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Fall Deco

| Flower Roberts

Fall has its own decor. It includes dried hay and corn stalks, yellow and orange mums, pumpkins and gourds.

It sounds so simple, but it takes skill to conjure up a seasonal mood from such simple ingredients.

I always applaud such skill. Let’s look at some lovely examples.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden entrance

This says it all. They know it’s fall.

This is a bounty of fall beauty. Eclectic excellence.

Symmetry and synergy!

Even the hay maze is dreamy.

The folks at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden know how to do fall.

Hooray Halloween!

Flow

The Belmont Moon

| Flower Roberts

Belmont, North Carolina has its own harvest moon this month.

They have installed an inflatable moon downtown in Stowe Park.

The moon is an exact replica of the actual moon which is lit up at night.

The whole town has decorated in the ‘Moon Glow’ theme.

I may have to head back down there one evening just to see this moon lighted.

FLOW

FALL HERE

| Flower Roberts

Sometimes I take things for granted.

I am guilty of this when it comes to fall here in North Carolina.

Of course the leaves turn colors in October.

Of course it is gorgeous.

I forget what an unusual treat it is until I notice the ten-fold increase in traffic in the mountains.

Then I see what everyone else sees with new eyes.

The cold comes. The green goes into the tree and the other colors are left out in the leaves.

I hope I will remember this lesson about other things.

I live in a beautiful place surrounded by kind folks. I am lucky.

FLOW

The Hibiscus Circus

| Flower Roberts

I purchased an hibiscus combo pot earlier in the summer.

The colors would be a surprise. It thought this would be fun, anticipating the combination of blooms.

I was pleased with the results. Two ended up being the same type, but were a gorgeous double peach colored.

There was also a stunning red.

The last to bloom was a vibrant pink.

I have loved watching this plant on our deck. It has put on quite a colorful show.

That’s why I call it the ‘Hibiscus Circus.’

FLOW

Chipmunk Rescue

| Flower Roberts

I glanced down at the pond as I passed by. I spied something brown on the water lettuce.

It was the size of a frog, but had fur and was shivering.

Rose and I sprung into action.

We got a rake and scooped that scared baby up.

It sat in the pine needles shivering for a bit.

Its mama came for it and led it under the walkway.

Then she returned many times to look me in the face as if to say “Thank you.”

My heart is full.

FLOW

Rooting in the Sky

| Flower Roberts

Tiger Splendens’ bulbils are getting ahead of themselves this fall.

They seem to be preparing to jump from the mother plant.

Many have enlarged and grown roots while still clinging to mama.

I had noticed that some bulbils seemed to be nibbled on.

I wonder if the mama alerted her babies to bail out early?

Plants do communicate with other parts of the plant and neighboring plants.

I will be placing these in shallow pots of peat.

These are the grandbulbils of my first Tiger Lily.

This mama plant was a baby in 2018.

Bulbils grow up so fast these days!

Grandma Flow

Dew Diamonds

| Flower Roberts

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

Lifesaver starfish Plant

| Flower Roberts

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.

Huernia zebrina

Each pot, no matter its location, is blooming.

Its blooms are too perfect to seem real.

Huernia zebrina/ Life Saver Plant

It thrives on neglect with full sun and very little water.

This may be the perfect plant for you “Black Thumb” folks.

FLOW

A Sun and a Star

| Flower Roberts

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