Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a sampler of what I have to be thankful for today. All photos are from my garden in November. I hope everyone has an enjoyable day!

Blooming Friday- As Time Goes By

For Blooming Friday this week our hostess Katarina had two examples of flowers aging beautifully from first opened to the end of its life cycle. I also have two examples of bloom cycles from my garden. Both have a long season of bloom with the first photos coming from July/Early August and the last two photos taken this morning.

Rudbeckia triloba







Salvia uliginosa, Bog Sage







For more Blooming Friday posts from around the world visitroses and stuff.

Blooming Friday~ Favorite Wildflower

For Blooming Friday this week Katarina at roses and stuff asks us what our favorite wildflower is. My favorite wildflower may be different on any given day. I would not say that any flower currently blooming in my garden would be my favorite but I do have one on the verge of blooming that's a contender.

I received the seeds for Georgia Aster from a generous Garden Webber and native plant enthusiast from Georgia. I hope that all is well with her given the current state of affairs in parts of Georgia. I didn't even know what the plant and flowers would look like. I love it! It reseeds like a good wildflower too.

























This is a new acquisition from Plant Delights Nursery in July 09~ Vernonia lettermannii. I wish I still had some of the tall ironweed that is blooming in the wild here in NC.



Eupatorium coelestinum aka Wild Ageratum ~ definitely a "wild' flower.



I discovered these blooms for the first time this morning on this mystery Salvia. I suspect it's a microphylla but I don't remember planting it and I've had lots of salvias as trades and from seeds. An ID would be most welcome!

Morning Sauna

It's been a rainy week so far and I didn't even go outside on Monday and Tuesday mornings but necessity took me outside this morning and I couldn't help but look around. Through the morning mist I could see the showy blooms calling me. I thought- of all mornings to see such pretty blooms~ such unfavorable conditions. So I took the camera out to the garage to adjust to the outside temps and left it for as long as I could while I did other morning things. As soon as I stepped out of the shelter of the garage the camera lens fogged. I had no time to waste so I decided that I would take the pictures anyway- maybe the lens would defog before I was done. The backyard sauna prevailed and these are my offerings.

The approach~





'Red Flyer' Hibiscus with a surprise bloom- just when i think it's done.

"posterized"


regular hazy image




My attempt at salvaging one of the Canna 'Journey's End' shots



Full Haze



Daylily 'Cripple Creek'~ I have one more bud after this one.





One last shot before I'm off to work. Still foggy but at least I tried.

Appreciation

Even though Autumn is a wonderful season in NC the shortening days have a way of bringing on the blues. I decided the best way to combat them on this Monday morning is to look for the beauty in the season.






Daylily 'Cripple Creek' is still going.



Viburnum 'Emerald Luster' and White American Beautyberry



Rudbeckia triloba



Mexican Bush Sage



More blooms from 'Journey's End'



Japanese Beautyberry



Miscanthus 'Cabaret' towers above it all.