Rainy Morning

As I was watering this am, there were a number of things competing for my attention beyond the fact that it started to sprinkle, and people were looking at me strangely. Yes, I knew it was raining. I cannot count on rain to make it through the heavy leaf structure of some plants like hydrangeas to their 18" containers, so I give them and some other plants a quick hit with the hose almost every day. But there were a number of sights I thought I'd share.

Tiger Lilies over the edge. 

Caladium 'Red Flash' 

Gloriosa Lilies 

Daylily

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Sunflower Peredovik

Black-eyed Susan Rudebekia 

bashful? 

Oriental Lily 

Another orange Day Lily

Hydrangea 'Limelight' 

 Joe Pye Weed  Eupatorium purpureum 

This is Clivia which belonged to Louise, a dear fried who recently passed away. I repotted it in late May when I first brought it home. My experience with Clivias has always been that they need to be extremely pot-bound before they will even think about blooming. This one was then, so much so that it was growing roots everywhere out of the pot. Much to my suprise, on Monday I noticed it had buds. This morning the first one opened.  Thank you God for this small reminder of loved ones in my life.