FOTD, January 4

I thought I would share some “Not Flowers” flowers from my trip to Vegas. At the Bellagio, they have a Conservatory & Garden made totally out of dry flowers. It was amazing so I will share those for my Flower of the day.

As you first walk in the lobby area, the ceiling is covered with glass flowers that look like they are floating like balloons.

Then the archway going into the conservatory is bordered with 20 foot tall sunflowers (compare by the huge doorway, column and arch ceiling). Since I had huge sunflowers myself in my yard, I was not surprised by this but the flowers themselves are decidedly larger and all made from dried flowers and grasses.

The mushroom fairy houses of this magical land were fabulous. This is where you could get close enough to see the individual flowers.

And of course you can’t have a mystical forest without a mystical moon…

…with a very large owl.

I hope you enjoyed a walk through the “Not Flower” garden. Remember, all flowers are beautiful, even those that are not flowers. Let their designed beauty and their radiating kindness bring a smile to your face.

Always Be Kind!

FOTD, October 10, Many Faces

Cee’s Flower of the Day is always inspiring regardless of the season. I still have flowers that refuse to give up, even though the weather has cooled way down. So, I am honoring them today with all their many faces.

This is a flower planted by the birds in my area. I started to mow it down but decided to wait and see what it would be…and it’s quite lovely. I think it is in the Coreopsis family of flowers. The plant is in various levels of blooming, so I shall share the different faces of this plant.

While the fall flowers are still trying to smile at us, it’s a reminder for us to smile as well. Smiling is a great and easy way to share kindness.

FOTD, October 5, Sunflower Tree

Cee reminds us with her Flower of the Day challenge that flowers are indeed worth having their own challenge as they challenge each day with their beauty and grace.

While I have shared my sunflowers several times, the early morning sun shining through the trees and this particular sunflower “tree”, it seemed that it needed to be shared again.

It really is a single stalk and it is now in full bloom where some of the older blooms are dying and going to seed, but still, it remains eye-catching. I have neighbors who come by on their walks to stand there for a few moments to look at it.

Nature is amazing even in bad weather but this morning is beautiful with the first feeling of this year’s cool autumn air. It will get warm again but at least this is a start. In all that you do, remember to always be kind. It can warm a much-needed heart on a cool autumn day.

FOTD, October 3, Portulaca

Portulaca grandiflora, are more commonly known to those of us who can’t pronounce scientific names as Moss Roses. They are marvelous small succulent plants with flowers of many colors within the same grouping.

But this mixture of beauty reminds me of the beauty people can be if they try. We live together in clusters called cities, we all look different, we wear different colors, are different heights, and we have different ways to share our beauty of life.

Maybe you are a rich red beauty looking like a miniature rose…

Or maybe you are the soft gentle soul of light yellow rose…

Which is vastly different than the bright yellow which reflects the brightness of the sunshine.

Or maybe you are the neutral power of strength for all colors having no color at all.

My favorite of these lovely flowers is the mauvy pinkish-red which to me shares the kindness that we should all share with all people regardless of the brightness of the colors we wear.

As flowers gracefully move into the fall season, let us not forget the beauty that they have shared with us all summer. This is how they shared their love and kindness with us. We should take a cue from them and always remember to be kind to others in our “cluster of flowers”, especially to those who may need a little extra kindness.

Always Be Kind!

FOTD, September 26, Azalea

While I was in Georgia, I took pictures of flowers still blooming in my brother’s year. He has a type of Azalea that blooms twice a year. So I was able to get pictures of the fall blooms.

They were so lovely but I also took pictures of other things blooming in his yard, mostly tiny blooms but in my book a flower is a flower is a flower. 😊

And of course, Roses are always beautiful to see.

Remember flowers bloom to share their beauty and kindness with us, so we should share our beauty and kindness with others. That was everybody gets to smile.

Always Be Kind!!

FOTD, More Fun with Macros

Cee’s fun Flower of the Day challenge has really made me conscious of the fun you can have with macro photography. I am not an expert photographer, but I do enjoy playing with my camera.

As things begin to change for the season, you get some odd color changes and amazing details that only macro and close photography will show you.

This flower, normally a rich red, is fading for fall showing beautiful yellows and orange centers.

These cluster flowers I have shared before but you don’t really see the details except up close. look at the black center of each flower. This entire cluster is less than 1″ long.

I love the concept of flowers within flowers. The sunflower seeds are maturing and you can see the tiny yellow flower of each seed.

Here you see early sunflower seeds when the inner flowers are just being formed. They are primed with pollen for the bees to do their part.

Blue mouse ears, yellow eyes with pupil dots, a yellow smiling mouth, and two front legs.

Yes, my imagination gets out there sometimes with flower shapes, but this small weed flower of only two petals looks like a tiny big-eared mouse.

I end with two small cluster flowers that show some delicate beauty still to be had in the garden. There are so many different aspects of beauty in a garden…or even the side of the road in some cases. They are each a gift from God that He shares with us showing beauty and love. It is our response to slow down enough to appreciate each delicate one.

And as you slow down to enjoy, remember to share kindness as well. That has a beauty that is stronger and more lasting than any flower.

Fun with Macros

With photography, I am a poor amateur at best but I probably have more fun with it than some. This afternoon I saw how my only giant sunflower this year has drooped nearly in half from the weight of this huge bloom. So I was able to get up close and personal and see its tiny details.

The bloom is almost in the shape of a heart or maybe it’s just my odd way of looking at things. And it looks to have a flower inside the flower.

Nature is a complex entity and you will miss the beauty and “aww” moments if you don’t pay attention. This post is to kind of highlight some of the intricate details we miss if we don’t look hard enough. That is what I love about macros, they force you to see the tiny details.

For instance, we see the giant bloom of a sunflower but macro photography shows you that each seed that is forming in the huge bloom (this one is almost 11 inches across) also has a flower.

Since I was playing with my sunflower, I decided to macro photograph the tiny blooms in my yard that are still growing.

Except for this little beauty, all of these flowers are less than an inch in size. These spikes are about 1/2″ wide and about 3″ long. I also have this flower in pink. And sorry, I don’t remember what its name is. I tell myself I am going to remember the names of the flowers I plant…and then don’t.

These tiny beauties are Calibrachoa. I had several colors of these but these are the only two still blooming. All of them have bright yellow centers.

I think this flower is in the Coreopsis family but not sure. I love its dual color.

I don’t remember this flower’s name either but the cluster is less than an inch in size. That makes the individual flowers super tiny.

These are an old favorite as well, Dianthus. They come back each year so that is a bonus.

These are the only fall flowers I planted this year. Just been too busy. These are fall mums but are tiny for mums as they are just getting started.

I can’t close out the macros without showing my variegated Spider plant’s first baby. Too cute. This plant was a gift from a sweet lady at church.

I hope this post brought a smile to your face like flowers usually do. Smiles are a great way to show kindness, so smile often and be kind.

FOTD, August 26, George

Cee’s Flower of the Day gives us smiles in abundance as we share the fun that we see. Today I am sharing yet again, a sunflower…but not in my yard. If you remember I hoped to plant a sunflower circular garden at the church but due to the early heat and drought of the summer, the rabbits and squirrels were especially hungry so the majority of the seeds either did not grow or were eaten. But all is not lost…for there is George.

George is the only multi-bloomed sunflower. Matter of fact, there seems to be new blooms every day on this one single stalk. George told me today when I was taking his picture (yes, I talk to my flowers) that he was going to make up for me not getting to have my circle of flowers. So, he is taking it upon himself to make up for no flower circle by producing as many flowers as he possible can. Current count is over 50. Fifty buds on a single stalk is a lot! Each limb has at least one flower plus a bud but some have 3 and 4 extra buds.

The bees love these flowers…

Here is George’s closeup 😊…

As you enjoy the flowers around you, remember they are trying their best to make you smile. Also, remember that smiles are a great way to show kindness, so smile often and be kind as much as you can.

FOTD, August 11, Garden Circle

At the beginning of this summer, my church tried to plant a sunflower circle but the elements and the pests(rabbits and squirrels) were in disagreement with that happening. We were hopeful for one plant trying to make it but an early storm broke him off at the base. So I bought marigolds, daisies, and other plants to at least fill in some of the outer ring of the circle with hopes for next year. Thanks to Cee’s fun challenge, we are able to share these beauties.

We did have two sunflowers make it to ‘maturity’, but the drought stunted their growth to about five feet in height but at least they are blooming. YAY!!

They are such an interesting color, kind of burnt orangey red. The rest of the flowers in the circle are low and trying to survive from the crazy crabgrass invasion. This fall we will do a better job of laying grass and weed stopping cloth and a new layer of mulch. Enjoy some of the rest of our flowers in our circle of hope as they show their beauty to all who walk by.

A six-petaled yellow daisy. I so love the daisies and mum type flowers because they have many tiny flowers as the center.

I also love the many variations of marigolds. We put the bright yellow ones around this circle to help with insect control and to bring in brightness like the sun.

And last but by no means least, the orange and pink lantana, always a favorite. I think they are supposed to be yellow and pink but they have a definite orange hue to that yellow.

It is still just August, so plenty of time to share your flowers. Share them often to help all of us smile. A smile is the least expensive way to share kindness and joy, so smile often and always be kind.

FOTD, August 5, Hopeful

Cee’s Flower of the Day allows you to pick most anything that grows, so today I give you hopeful.

This beautiful flower came up by accident because I forgot about it but my dog dumped the pot upside down allowing the bulb to grow by itself.

I was sad when I saw that all the flowers were gone and that no seed pods came in their place like daylilies do. I had hoped it would expand and I was willing to let it continue to spread. But upon closer inspection yesterday, I saw the buds were there, they were just now forming.

So I am excited for next spring to see how they will do. I will modify the bed giving them more ease of expansion. Nature is a magnificent force of survival that not only takes care of vegetation but also man and animals.

So enjoy all parts of nature and remember to treat it with kindness. Kindness has a beauty and power that we all need to share to help all of us enjoy natures bounty.