Garden Bloggers Bloom Day- October 2009

The blooms today are my old favorites: peony rose, begonia, passion flower, bird of paradise. We've had two days of rain-- most unexpected for us this time of year-- so the garden sparkles today. It's warm, so all the blooms that were in bud are coming out.

The peony rose ( I don't know it's botanical name, so if anyone has an idea, do let me know.)  has got three blossoms and more buds.  The other roses are busy giving me new blooms.  Their stems have all gotten so tall that I will have to prune them back this winter.  The garden is happy when the roses start to bloom again in the fall.  The stress of summer is over and here, we still have weeks of warm weather, with the possibility of another heat wave. So goes our autumn in the Los Angeles area.

These begonias are the work horses of the garden this summer. No matter the weather they keep giving blossoms.  You can see the shadows of the petals on this passion flower bloom. We have very nice clear skies today. A beautiful day.

 

And who else should show his colors today, but the bird of paradise, still unfurling more blossoms than he's ever shown in one season. Happy blooms for a lovely day.

For more Bloom Day shows go to May Dreams Garden.

Sleeping Honey Bee Dreams

Little honey bee, little friend asleep on my house, what passes before your anthropod eye?  Do you see the garden around you or do you dream of the flowers you have seen?

 Do you see the pollen you have gathered to line your hive? And on your flight to your hive, just one more flower to light on, just one more.  Until you are too heavy with pollen and must return.  But it is so warm today, that you come back out of the hive eager for more flowers, for bathing in the flowers and resting on hot leaves, for basking in the summer sun until the evening cool sends you back to your hive.

Asleep and dreaming of different days, oh you of the segmented legs, you of the stained glass wings, oh you of the yellow and black striped tail.  What do your anthers tell you today, on this cool autumn day?

Do you sense the other flowers that wait for you on that hot July day? The reds and the yellows? The ones that you literally roll in all for the sake of the pollen, to grace the hexagons of your hive, to feed the new lives of your nieces and nephews.

O sleeping honey bee of the dwindling race, I wish you long life and health. Awake when my garden is warm again and visit my flowers, carrying pollen from flower to flower, so to make the seeds that fertilize my beds and bring me more flowers to brighten my path.

Home, Sweet Home

Now that the dust has settled from the house painters, the tree trimmers and the weather is a pleasant 75 degrees, the garden has started to look like home again.  We swept, moved, rearranged and swept some more to get things back in order on the patio. 

The chairs are ready for visitors. The fire pit prepared for the fire. Each pot and shelf and plant stand back in its place.  Even the table waits expectantly for tea cups to appear.   It is sight to behold, welcome to the eyes.

The begonias in the wrought iron scallops sit beside the blue house with the white trim. Ah, yes, our freshly painted blue house with the oh-so-white trim.  And who else joins us, but

the peony rose with three opening buds by the sun dial. Our constant friend, the peony rose.

To Blotanical

This rose is for Blotanical. With it I offer my thanks to Stuart for starting this great gathering place for garden bloggers.  I have found a family of bloggers who come visit me and support me in my rambles about my garden. And, thanks to Blotanical, I can visit oh so many blogs. It's like taking loads of garden tours in one day. I love it.

Sometimes I fall asleep with images from others' gardens in my head. What a wonderful way to fall asleep. My life is richer because of the gardener gathering made possible on Blotanical. I can never say enough thank yous. So I offer you my favorite peony rose in bloom as I write.

 

 

 

You can find Blotanical at http://www.blotanical.com/.

Spider Takes a Walk

Spider, spider, oh so light,

Who did frame thy symmetry,

Gave thee shape

And gave thee legs

So to walk

Amongst the flowers.

 

Who gave thee power

To spin a web

So to walk

In air, freespace.

 

 

 

 Who gave thee purpose

So to change

Thy path a-walking,

Thy way to go.

 

 

 

Who did give thee

Such a mind

To walk in shades

Of orange, blue

Red and white,

In beauty bold

Where beauty brights.

 

Spider, spider, oh so light

To walk with you

Upon this day

About my Bird of Paradise.

Paradise, paradise

About my Bird of Paradise

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, to have such a view

As spider walks

On Paradise.

They Survived!!

I think the assaults on my garden are over for now. The tree trimmers came, destroyed two plants, but, praise heaven, they're gone.  For those of you who have been following this blog, you know my garden has lived through drought, heat, Santa Anna winds, house painters, now tree trimmers. The live oak they trimmed is just above my garden. And I've got some survivors. Can you believe it?!  I've got some beautiful survivors. As I touched up their pictures to show you, I got so excited. Doesn't matter to the garden. They ARE gonna survive. Boy, can I learn a lesson.

My pride and joy is my peony rose. I've no idea what her real name is, as she was a gift from the weekly market. But her bloom is such a knock-out, so full, so fragrant, that I call her the peony rose.

 

 

 Wait until you see the blossoms that are still singin their hearts out. I honor them here.

Dragon Wing Begonia

Bird of Paradise

 

 

Echinicea

 

Begonia

Crown of Thorns

Cranesbill Geranium

Some of my champions are leaves. I'm just busting to share them with you. They're going great guns. Who'd a thought.

 Purple Oxalis

 

 Persian Shield

 

 Forget-me-not

  

Staghorn Fern

Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine

I could tell you a little story about each one. The Persian Shield lost half the plant from the tree trimmers. But this beautiful half remains. The forget-me-nots have spread to almost cover this plants. No stopping them in all this drought and heat.

The cranesbilll geranium has not stopped blooming through everything. It even has lots of buds, just as my peony rose does. That bird of paradise just keeps on giving blooms. It, too, has its beak-like buds yet to open. 

I learn so much about how to live from my garden. There will be survivors. Surviving will happen. Hurrah for the garden, one of my very best friends. Hurrah for the survivors.