FOTD, Anthurium

It is a yucky, cloudy, dreary, melty, and foggy day here in the Midwest. Yes, thankfully the 26 inches of snow is finally melting after three weeks. Enough already.

I understand that FOTD is taking a well-deserved break but I needed some color today, so I give you the Anthurium that is growing in my office.

These are supposed to be difficult and fickle plants to grow so we will see how long it takes me to kill them. I really wanted some color in my office and while Poinsettias are wonderful this time of year, I know how fickle those are and the one in my office is really sad. So onward with the adventure.

Hope you enjoyed this splash of red for today. I really liked the one with the green edges.

Remember to always try to be kind. You never know when you smile or kind gesture may just make someone’s day.

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 19, The Bat Cave

Well, it’s not really a bat cave but this section of road, my daughter and I call the Bat Cave because it reminds us of the road to the Bat Cave in the Batman movies. And now that the leaves are just starting to change color, it’s beauty is really beginning to shine. Cee reminds us that leaves are acceptable for Flower of the Day as well.

This road cuts through the edge of Black Hawk Forest and you can see the entrance to where the trees fully overlap the road which we call the Bat cave.

When the colors get full and it is a pretty day. I will shoot out further pictures. For now enjoy the beauty of fall as it surrounds your area.

And remember to be kind as the season of plants prepares for winter naps, and we as people, prepare for the holidays or in my case, more football games.

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.

FOTD – September 12, Big

Cee’s Flower of the Day always has something new and colorful…I tend to be a broken record. But I dearly love sunflowers. This particular flower came up on its own. Last year when I cleaned out all of my spent sunflowers, I stacked them hear at the edge of the sidewalk so that I could take all of them with one haul to the trash. And all it takes is one little seed to create this 11′ beauty.

She has multiple limbs with multiple flowers growing on them. I counted 38 blooms ready to shout their beauty to the world. The leaves are huge checking in nearly 13″ across.

And her flowers shine brightly against today’s bright blue sky.

I have noticed that the varieties that have giant blooms usually only produce 1 bloom but then the varieties that have smaller blooms have many blooms. George, the sunflower at church (Yes, I name him because he got so many compliments), had 55 blooms. He was trying to make up for the seeds that the squirrels ate at planting.

I did not plant any of the sunflowers that came up in my yard. It was a very busy spring for me. But the birds made sure I was taken care of because the Goldfinches love these flowers.

As summer leaves us by turning into fall, we remember the beauty we have seen this past year with anticipation of next year. But each season carries a beauty of its own and we should remember to carry kindness into each season. Some need kindness more in the cooler seasons so try to always share your kindness wherever you go.

Kindness leaves others encouraged.

Let you Kindness fall in all the little spaces in between.

FOTD, September 7, Flowers Gone By

As fall seems to be finally coming in, we say goodbye to the abundance of color. Well, that is not true as fall colors are stupendous, but the many colors of flowers are fast approaching their winter nap.

As I was watching TV the other day, I saw this strange white thing floating in my slowly dying sunflowers so I went to investigate. What I found was an industrious spider had created a web from the evergreens to the drying sunflower blooms and the exploding dandelions of fall had met their match with the spider’s web.

When I looked at it again this morning, I saw that the spider was still growing its web and even more seedlings had been trapped. But it was an interesting and beautiful thing to see. All season have their beauty, you just have to change your perspective.

I saw some seedlings stick on a dying bloom and thought they were beautiful in their own way and thus was inspired to write a silly poem for them.

Dandelion

My arms reach out guiding me as I go

Sent up into the air where we don’t know

What is this destination of a life we show

When the wind just blows us to and froe

Next spring we awake from cold-hard ground

Coming up anew to our new home found

We show off our flower, it’s bright and round

And while it is beautiful, it makes not a sound

I close with a reminder to always be kind even when someone is not being kind to you. Your kindness will plant a seed that hopefully will grow into kindness as well.

All photographs are my own. Please do not use them in any form without written permission. Anita/Anitashope.com