Flower Update

Hi All!

I know that there are people who doubt the existence of God but, when you look out your kitchen window and see this, how can you doubt?

This, of course, is one of my moonflowers in full bloom. They are such lovely things and so unexpected at twilight and gleaming in the light of a full moon. This flower is at least six to eight inches across. *Sigh* so beautiful.

I guess that since I am showing pictures of flowers, I should give you an update on the "new" flowerbed.
Here is a wider shot of the moonflowers. The vine isn't too pretty but darn, those flowers!

Here are the cone flowers I started from seed. No blooms or flowers this year but I am optimistic about next year. They are perennials here and should put on a show next year. I am planning on thinning out the bunch and planting some elsewhere in my year. I don't know where yet but . . . that is the plan!


Here is a slightly fuzzy shot of my biggest Hosta. These I planted from root things (I have no clue what they are called!) and they are taking their own sweet time growing. My mothers says that next year they will probably be a lot bigger. I hope!

Again, sorry about the slightly fuzzy picture but it was starting to rain and I wasn't in the mood to be patient about the focus. This, friends, is what I hope will be a date tree, bush, plant, leaf, some day. I planted five dates in this little pot and this came up. It looks like a date frond but that is all it does. I don't know if it needs more soil or what. I will investigate when I take it inside for the winter - I don't think it will handle even the mild winters here in Texas.

And Hubby said it would never grow! Ha!

Moving on. Here is the cactus my mother sent me in the mail. Notice that it has several new lobes on it. I need to get in there and straighten it up a bit so it doesn't lean over the pot and "get" us when we trim shrubs.

Next is a picture of my balloon plant which had lovely blooms on it this Spring. Last year (yes, it survived the winter and came up all on its own this year!) it only bloomed once but, I noticed that it has a bud on it! True, it only has ONE bud but still, it is progress!Then, there are the shrubs. I call them the Ugly Shrubs. You may have seen them before if you have read my past blogs. There is a good reason I don't like them too much. I will explain.

Here is a picture of the Ugly Shrubs when they are pretty much under control.

See - all nice and neat. One could even say that their silver green color is nice against the brick of our house. They might even be said to be a nice contrast with the other shrubs in the bed (grudgingly I admit that is true). However, there is one trait that they have which inevitably makes smoke come out of my ears.

What could that be? You might ask? Well . . . you see every time it rains (or Hubby waters the flowerbeds) these ugly beasts do this.

They send up shoots. Shoots which grow by leaps and bounds. Shoots which grow about three inches a day! I said DAY! They are fast growing little buggers! In this picture, the shoots are at least ten inches long. And this was only a few days after it rained a half inch!

These shoots, of course, mean that I have to get out there and trim shrubs. Again.

I just "love" trimming shrubs over and over and over and over . . .

Trisha

Voice Update: Still in my funk. I did some massage but . . . that is about it. I think I have speech this Wednesday so I am sure that Susan will shake me out of my funk.