Flowers on a Monday

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Arose early, went out to flirt with the flowers. ~Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessman, diary, 1885

My blogging friend Eliza regularly participates in something called In A Vase On Monday, sponsored by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

I love those posts — the creativity and the beauty — but I’m reluctant to cut the posies from my yard (or somebody else’s!) for fear the mother plant would die.

Instead, I thought I’d capture a few late summer flowers and share their individual beauty with you. Please enjoy!

Pretty in pink:

A mass of tiny yellow flowers:

Have you ever seen an aqua flower? I hadn’t either:

Doesn’t this look like Fall:

These are Zinnias. Aren’t they striking:

Tiny white flowers make me think of Spring:

But this one says Fall, don’t you think:

And who can resist blue flowers:

Look who’s dining at this butterfly bush:

Last, but not least, don’t you love these:

Happy Labor Day, my friends!

26 thoughts on “Flowers on a Monday”

  1. Debbie, each and everyone of these are gorgeous! And I too have never seen (or even heard of) an aqua flower – it’s beautiful. I love both the color and how delicate it looks.

    “Tiny white flowers make me think of Spring” – me as well! They look so much like the blossoming of Spring!

    Love your capture of the butterfly! And that last flower (purple/white) is a work of art!

    Isn’t nature GRAND?

    I am so looking forward to the colors of Autumn! Can’t wait!

    Thanks so much for sharing these beauties, my friend! And have a fabulous Labor Day!

    X to you and the Monk!

    • Thanks, Ron — I’m glad you enjoyed them. When I spied that aqua flower, I just knew I had to get a picture of it. What an unusual color! I guess you could edit it to display that way, but I promise you, it’s untouched.

      You and me both, looking forward to Fall colors. I worry that we haven’t had enough rain to bring out all its glory, but we will see (I fret over that every year, ha!)

      It was 50 degrees here this morning, and I had to put on jeans and a hoodie to go outdoors — we’ll send some your way! XX

    • Thank you! I was beginning to think I’d just missed seeing them, but I guess they’re pretty rare. I think these were wildflowers in somebody’s yard that Monk and I walked past.

  4. Loving your collection of late summer flowers, Debbie! I can’t say I’ve ever seen an aqua colored flower either, how pretty! It’s interesting that the summer colors are pleasantly mixed in the gardens with the autumn flowers so naturally. If I had to choose, the pink zinnia in the first picture would be my favorite.

    • Pink and red flowers certainly seem to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, don’t they? I’m sort of partial to the blues and purples, but the yellows jump out at you, too.

  5. You know I enjoy seeing flowers and what a beautiful array you’ve given us!! I love all the colors, but the variegated ones n the last photo are especially nice!

    • Aren’t those purple-and-white ones gorgeous? I thought they looked like tiny roses, but I didn’t notice any thorns — not that I even dreamed of trying to pilfer a bud or two!

  6. How lovely! The zinnias and bachelor buttons were staples of my grandmother’s cutting garden. I often was allowed to cut flowers for the Sunday table, and it was great fun. My ‘arrangements’ weren’t necessarily artistic, but they were pretty. That purple-edged one in the last photo is quite something; I’ve never seen anything like it. I do think the blue bachelor buttons are my favorites here, though: perhaps because of the memories, and because I envy them a bit. They won’t grow down here.

    • Are the blue ones bachelor buttons, Linda? If so, I can see where they evoked pleasant memories. I love your story of making arrangements as a kid; I didn’t do that — and still prefer letting flowers grow naturally outdoors. That way, I can enjoy the pollinators, too, when they come calling!

      • Yes, the blue ones are the bachelor buttons. My grandmother had them in pink and white, too. They certainly made for a nice bouquet, and they grew so prolifically that cutting a few now and then didn’t reduce their numbers at all.

      • One thing about bachelor buttons: they reseed themselves nicely, and can come back year after year. That’s probably one reason Grandma had so many of them, and didn’t mind my cutting them for table bouquets.

  7. Are all of these in your yard from the new landscaping summer project, Debbie? This is a nice variety. Wonder what type of butterfly that is…that stopped for a sip?

    Great quote! The author is a surprise!!

    • TD, the only one from my yard is the one with the butterfly. The others are all from a walk the Monk and I took. He was none too pleased about my stopping every few seconds to whip out my camera, but I reminded him how many times I have to stop while he sniffs pee-mail … or lifts his leg!

      I have no idea what kind of butterfly this is. I really should’ve gotten out my app, but I didn’t. And who knew Edison could be so poetic?!?

      • Yorkie and I are the same way. Perhaps we might create a better word than “walk” to describe what we really do.

        I don’t have any photos of butterflies. By the time I get my cell phone ready to snap the butterfly is gone. I tried to snap a photo of the dragonflies yesterday. And I considered trying to video the fireflies / lightening bugs last night. Nothing accomplished except pure enjoyment of their visit to my yard.

        It looks like you might have a lot more butterflies dining with you! Happy Labor Day to you both as well.

        • I haven’t had any luck getting pictures of hummingbirds, despite trying. They’re just so fast!! I guess maybe all we can do is simply enjoy them as they appear!!

        • I have tons of photos and videos of hummingbirds! I place feeders on my front porch. I take their pictures from inside looking out my window from two rooms. I started this just over a year ago. A few wintered with us. I’m able to tell the difference from behavior and specific coloring. I name all my regulars. The two weeks we have been getting more because it’s migration season. I love these tine birds!

  9. Beautiful flowers, Debbie, and I prefer them on the plant than in a vase, though flower arrangements can be gorgeous too. But I hate when they begin to wilt and die, and having to decide when it’s time to throw them out! So I like your kind of bouquet best!

    • I’m glad I’m not the only one here, FF. The Domer had a teacher back in middle school who told the kids he never gave his wife florist flowers because they were just going to die. Imagine how many young ladies were disappointed at hearing that, ha!!

    • Oh, these definitely are not my garden, Eliza. In fact, only the one with the butterfly is in my yard; the others were found during one of the Monk’s and my walks. Lisianthus? I’ve never heard of it. Now I’m off to Google and learn more — thanks for ID-ing it!

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