Thursday, September 22, 2011

Other People's Flowers (for a Change!)

Earlier this week I took a walk around town with my camera. Though the growing season is coming to an end, and Irene definitely took its toll along the shore, many homes' gardens were still quite colorful. Above, a beautiful salmon-colored rose.

Wild Asters along the side of the road. There is a lavender variety as well as this bright white version, blooming this time of year.

Pink tea roses still flowering in front of one of the banks downtown.

I'm not sure what' the name of this shrub is with red berries. It's not a Holly, which have "berried" by now, too. Hollies have very shiny, dark green leaves with "points" on them, and these were a normal medium green, soft to the touch. The entire 6-foot shrub was covered in red berries.

A really pretty yellow rose. The "hips" where earlier flowers had bloomed and fallen off were really that purplish/aqua color. So distinctive!

Purple coneflowers in three stages of flowering. This plant is also known as echinacea, a medicinal herbal supplement.

Hibiscus in a very pretty salmon hue. Most of the ones around town are bright pink; these were more subtle. Well, as subtle as 6-inch wide flowers that look like they just stepped out of a fairy tale can be!

These "backhouse" flowers are planted at the base of a stop sign! I don't know their real name, but they were frequently planted around colonial outhouses, or backhouses, because they can grow to a height of 6 feet tall, thus hiding the outdoor privies.

A small clump of mini-carnations (Dianthus) was still blooming in mid September. They are usually late spring flowers. Mine have been done flowering since June. I was surprised to find these abloom!

Another beautiful rose, just about the "last rose of summer." Unlike many townspeople that seem to feel you are invading their privacy if you photograph their flowers (from the road, no less!), the woman whose garden this rose was in couldn't have been nicer, coming out to talk to me about gardening and photography. This rose had a gorgeous aroma, unlike the salmon rose at the top of this post, which had no scent at all.

A particularly nice shade of dusty pink autumn sedums. Bees absolutely love these flowers. I have some in my yard, and at this time of year, they are covered in honeybees.

6 comments:

  1. Today's post of yours made me think of this song - The Rose of Tralee

    The pale moon was rising above the green mountain
    The sun was declining beneath the blue sea
    When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain
    That stands in beautiful vale of Tralee.
    She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer
    Yet, 'twas not her beauty alone that won me
    Oh no! 'Twas the the truth in her eye ever beaming
    That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
    The cool shades of evening their mantle were spreading
    And Mary all smiling was listening to me
    The moon through the valley her pale rays was shedding
    When I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.
    Though lovely and fair as the rose of the summer
    Yet, 'twas not her beauty alone that won me
    Oh no! 'Twas the the truth in her eye ever beaming
    That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.

    Have a wonderful day everyone...

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  2. Thanks, Annie. You always class up the joint! : )

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  3. THANKS AGAIN, YOU ALWAY COME THROUGH TO CHEER MY DAY.THAT FIRST FLOWER IS JUST SO PERFECT.
    PORING OUTSIDE. OH WOW, THUNDER.
    IT'S SO DARK IN THE HOUSE IT'S LIKE NIGHT. I'VE GOT TO GET OFF HERE.
    GRANNY

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  4. You're welcome, Granny. It's about to rain here, and is suppose to rain some every day for the next week!

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  5. We have the same weather report here, Casey. Some rain almost every day for the next 10 days. And it's sort of hot again. Right now at 3:11 a.m. it's 72 degrees! And MUGGY!

    But your flower photos this time are just beautiful! I could almost smell the second rose! The leaves on the berry bush look almost like a laurel but I've never seen one with berries. Was so surprised to get to see what an echinacia plant looks like. I take that for a few days before I get on a plane and take it during my vacation. It has worked to keep from getting a cold or the flu when I fly. (I was notorious for that!) And I'm not into herbal medicines or things like that. So thanks for letting me see the plant!

    I hope all is well. Are you still having fresh tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwiches? ;)

    Katie

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  6. Hi Katie,
    Thanks for stopping by! I haven't had a huge number of tomatoes this year, a few of my plants just withered up and died this summer. I think the chipmunks ate the roots; they received the same care as all of my other plants! And since losing all of my food in the freezer after Irene, I've been making sauce from all of the tomatoes that did grow. I've also lost my taste for green leafy vegetables since I was in the hospital, weird, but I hope it goes away. I've made some great heirloom tomato sauce though!

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