Fall mornings are the perfect time to find dew diamonds.
You must carefully time your hunt.
The dew left on the leaves and flowers must settle and condense a bit.
Then you wait for the sun to creep over the horizon.
The sunlight turns each tiny drop into a prism.
You must be at the proper angle between the sun and the dew.
You must find the diamonds just as the sun does.
The sun steals them quickly, you see.
I am rich!
FLOW
I love my vines. I have tried many types. These two are keepers.
Red Cypress Vine/Ipomoea pennata stays small and is easy to train to any trellis.
It resows itself. Its feathery leaves are lovely.
The red blooms are gorgeous in any light.
My other favorite is Love in a Puff/ Cardiospermum halicacabum.
Its flowers are tiny white with yellow centers.
I love the puffy seed pods which contain three seeds.
Each black seed has a white heart on it.
I have heard this vine can be a pest below Zone 6, but it behaves itself here in North Carolina.
These two get along well together on our lamp post.
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This tiny plant is a trickster. It looks like silver little rosettes from spring to fall.
Eventually it elongates into cones that are tall and will have tiny flowers on them in October.
There are several forms of Orostachys/ Chinese Dunce Cap. This one is O. boehmeri.
It likes full sun and dry conditions.
Flow nearing Fall
This plant throws its parts around. No nearby pot is safe from a well tossed arm.
When this plant arrived from Logee’s, I sent back a complaint that the pieces were not even rooted yet.
Their short response was…It does not matter. Now, I know why. No roots needed. Neglect necessary.
Something must have signaled this Huernia zebrina /Lifesaver Plant to bloom now.
Each pot, no matter its location, is blooming.
Its blooms are too perfect to seem real.
It thrives on neglect with full sun and very little water.
This may be the perfect plant for you “Black Thumb” folks.
FLOW
I have tried several new varieties of tomatoes this summer.
My favorite has been this ‘Golden Pear.’
The vine needs a lot of support because it is covered by fruits.
The chipmunks love them also.
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There are some new beauties in the line-up this year.
These were introduced to me last fall by the famous pianist, Harold Brown of Bramwell.
The three new faces are Nonette, Cafe’ au lait and Kelvin Floodlight.
I ordered these from Old House Gardens. https://oldhousegardens.com/
The Kelvin Floodlight photo does not do it justice.
Cafe’ au Lait is even more gorgeous than I expected.
Nonette needed some extra water to make bigger flowers, but did not disappoint.
My heart still belongs to my three favorites Thomas Edison, Firepot and Snow Country.
Dahlia Row has taken a lot of feeding, composting and watering BUT these blooms are worth it.
Flower
My favorite type of elephant ear.
Each leaf is a unique work of art.
These look great in any light.
I love these leaves!
FLOW
Several sunflowers were not decapitated by the deer.
I was happy to see their bright faces.
It seems that this Mammoth Sunflower is having a conversation with this Texas Star Hibiscus.
Both plants are over five feet tall.
My grandmother had this hibiscus at her home.
My mom passed along some seeds to me.
I was happy to see a sun and a star enjoying a summer afternoon.
Flower
The Orange Perfection Phlox is blooming despite the heat.
It loves to lean on the rocks and dangle its blooms.
My little friend seems to like it also.
Sweet little bouquets, just chipmunk size.
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floweralley 