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.

FOTD, August 4, Balloon Flower

Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge always gives us the opportunity to share the different flowers we see. I got hooked on these beauties last year so I planted some more this year – balloon flowers. It’s an odd name for a flower, but I am guessing they get that name from their shape right before the bloom opens, as they do look like a hot air balloon.

Once they open, they kind of look like a balloon that just burst with the pointed edges rolled back – probably more like a five pointed star.

And purple, regardless of shade, is always an acceptable color.

When enjoying the beauty of flowers, I am reminded of the beauty of kindness. It is a gift that we can share wherever we go with mankind, animals, and even plants.

Always Be kind…to all kinds.

FOTD, August 1, Bouquet

Cee’s fun Flower of the Day Challenge allows us to go in various directions so, today I give you a bouquet…

I am retired but work part-time at the church doing small things. One of our members brought in this bouquet Sunday for fellowship hour. A time after the service where we socialize with each other over coffee and sweets. Since I did not make it to service, I did not see the flowers on Sunday but they placed them in m y office for me to enjoy during the week. And Monday I walked into an amazing smell. I am including some close up shots for you to enjoy each of the individuals blooms from the bouquet. First are the Spider Lilies – the one responsible for the majority of the fragrance.

Then the hydrangeas and cluster flowers gave a supportive background for the other show-off flowers.

One of the eyecatchers I believe to be a gladiolus but regardless of it’s name, it’s color is beautiful.

But my favorite of the bouquet is a plain white lily, that really is not plain at all. It seems to be a flower in a flower in a flower. The petals a four layers thick and the yellow pollen sprinkled down them give them an amazing look. This view from the side shows you the multiple layers of ruffled elegance.

The beauty of flowers awakens inside of us a peace and calm feeling that we stop momentarily to enjoy. This beauty and peace reminds of the home that awaits us and a kindness that has been shown us throughout our lives – even during hard times. So, I challenge you to share that kindness with others and help this world be a better place.

FOTD, July 31, & Encouragement

Cee creates an amazing challenge using flowers with her FOTD post and many of us join in on the fun. This evening, I want to stretch that challenge with encouragement from a weed.

Due to the excessive heat we have had this summer, I have not been able to work much in my yard the last few weeks, and as usual, the weeds have taken over. But Friday I started the weed whacker and took care of business. One weed I left as it was covered in interesting looking buds and today they are opening.

You can see from my thumb how very tiny this cluster of flowers is. I took out my camera with the macro lens and got a closer shot to show you the intricacies.

Here you can see the super tiny flowers bunched together to make the cluster of color.

What I want everyone who reads this to really see and understand is that each of us is just this beautiful, just this intricate, and just this much loved as we were created. If God goes to the trouble to do this for a tiny flower, even an unwanted weed type flower, think of how much more precious you are to God when he created you in His image. So don’t let anyone tell you that you are not loved, that you are not special, or that you are not needed. Because God never makes junk, He always makes a masterpiece.

So smile knowing you are special and remember to smile and be kind to others who may not realize how special they are.

FOTD, July 26, The Peace Garden

At our church, we have several small gardens that surround the building and are taken care of by certain individuals, families, or certain classes. The Peace Garden has been the focus of one of our families that work in it at different times of the year to prune, mulch, plant and of course to enjoy. It is located on the corner by the driveway to the parking lot so it gets seen by many people – even those who do not come to our church.

The lilies in this garden are extraordinary. This crazy triple digit heat does not seem to bother them. This first one is kind of a peachy orange with a pink blush in the center of the petals and a bright yellow center. I love the ruffled edges.

The other lily in the garden is a bold maroon red with a bright yellow center.

Here we have three blooms on one stalk. Beautiful.

On the backside of this garden are happy yellow cone flowers.

There are brick walkways that wind through this small garden to help those who enjoy gardens, a way to relax and enjoy its beauty while feeling its peace.

For many, flowers and gardens have a way to reach down inside of us to help us relax and enjoy the beauty God intended. So, I remind you to enjoy the beauty around you and to always be kind. Being kind has a beauty all on its own.

FOTD, July 19, Portulaca

Portulaca is a type of flowering plant in the Portulacaceae family that is also known as the moss rose as it does resemble a small rose. The flower size is not larger than 4 inches but its vibrant color makes up for the small size.

You can see that in the flower box, they are more widely scattered than tall with succulent-type leaves. On closer view their mix of colors can make you smile.

The bees were very busy this morning with their little legs being covered in the all important pollen. Below are some closeups of individual bloom colors and their bee friends.

A white bloom, a red bloom beside it, and a yellow bloom with a bee friend.

Rosey pinks with their bee friends and a light pink below.

This bloom really shows the rose like quality of the bloom.

As you enjoy the simple beauty of these blooms, remember the beauty of kindness.

Always Be Kind!

FOTD, July 18, Lily

I love surprises. Especially flower surprises that just show up from a random bird dropping of seed. This is a flower bed doomed for destruction and restructuring so I have not really done much with it this year but now I had a bulb that will need saving and replanting.

I had one similar last year in my front yard but it did not come back this year. Maybe it moved to the back where it gets more sun.

Both blooms are exquisite with ruffled edges, bright yellow centers, and a pinkish color to the petals. Join in with Cee’s Flower of the day and share the beauty you see.

And as always, remember to be kind. The beauty of kindness is more important that the beauty of any flower.

Always Be Kind!

FOTD, July 16, A Redo

A few days ago I posted a flower that was upended before opening by a storm. I was hoping it would bloom inside. So today I thought I would show you the bloom as it did finally fully open. I give you a burnt red-orange sunflower…never seen this color before.

I tried several angles to show off the color but this seemed to be the best shot. The petals almost look brown but looking close you can see the orange. And the pollen is bright yellow and long. You can see in the closeup below how long the pollen stems are plus it gives you a closeup of the petal color.

Flowers can be an amazing journey as you visit gardens or try “mystery” seed packets like what this one came from. The bloom size is not huge but its effect is.

Have a beautiful quiet Sunday and remember to be kind.