After several years of trying & failing, I’m so excited to FINALLY have a black-eyed susan plant come back for a second year… and have its very first flower in my garden!!! One of my favorite flowers that everyone says is the easiest of plants to grow… but not for me. So many variables, varieties & garden locations… thrilled that I might have FINALLY succeeded!!!

My cousin Kim was outside enjoying her garden… and decided to take a few blooms to enjoy inside as well. Good thing she had one of my flat textured ikebana vases to put them in… using the small pin frog inside to prop-up the flowers! Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden Kim!

Celebrating another #FloralFriday with some pretty flowers in one of my stamped & soda-fired oval vase. One of the benefits of an oval vase it is keeps the flowers tight, and spreads them wide so you can see more of them. Enjoy… hope they brighten your day!

An early morning hike out in the suburbs to start my day…
wandering aimlessly… enjoying my road to nowhere.

Just noticed this morning that my favorite plant is blooming already!

It’s a crazy-cool plant that I got a few years ago as a cutting from my plant pals in Peoria. They call it Bear’s Breeches… but I think the real name is Acanthus Spinosus. It’s got really cool leaves… but the flower spikes are AMAZING!!! So excited that it has really taken off & grown so much over the years. I love it!!!

Before the morning rain… a little early morning pollinating on the purple larkspurs currently blooming in my garden! And they’re breathing a big sigh of relief after a bit of rain… they weren’t so happy during our heatwave drought days last week!

On a road to nowhere. Someone visiting my booth during the Northern Illinois Pottery Tour mentioned how “important it is to get out of your zip code every once in awhile.” She was talking about her drive all the way out to Sandwich… but I took it to heart today. A beautiful day with some beautiful clouds. Perfect for exploring & playing out in nature… away from my own zip code!!!

Sure, it might just be a weed… but doesn’t it count more if it’s a “pretty” weed? I’m really digging these purple thistle flowers… and the pointed “crown” around the bottom of the flowers!

More “seasonal confusion” as another Easter Cactus just started blooming at home!
Fun little explosions of white petals in a stamped & soda-fired flowerpot.

A new pop of color in my garden this morning… and luckily, orange is my favorite color!!!