It definitely feels like Fall is right around the corner. The zinnias are still beautiful, but you can tell they’re nearing the end of their season! Beautiful colors with great petal structure… but a few of them aren’t holding up so well. Enjoy the end of summer while you can…

Another sign that Fall is on its way. Just down the block this beautiful Sweet Autumn Clematis is taking over their fence. Dainty little white flowers on twisting vines… quickly taking over the wrought iron fence.

Crazy cool flowers growing in my garden right now… thanks to my Peoria friends Rosene & Gerry! I planted these several years ago from little spin-offs of their mother plant. It took awhile, but these Bear’s Breeches are looking really cool now! Even better… I have three more little spin-offs that I’m nursing through now. Hoping they take hold soon… and look as cool as these next year?!

It’s that time of the year… the pollinators are busy getting everything they can!
Pretty flowers now… spreading pollen & making yummy honey later!

Without a cloud in the sky, the sunrise was kind of eventful this morning… so I turned the camera around and found this wonderful field of yellow flowers basking in the morning sun down by Montrose Harbor.

Sometimes a single flower can be enough.
Big impact from a homegrown dahlia in a handmade ikebana vase.

So excited to FINALLY have these growing my garden! I’ve always loved Black-Eyed Susan flowers. So simple. So classic. But I’ve NEVER been able to get them to grow in my garden. I’ve tried many times… but failed. People say they grow like weeds… except for me! People have sent me plants and told me they’re “impossible” to kill… and yet I did. But I decided to give it a go & try again, this time with some homegrown plants from my Peoria friends and their Spring Plant Sale. Now I don’t want to jinx myself… but they’re still alive & finally blooming!!! We might have broken the curse!!!

Stalky yellow beach flowers basking in the morning sun.

Hydrangeas after the overnight rain.

The gift that keeps on giving!!! Still the same first bloom of my dahlias…. the same single bloom that I’ve posted three times before this. Again, amazing to me how much they change & evolve as they continue to grow & open with more & more petals!