Eighty-eight days after the first seeds were planted, this first sunflower has turned its face toward the sun and begun to bloom. Over the course of those 88 days, I've also planted a variety of sunflower seeds in waves, and so I hope we'll have this kind of show all summer long.
The portulaca continues to bring a great variety of flower colors, like this hot red one, matching our early morning temperature in the mid-70s.
Along the fence in the back yard, our first two daylilies have started blooming today, as well. You can kind of feel the momentum of bloom now that we're in the first days of summer.
Until now, it lurked at the feet of the daylily above, but this morning, this purple foxglove revealed itself as it came into bloom. Here its stalk is still concealed by the long stem of the daylily towering above.
And out along the fence, the shasta daisies have fuzzy tops, as they begin to unfurl in the summer sunshine.
"I know a little garden close, set thick with lily and red rose, where I would wander if I might, from dewy morn to dewy night." - William Morris.
12 comments:
I had to stop mid-post to find out who was singing "Flowers Are Red." Great song! Harry's brother Tom sings songs like this for children, and they don't make you want to throw up the umpteenth time you've heard them. This is very important on trips. (I kinda miss those songs. Beats death metal.)
gorgeous! I have a warm fuzzy place in my heart for shasta daisies. I like the sunflower a bunch. :)
The Chapins are some wonderful songwriters/singers, eh? Tom is an alumni of my college, and was our guest speaker (singer) at graduation. It was tres cool.
And I just love "Flowers are Red."
Java, it's a good thing you've got a big heart, cause there's a hell of a lot of Shastas about to bloom along the fence!!
I'm very excited about the sunflower!
You had only reported recently that the sunflowers were still growing their stalks and now to see this one in all its glory. We definitely get surprised by nature, which I guess is a good thing. Can't look at nature as being mundane or predictable, can we?
I see exactly where you're coming from with my daisies seeming to be of a dwarf variety. :-)
The daylilies have a nice rust color to them with black stamen(s). Not like the typical daylily.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do." Helen Keller
Love, love, love those clematis!!! Also love "Fields of Gold." Have you heard the Eva Cassidy version? It's hauntingly beautiful.
That sunflower is something else. The spent flowers can be tied up by string to a tree branch and the birds will love you for it. It's fun watching them hang from the bottom of the sunflower whilst grabbing for the seeds.
Your day lilies are way ahead of where mine are. I haven't seen any shoots coming out of the leaves yet. Our back yard is very shaded but there is enough intermittent sunlight to make things happen.
Ahhh pretty pretty pretty!
Now that I am back working I can finally start to fund my passion for gardening. And let me tell you there is much to be done.
But you are such an inspiration, I am sure if I need a tip or two I know where to come. *winks*
When you come visit us, we will have drinks and I will regale you with the story of the sunflowers of years ago and the innovative ways the squirrels found to attack them! :)
Afod, I've learned the garden is anything but mundane and predictable, that's for sure! I'll have to look more closely at those daylilies, since I was taking them as just some more of the ubiquitous orange roadside pretties...but it could be mine have cross-pollinated with some other variety somewhere...this is their third or fourth home now, too!
Curt, just Thank You!! What a wonderful quote.
Marc, I am unfamiliar with this Eva Cassidy you speak of. I'll have to research. I was a little disappointed that the "medieval /unplugged" version of the song wasn't available for my playlist, though.
Butch, have no fear, my garden truly is for the birds, and pretty much everyone else who wants to enjoy it, too!
Sh@ney, dude, I'm always here to offer inspiration, advice or enlightenment, though you are probably on your own with choosing species that work in your part of thte world! ; )
I envy your sunflower!
I remember a garden with sunflowers only when I was 3 or 4 years old. We lived in other house with big garden then.
I love sunflowers and their color
Thank you for this photo!
Jess, I'll admit I'm intrigued by the blackberry cosmo...and I love a good story of adversity in the garden, especially if there's adorable animals in the tale!
Hi Mary! My sunflower is yours to share, as you've shared the memory with me. I bet those sunflowers seemed giant to you at that age!
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