Choice Morsels

Three pictures for todays Garden Pics: Preening Bee: I saw this Bumble Bee, clinging to this Pampas Grass bloom. It was cleaning  itself, like a cat, washing this leg, then that leg, preening. Then about 6 or 7 minutes later, flew on it's way.  Just One Forget-Me-Not Out of a dozen seeds in a packet a neighbor gave me, only this one Forget-Me-Knot grew. It has just bloomed. I'm going to let it go to seed. Maybe more next year?   Balloon Flower: Despite the purple tone in the sunlight, this Blue Balloon Flower tends toward bluish. They're called that named because their buds, just prior to opening, look like little hot air balloons. I'm letting spent buds go to seed on these, too, though I'll collect them. This plant is actually one grown from saved seed. 

I feel a change in the air already--the feel of autumn! I mowed the back yard today and it was so nice outside. Warm, but with a dry feel. Finally--not sweltering! For Garden pictures today, I have 3 things: First: A Balloon Flower blooming in front of my blue ceramic cat: This Balloon Flower is one of about a dozen I raised from seed I saved last fall and planted various places. I put one in each pot that sits in front of the Pampas grass out front. This one looked so sweet blooming in front of the ceramic cat! That ceramic cat looks beat up because the deep freeze of the 2014 Arctic Vortex it sort of blow apart, but since it's yard art, it's okay if it looks a little rugged. Balloon Flowers are a terrific, compact perennial that bloom all season. I prefer the blue, because I collect blue garden flowers, but it also comes in white. Next: My fully bloomed out Pink Pampas: A couple weeks ago I had a bloom of the first couple plumes, but here she is in all he...