Another beautiful flower in the garden this morning. These are always the first irises to bloom in my garden… shorter, smaller & sooner than the rest will be!

After last night’s storms, it was nice to see these little blue flowers still blooming in my front yard… unscathed by the rain! I “think” they’re Virginia Bluebells… I now have a couple plants & no recollection of ever planting them???

Looks like my Thanksgiving Cactus has finally decided to bloom. It’s always been so full of blooms for my Holiday Home Show in late November. But this year?… no blooms, no buds, nothing!!! But now, in the middle of February it decides o pop-out a flower or two?!!! Go figure…. better luck next year!

Looks my new waxed amaryllis bulb has been enjoying a couple days of sun. Feels weird to NOT be watering it at all?! But I guess that’s one of the novelties of a “waxed” bulb? Looks like we might be a couple days away from the first flower!!! Thanks again to Kathy for this floral fun!

So I received an amaryllis bulb as a belated Christmas gift from one of my students this week. And it’s “wax-covered”… like a babybel cheese?! Anyway, so there’s no dirt, no roots & no water??? Wait, what??? Just put it in the sun & watch it grow? Really??? Goes against everything we know about caring for plants? I can’t wait see how this one plays out. Thanks Kathy for my new houseplant intrigue!!!

With a weekend forecast of dropping temperatures, arctic winds & our first snowfall… I sadly believe that this is my final dahlia of the year! They had a good run… but Winter is coming… and starting this weekend?!!! ugh.

I spy with my little eye… somewhere deep in the lush greenery, I see one of my wheelthrown ornaments. While most people use them for Christmas trees… looks like Cheryl enjoys hers year-round when it’s hanging on her outdoor pergola. Even more amazing when it is being engulfed by some beautiful purple hyacinth bean vines!!! Thanks for showing off your garden Cheryl.

This morning’s dahlias in my garden. So beautiful this late in the summer. And I love how they seem to evolve & change colors day-by-day as they age & open larger! A nice “crop” this summer… hoping I have a couple more months before the big freeze comes to kill ‘em off!!!

Another fun art fair surprise!!! I’ve mentioned my on-going inability to grow pretty “weeds” in my garden. I LOVE black-eyed susans… and everyone says they’re so invasive & will take over in no time. And yet somehow, I can’t seem to get them to thrive. I have a couple teeny plants that have survived, but not thriving?! So it was so nice today when one of my longtime fans brought me a couple transplants from her yard for me to try. Thank you Carmie… you’re the sweetest!!! I just hope I don’t kill these too?!!!

So excited to have some black-eyed susan’s blooming in my garden!!! For those that have followed me for awhile, know how I’ve struggled. For years I’ve tried to grow them as they’re one of my all-time favorite flowers. But to no avail. Everyone said they’re so easy to grow. That they’re too invasive. That they’ll spread all over in no time. To which I said “Yes please!”

But year after year I would get nothing.

No matter if I planted plants, or seeds, or divided pieces from friend’s gardens… I tried EVERYTHING!!! So imagine my excitement now that I seem to have three plants that have “survived” and are now in their third year!!! And they’re FLOWERING!!! I’m hoping I’ve broken the curse?!!!