbow Knockout Rose is a pretty peachy pink
with a yellow center.





I love this pink single bloom one.

The Morning Glory bushes are still blooming and spreading
out to overflowing their containers.

This is my first year for trying to grow 'Stock' and I
love the fragrance of them. The few that survived my
seeding attempts are purple. I have a couple more of the
slow growers and I am hoping they're a different color.

The Gaillardia blanket flower is living up to the name
and spreading down over the bank beside of the garage.




The Echinacea are still in full bloom.
This large coneflower smells so terrific and all of
the little friends love it.

Shasta Daisy ' Becky' is also in full bloom with its bright
white skirt full of petals.

I have all sorts and sizes of containers full of Impatiens
that are now bounding and over flowing their containers.
They are a must have around here to bright up all of the shade.




I have them hanging on fences.



In containers.





And even hanging in baskets on trees.




Imperial Ivy geranium is so pretty now.
And this is the only hydrangea bush that is blooming so
far this summer. I do not know what is up with the others
but I hope they are just running late. A couple of years ago
when we had a severe winter they did not bloom the next
summer.Ihope that is not the case this summer. I am so
crazy about their blooms.





Happy Gardening and Flaunt Your Flowers!