Garden Pic Wednesday: Rose Queen

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I had a chance on Monday to do some needed tasks while it was cloudy, threatening a storm and tolerably cooler, but it did little more then sprinkle. I mowed, put down some Bug-B-Gone just in the front yard to keep mole crickets out (they sometimes cross the road and burrow into my lawn in late summer), then sprayed it in with a weed & feed lawn spray.
It may have sprinkled on my side of town, but it poured cats and dogs on the Air Force base. Hubby came home drenched.
That's how it is in Florida. Rain one spot; nothing much elsewhere.

Today's Garden Pic is Rose Queen!
 Cleome is it's more technical name. It's other nicknames include "Spider Flower" or "Grandfather's Whiskers," because of it's wispy looks.
I've never grown it before. I just saw the seed pack on the rack at the store and decided to give it a whirl because it likes hot summer weather, full-sun, is reasonably tolerant of drought and attracts Hummingbirds, bees & butterflies. What could be better?
The flowers tend to look prettiest near dusk, so that's when I took this picture.


It grew easily from seed sown directly in soil in the garden and looks quite airy and attractive in the middle of a flower bed. It's on the tallish side--about 24 to 36 inches.
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Be sure and stop back Friday for Friday Finds when I'll be featuring Zazzle's new rubber stampers for card making!

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