Worry is like a rocking chair, it's gives you something to do but gets you nowhere!

Monday, October 12, 2009

The Weekend...

As most of you know, we raised quite a few Monarchs this summer. We got to witness the entire process, from the Monarch laying the eggs, eggs becoming caterpillars, caterpillars becoming chrysalis', chrysalis becoming butterflies......it has been a wonderful experience for our family. Now we are seeing chrysalis' hanging under our porch roof and even on this garden hose reel. For those of you already receiving frost and snow, I thought I would share a few blooms from our gardens in this 90 degree, humid weather. Saturday morning I woke to a fresh Ornamental Okra bloom.....
and a fresh Clematis bloom. I did prune this ever so gently, it seems to have needed it.
Tipsy planter is still hanging in there.
A fresh bloom on the Sensitive plant was also found.

Ahh, the Phlox-Nikki is putting on a show.
A little Autumn color if only on a mushroom.
Datura-double bloom
Firespike
Golden Dewdrop
Cassia Alata

I hope you had a good weekend~~

34 comments:

tori said...

beautiful! thanks for posting these. The frost has everything in my garden looking sad!

Sunweeds said...

I love the idea with the butterflies, my children would love to do that. You have lots of very interesting looking plants, I always leave your blog with a list of plant names to look up and learn more about.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Darla: We had a freeze last night so this is such a welcome post. Beautiful photos of your flowers.

Susie said...

Nice blooms Darla. Like your new header picture too!

Urban Green said...

Me too, me too. I got the touch-me-not (sensitive) plant blooming too.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Always enjoy seeing your butterflies. I like the new header too.
Marnie

Anonymous said...

Beautiful pictures!
You can easily grow your own sensitive plant indoors year round
http://www.sensitiveplant.com
see the video

blushing rose said...

Slowly the cooler air is taking its toll on the gardens. I love your flowers & the butterfly posts.

Have a wonderful crisp autumn day. TTFN ~Marydon

Gail said...

As always Darla you have wonderful blooms. Marnies's righ, that is a great new header. I wish we were having a little warm of your weather! It's chilly, cloudy and not what I want the weather to be! gail

Patsy said...

There are two butterflies in my garden ready to pop out. We have sun today that will help them. Your blooms are lovely.
Patsy

Dorothy said...

Great to see so many pretty blooms! Love the bloom of the Sensitive plant. That was quite an experience raising those Monarchs! You've got it going ON!!

RURAL said...

Apparently we are all getting a early hard frost around here, so to see anything growing, and blooming is a treat.

Although WR has escaped the frost so far, up in Armstrong it is bitter cold. -10 C.

Brrrrr. and very unusual.

Jen

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

90 degrees sounds so warm! It's cooled way down here, but luckily no frost.
I still think it is so neat that your family has had this experience with the Monarchs.
Your flowers look so pretty!

Lona said...

Well I wouldn't like the 90 degree warmth but I could use some of your heat up here.
It has been fascinating watching your pictures of the butterflies this summer.

It looks like the ants like your Cassia Alata as much as they like peonies.

George said...

We haven't had frost or snow yet, but things are looking a little worse for wear in our garden, so I really appreciate you sharing these pictures with us. I really like what you've done with the Monarchs. Your header photo is great.

Lois said...

Everything looks so beautiful Darla! I love the Monarchs.

tina said...

Those monarchs are so awesome. I like that cassia alata. I saw them on Nell Jean's blog and may try to grow them next year. Such a pretty yellow. No wonder you have so many monarchs.

Jan said...

How very exciting! What a wonderful experience that must have been. My 12 yr old son would love to do something like that. I had plants to attract monarchs but I didn't get a single one, unfortunately. I waited and watched, but no luck this year. Perhaps next year:-) I like your header with your daughter and the butterflies!

Anonymous said...

Hi, very good yor blog.

Twisted Fencepost said...

Love that sensitive plant.
And that Classia (yellow thing) is interesting. I like it too.

Icy BC said...

So many beautiful pictures! I love looking through your collections, and watching things grow in your garden..

Anonymous said...

Hi Darla~~ Gosh I heard you all are having a heatwave down there. The irony of it. Most of the northers are in the deep freeze. Not I, thanks to the pacific Pacific Ocean. Love that Firespike, wondering if it's a Persicaria species. Love your new header. Blog makeovers seem to be on everyone's mind lately. Isn't this fun?

I hope the temperatures cool soon. You will post info on your T shirts when they're ready, I hope.

Robin Beck said...

Wow-So beautiful!
I can't believe how warm it is where you are!
We got two nights of record breaking cold so everything growing just kind of gave up. Rain is coming tonight and staying for a long time, this will warm the temps up some...Whooo hooo!

Enjoy your week!
Robin~♥

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Darla, Can't believe that you all are having so much heat and humidity... My cousin who lives in Melbourne was talking about Florida and the heat....

Be that as it may, your flowers are still gorgeous. When most of us are at the 'end' of our flowers, yours are still marvelous!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

Ellie Mae's Cottage said...

Ahhhh so lovely.... especially now with our weather getting so cold. Thanks so much for sharing. -Jackie

Anonymous said...

the monarchs are beautiful. it's easy to forget the toe curling caterpillar goop on my sprouts when I look at what they become ;o)

Shelley said...

I just adore that tipsy planter! I wish you lived by me so you could tell me all the flowers I need at the cabin! :-)

P.S. I couldn't remember if you have dogs, but I found a cute halloween costume you might like and posted it on my log blog.

kesslerdee said...

wonderful pictures- I've had an amazing number of butterflies this year too- have witnessed the magic outside my office window!

Dani said...

I'm so glad your butterflies did well for you this summer. It's such a wonderful experience.

Kate and Crew said...

What are those sensitive plants? Are they weeds or a real-live-plant? The photos look just like some weeds I've seen growing along the fence in our back yard. They are beautiful little things...

Tootsie said...

did you change the name of your blog? it isn't more family and flowers anymore.
I have seen a few like that today.
I love it that you had such success with your butterflies girl...and your gardens still look wonderful

Frances said...

So glad to see so many blooms, Darla. And thanks for the info about the hummer feeder. I hate to take them down while the little birds still feed there, but don't want to keep them here when they should be moving on. Figure they know when that time will be. You oldest big kis shot makes me smile every time I visit. Aren't okra flowers incredible? We still have blooms but don't think the pods can form, too cool. Temp wise cool that is. We have harvested the mature and drying ones for decorations, they are drying in the shed and look fairly yucky. Might have to paint them, or not. :-)
Frances

Anonymous said...

Of course it looks good---It's Darla's house ;)

Corner Gardener Sue said...

The flowers seem to be loving this time of year in your garden. My husband just emailed me a photo of a tipsy planter like yours. It is fun looking.