Flowers of the Day

The third pink/white dahlia to open is the prettiest of all, in my humble opinion of course!

This is the time of the growing season my goldenrod start to bloom. I've planted 3 groups of these native wildflowers around the base of an old tree trunk, along with dark purple Perilla, a native perennial relative of Coleus. My day lilies and some Iris are also in this 'tree garden.'

This is my red/yellow variety of dahlia in the beginning of its blooming cycle, with distinct and saturated  color delineations. . .

. . . as they mature over the course of a week or two, the colors fade to a more muted peach with just the tips in a darker red. This makes the plant seem to be two plants to the casual observer, and the reason I don't pick them. I love to watch them change.

By my front door, I have a painted antique milk can with a pot of asters on it. This plant has been green and lush all summer and as is the case with asters, is just now starting to flower with lavender daisy-like flowers. Some nasturtiums can be seen in the background. You can also see that Pink Gardens needs a bit of maintenance on the steps  . . .

A close-up view of the lavender fall asters. Day lily leaves surround them in the back.