I’ve often said that my favorite flower is a Black-Eyed Susan. I love how they grow pretty much everywhere… except for my own garden?! Well this Fall, I have planted a few more with fingers crossed. I planted some “regular” ones, as well as some of these fuller & larger ones. Plus, I received a wonderful care package in the mail from my friend Maryann in Baltimore. Apparently she has a HUGE patch of hardy Black-Eyed Susans. So she dug out a few and sent me some bare roots in the mail for my birthday present. Everything’s in the ground… hoping for some good weather to get them started before Winter sets in. And then we’ll see next year what happens?! C’mon Susan… I’m rooting for you!

It’s always great to see my pottery out there being used.
So glad my friend Kelly is enjoying her wall pocket vase…
and keeping it full of beautiful Fall flowers!

Yesterday I rescued some “slightly-used” flowers from the “glitter gig.” I brought them into the studio to spruce up the place. I love the textures & colors of my new studio still-life.

This wonderful flower has reappeared in my garden. From what I understand, it’s a Toad Lily. I don’t have any recollection of planting this beauty, but I’m glad that it pops up every Fall. Always a surprise to me! There’s only one stalk… but it’s covered with several blooms along its length. Now if I could just get it to spread & multiply?!

This morning we strolled through an incredible 8-block long Farmers Market in downtown Minneapolis. So many wonderful fruits, veggies, flowers, colors & textures!

Along the way, we tripped upon a statue commemorating Mary Tyler Moore… and that momentus occasion when she made it to Minneapolis and celebrated by throwing her hat up in the air. Of course we had to recreate it… but all we had was Pam’s stalk of brussel sprouts!

Apparently Pam really likes brussell sprouts?!… who knew?

So I was shopping at Home Depot this evening for stain, varnish & brushes so I could make some quick ClayQuilts for this weekend. I happened to find myself checking out the “clearance” plants… picking up a few perennials to add to my garden for cheap. When all of a sudden I saw some flitting about in my peripheral vision. I assumed it was a bug… but no, it was a hummingbird. We don’t see many of them in the city. It was pretty cool. Luckily, I managed to grab my iPhone quickly to snap a couple pictures. Some were blurrier than others… but this one wasn’t too bad for a quick iPhone snapshot. A teeny tiny hummingbird flitting about.

When I got up this morning and went outside to start my morning ride, I was welcomed by a beautiful scent & a “glowing” white flower in the darkness. Apparently, it’s a Datura “Devil’s Trumpet” plant that only blooms at night. I had kind of forgotten that I planted this earlier this Spring. But it was a very welcome reminder this morning!

There were also a few other beautiful surprises this morning in the garden. Some colorful purple cleome blooms and fragrant lantana blossoms.

My friend Kelly got a couple new wall pocket vases at the Hinsdale Fine Art Festival.
She and her husband Kel couldn’t decide… so they got both!!!
And it’s good to see that she’s already putting them to good use!!!

Along with all of the wonderful pots on the Tour, it was also a beautiful Spring weekend.
With a little chill in the air there were great signs of Spring everywhere we went.

And some great milkweed pods bursting open to fee the seeds.