TGIF!!! Boy am I glad this week is over!!! It is time to flaunt those flowers! Head on over to Tootsie Time to flaunt yours, or see other bloggers flaunt theirs.
These flowers are thriving in this heat! I have not watered any this year, only getting water from Mother Nature. So far, so good.
Above: Purple Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susan & Prairie Coneflower
Black Eyed Susan
Purple Coneflowers with Prairie Coneflower in background
Purple Coneflower
Prairie Coneflower
Heirloom Hibiscus, Double Daylily, Plumbago, Cahaba Lily
Phlox and Cahaba Lily
Cahaba Lily
Heirloom Hibiscus
I haven't been able to catch it in bloom. They bloom early in the morning, and close up around lunch. Since I work...I only have the mornings to catch the bloom open. Since it is so hot and humid here, the camera lens fogs up before I can get a good shot. But am not a quitter....so I won't give up just yet!
Plumbago
Black Eyed Susan
Monarda, Black Eyed Susan, Phlox, Crocosmia
Monarda is almost done putting on a show
Crocosmia
Phlox
Gladiola
My glads didn't do very well this year. I have a lot of them, but some had very bad blooms on them...they looked old and shriveled up.
Morning Glory Tree
Sapphire Sage
and a few juicy blueberries!
I am heading to Orange Beach tomorrow for the weekend. This will be the first time I have been to the beaches since the oil washed ashore. I am taking my camera to get plenty of pics to share with ya'll. I don't know what to expect. I see the pictures everyday on our local tv stations and newspaper, but to see it is person is different. I think it will hit me once I am there. It is devastating enough on the news....in person is going be completely different.
Our local economy and businesses have been utterly devastated by this. Every condo on the beaches is empty through Labor Day. People our out of jobs, and worse of all, people are taking their own lives due to their livelihood being lost.
The oxygen level of our local water is dangerously below normal level, and contains extremely high levels of methane gas. This is basically smothering the fish, and they are dying in masses. Most of the fish are coming in shore to search for more oxyginated water. In turn, the other animals that feed on them (dolphins and sharks) are also coming in shore. Scientist have different 3 new species of fish since this oil spill. These are fish that are deep water fish, that have died and been captured on the surface of the water.
I doubt they will ever have an accurate count of how many birds have died. We have so many marshes, and inlets here, that it would be virtually impossible for them to recover them. They go up into the delta, and they die. They get eaten by other predators, and will never be found.
It is a viscious, endless cycle. Everyday it seems to get worse and worse. Unlike a hurricane, that does its damage all at once. This oil leak seems to be endless, and the people all along the coastal south (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama & Florida) are greatly suffering, as are the marine life. God bless the men and women that are out there cleaning the oil up off the beaches. Everytime I see pictures of them in those HOT,white hazmat clean up suits, it pains me. I get hot walking outside for 10 minutes, in a tank top and flip flops! So being out on a beach in a zip up body suit in 98 degrees has got to be misery.
So please keep us in your prayers. We need it.
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16 comments:
Hot, hot colors, mostly. very cheerful blooms!
Wow, you haven't water your flowers at all?? They are doing so great. If we don't water, everything gets really dry and wilty.
Oh April!!! this is a gorgeous flaunt!!! I linked it to the linky for you girl...I was late getting my post up...
I hope you have a safe trip...that is such a horrible tragedy...I wish they could just clean it up and things be good...but I know it is not that simple.
hugs to you lady!!! missed ya!
Your pictures are oh so beautiful but your post is so sad. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to see the devistation of the oil spill, far beyond anything I can comprehend. We will be keeping all of you in our prayers.
Gorgeous flowers!
Regarding your heirloom hibiscus, the same shrub flourish blooms in different colours/shades? I gave one shrub to my sister-in-law and hers turn out to be pink ;-)
Have a great weekend!
Great shots! That white lily is amazing!
Reading your last few paragraphs saddens me so much. I hate to think of all the marine life and people this is affecting. I think there will be a domino affect for a long time.
Oh my goodness. I don't know where to begin. I'm just sitting here with tears streaming down my face after reading your blog post. You know, I live in Michigan, and I've been following the oil leak and the devastation, and it's quite horribly upsetting, but reading something written by someone who lives right around the area and what's really been going on, well, it makes it really brings it home.
I'm so sorry for your area and the areas affected and wish like crazy there was more that I could do.
As for your gardens, WOW! Your flowers are so rich and beautiful. I love your gardens. You must get so much out of them. How wonderful for you.
May your days be peaceful and sunny and may better days come soon for all those (animal, plant and human) effected by the oil spill.
Susan
http://simplepleasuressimpletreasures.blogspot.com/
Such beautiful blooms.
I am so sorry that your trip this weekend will be to take pictures of the devastation at the Gulf shore. This is breaking the hearts of people across the country. I pray it is not as bad as you fear -- but I know that it's very bad indeed.
Your pictures are fabulous! I grow LOTS of black eyed Susan, but never tried coneflowers. Same conditions and care? (which here means, pretty much none.)
Lovely blog! Thanks for sharing, and yes, you have my prayers for your part of the world ... such a tragedy.
Cass
Tatyana thanks..it definitely livens the place up.
meemsnyc...I have not watered because we have been getting afternoon thunderstorms nearly everyday. If we were to go to 3-4 days without water, I would have to water at that point. For the most part I only grow plants that are able to endure our heat.
Tootsie thanks for linking me in
:-), you're the best.
Debbie, thanks. It is sad. I wonder if there is any crime actually happening in our city, because all they report about is the oil spill. So I guess the criminals aren't getting any media attention due to this...so I am sure they are happy.
Stephanie, my bloom is a very pale, pale pink....almost white, with a magenta center.
Happier than a pig in mud...thanks....BTW love your name ;-)
Susie, there are so many situations with this oil spill that aggrivate me beyond belief. They put out MILLIONS of feet of oil boom to protect our shores....but yet all of our beaches got covered with oil?!?!?
Susan you are too sweet. Thank you for you kind words. It devastates me to see all of the wildlife we are losing.
Cass, the coneflowers are very easy to grow. They are pretty much self sufficient. They do not need a lot of care. They take the heat and lack of water extremely well. They multiply well, and are easy to grow from seed. I am actually going to the beach with my husband and 2 other couples to see a concert. We are staying Friday and Saturday night. It is a pleasure trip. We may not be able to get into the water, but I can still lounge by the pool :-)
I am so sad about what is going on in the gulf area. It is just terrible.
OMG! girl just look at all of your blooms going on. That Cahaba Lily is just the prettiest thing. I think it is because it is so different in what we think a lily looks like. I love the blue Plumbago and planted some this year. I cannot wait to see them bloom. I am still babying the little hibiscus plants from the seeds you sent.LOL! I am so afraid I will kill them but just glad I finally got them to start. The Prairie Coneflower is lovely too. Is it a perennial?
Have a good weekend!
Your blooms are gorgeous. We haven't gotten any rain for over a week, so the hoses and sprinklers are hard at the job. The oil spill just sickens me. I can't believe anyone would allow that drilling without first having all possible disaster recoveries in place. I'll stop. I could rant about it forever.
Your flowers are gorgeous.... I can't imagine what mine would look like if I hadn't watered.... I'm guessing with all the rain it wouldn't be totally devastating, but not as good as when they get a good drink. Beautiful flowers and great photography!!
Wish there was more to be done about your situation down there... it's a loss for everyone, but especially those that make a living and live there.
Love your blooms. I am curious to see what you see on your trip. We all feel so helpless but at least we can pray.
I love your bright cheerful colors!
I don't even want to see the shore. The news is bad enough! It was so sad to cancel our beach trip. I still feel the soft breeze and can imagine the smell from last summer. I just hope I can experience it again in my lifetime. And the birds here in Louisiana. Sad,sad, sad!
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