Today's Flowers #59

Hubby and I visited a garden store last weekend to buy a gift certificate for a co-worker/friend who is retiring. While there, I looked around and found these ...my new treasures ...
Shrimp plant.




Bougainvillea trelis ...





Thanks to the TF team for hosting today's flowers.

Today's Flowers #58 - Digital Macro Shots

Time for Today's Flowers again. To see who are participating and if you are a gardener or not but loves to see spectacular, rare, versatile and exotic flowers anyway, please visit the TF team composed of Valkyrien, Pupo, Denise and Santilli.

Sweet and charming Petunia.


The rugged beauty of Streptocarpus, never fails to give me pleasure.


Glowing bracts Bougainvillea. I waited many moons to see it blooms. ;)


Stunning and the only survivor of my lilies that escapes the deer.


An old-timer fiery bee balm ... hummingbirds find them heavenly!

Today's Flowers #57 - Nature's Bounties

All these shots are from different places I've visited ... they are not from my garden. For more of Today's Flowers, please click here.







Sorry, this is a little blurry, it was taken while I was riding in a car.

Today's flowers #56 - Kiss me over the garden gate

Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate! WOW, have you heard of such a name? ... that must be one of the longest names given to a plant! Also, I have these images of young couples sneaking kisses over the garden gate, don't you? A couple of years ago, a friend gave me KMOTGG seeds. She told me that they are heirloom seeds and described to me what the stems would look like so that I would not mistake it with a weed. Unfortunately no plants came up. Since then I learned that the seeds need a cold period before they will germinate. It was suggested that storing them in the refrigerator should do the trick, or store them in a cool garage or basement before planting them in the early spring.
I saw her again in the early spring of this year and told her that I didn't have any luck sowing those seeds. The following day she gave me eight plants that are already about 6-8 inches tall. I shared four to a few friends.
It's hard for me to describe the stems, so I took a picture. It almost looks like bamboo; with rings and that thingy covering it. :)


And here they are now, standing tall!


I just love these tiny bell-shaped, slightly fragrant, delicate pink flowers, elegantly draping the large heart-shaped leaves. It's too bad Japanese beetles devoured some of the leaves. I go around almost every afternoon with a soapy water container picking and drowning those pesky beetles!


Here's a close-up of these rare and colorful plants of yesteryear. I'm hoping that I will have more next year because although kmotgg is an annual the flowers produce seeds for new plants in the spring.


For more of Today's Flowers please visit the TF team.

Self-portrait

It's a little dusty, but after all these years and with a new set of eyes, it's not all that bad. To know what I'm rambling about, please click here.