I got two of these ‘Daybreak Coreopsis. I placed them as bookends of this small flowerbed.
This area has been neglected all summer. I am grateful that “Lil’ Bang” has thrived through my neglect.
It is a perennial so I hope it will survive the cold here on the mountain.
The tag claims hardiness to -20°F. We shall see.
FLOWER
This Lantana is a ball of color. I love that its buds, new blooms and mature flowers look like a bouquet.
The red could not be redder. No wonder it is named ‘Hot Blooded’ red. It is an annual. I will remember this winner when I look for plants in the spring.
I am in Zone 5. I have been learning a new landscape. I picked this plant for its deer resistance.
I save all plant tags to help me find the best performers again.
FLOWER
On my deck there are two artifacts together that are highlighted by the sunshine in the mornings. They are sort of like a shrine. The windchime is there to remind me of my cousin, Mark B.. The gazing ball is for remembering my Daddy who loved all things blue.
It has taken years to remember these two people without the sorrow that comes with loss. My world shifted and I carried on with the emptiness. Then once the pain faded, it has been like they are part of me and my surroundings. There seems to be a new kind of presence in their absence.
I look at these two forms and see how the glass refracts the sun and metal blocks the sun to make a shadow.
That’s how I feel about what is left. The object’s presence works with light to make the colors and shadows for the perception of second presence. There must be light for this to happen.
It’s the light that makes this possible. My love for them and their lives made the missing and memories possible. I still perceive things differently because of my love for them. My reality has been changed. So in a way something of them is still here, because I still love them.
FLOWER
I wrote this for a dear friend and his two sons. Their dear Lisa is suffering no more, but her light is still here, because their love for her is still here.
I know it makes no sense that I have kept these keys.
We never figured out what most of these were for.
Some are for cars long gone, some are for houses sold and offices left.
There are even dog tags from past pets.
Daddy had a reason for keeping these.
Maybe one day, something will need unlocking and I will bring out the box and open a lock that needed opening.
I know it makes no sense to keep these keys, but I cannot get rid of them just yet.
FLOWER
I love vines and I love purple. I did not plan this combination. Nature planted the morning glories. The Passion Vine is a hybrid called ‘Blue Crown.’ A hybrid is a mix of two different strains.
If you are a follower, you know how I feel about vines. I have learned life lessons from them due to their faith in reaching up and out and their grabbing hold for support when needed. They always strive to go higher. They inspire me.
I had wanted to live my life like a strong and magestic tree, but my fate was to live like a vine. I have struggled to accept my interdependence. Thankfully the vines keep modeling a different path in ascent.
I have watched vines grow amazingly high and strong when in the right location. I have also watched them crawling across the ground searching for support. Like the tomato vine that I had to step over to take these photos.
I have had to guide some climbers that lost their way and grew up under structures to be trapped in darkness. Some even ended up enclosed in pots and under stoneshrooms and had to be rescued and rerouted.
Wrong Turns
Sound familiar?
Maybe you are a vine, too. I have some vine friends that I am entwined with. We support each other and end up the better for both of us. Win:win as twins!
And about that purple? That color is regal. It does not have the boldness of red nor the dark hue of blue. It is a tween color. The red and blue join to make something beautiful together.
Sometimes it takes two different lives to achieve perfection in combination. Do not try to be everything all by yourself.
I no longer wish to be a tall and sturdy tree. I do admire their strength and grandeur. I have accepted my vineness and my purpleness. Others have different fates, but mine is as a vine.
I would be remiss if I left out the down side of entwined vines. Sometimes they reach for the sky and there is no support.
Then they bend back on themselves or twine so tightly together that they both droop and die.
Sometimes interdependent becomes co- dependent. If you are a vine, you must be selective about what you connect with. Not all partnerships are beneficial for both.
FLOWER
Plants need to protect themslves. They cannot run away from danger. They have to survive where they are. This means some form of defense is needed.
My century plants have claws. I have been scratched and stabbed by these over the years. The new claws are a lovely red, warning color.
I got both of these agaves from a charming plant store on Oakracoke Island years ago. That is where I first saw a Century Plant bloom close up. Wow, they are amazing.
Yes, I am the one posing in the road. Ha
Once in a Lifetime
My two babies are about big enough to put in the ground. I must be careful doing this. I will not worry about hungry enemies with teeth. A claw in the nose will do the trick.
Then all I have to do is wait sixty years or do for it to bloom!
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FLOWER
I did not dig these dahlias last fall. Nor did I remove their tomato cages that were placed for support. These are on a hill that I have fallen on many times when I had the legs of a mountain goat. I will not be doing much gardening here.
So the dahlias have been on their own for two seasons now. They seem to thrive on neglect, except they do need staking. I hate seeing flowers face-plant. Better them than me!
It pains me to see Thomas Edison so down.
Snow Country is falling like snow. Firepot is a complete mess. All the dahlias need a good dead-heading, but since their care-giver has had two hip surgeries and one to go, they must hold their own another season.
They may need tending, but I must say they look the healthiest I have seen them in years. That’s what I am working toward for myself. Healthy and strong despite the falling.
My dahlias may be down, but they are still thriving without any help from me. Hooray solitary survival!
FLOWER
Anything edible must be protected from the deer herd. I even dug and divided my collection and gave many away.
I am not sad about this. I love sharing plants. I do not love feeding wildlife. I am a biologist first and gardener second. Feeding wild creatures makes them lazy and dependent. They will keep coming back for more.
I only break that rule during weather anomalies like droughts and extreme cold. Even then the assistance is sporadic and in different locations.
So the sedums you see here are isolated in strategicallylocated pots or inside fences. There is plenty of wild vegetation around for them to eat.
I have keep wild spots in and around my yards. This encourages nature to stay in balance.
The bees love my sedums but love my weeds equally well. Nature should win. It’s been growing things a lot longer than we have.
FLOWER
These lovely blooms greeted me as I walked down the sidewalk to go into my home.
I have been away for weeks. I was glad to see the bright, complex blooms of Lycoris radiata.
FLOWER is home
floweralley 