The miracle hydrangeas, back from the dead!
I spent hours cutting back most of the dead wood, spurred on by the appearance of tiny little shoots coming out of the ground. I think that I’ve checked on them just about every day since then. And look! They’re tall and the flowers are far bigger than they were in the past. One bloom is over 10 inches across.
I’m so thrilled by this. Thanks to those of you who told me not to give up. I was ready to write it off. Boy, do I need this, to see renewal and regrowth out of seemingly nothing. It’s also so much healthier.
As we were leaving for the grocery store yesterday, I saw this great spangled frittilary on one of the coneflowers. (My favorite butterfly name.)
Just about to fully open.
It’s spectacularly beautiful out there. After an incredibly rainy spring, we’re in our first stretch of several days with no rain. We may get some storms tomorrow. I’ve noticed that both of our rivers are low. It happens every summer.
I started the new puzzle and worked on it quite a bit yesterday as I stayed true to our “Day of Rest” Sunday. The only thing I did outdoors was to get in the car to go to the grocery store with Don, and water all of my plants. The rest of the time was spent quietly.
I even slept in a bit this morning.
FYI, the starting time of the January 6th Committee hearing tomorrow has been changed to 1 pm EST.
Can’t wait!
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
Yes! I knew they would come back! Two quotes came to my mind-
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”- Audrey Hepburn
“Where flowers bloom. So does hope.” -Lady Bird Johnson
and here’s my all time favorite-” The earth laughs in flowers!” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Enjoy! Rejoice ! Laugh!
You were right, Betsy!
Stay safe!
That is a beautiful butterfly…. I’d never heard of it before! So I googled it…. interesting! Beautiful flowers, too…I love hydrangea!
I wish we would get some of your rain in California…. already have too many fires going on!
Enjoy your day!
I wish you could too, Barrie. Though it’s been very dry here lately.
Stay safe.
Beautiful to see all the blooms and butterflies! I need renewal on a Monday morning myself.
I think we all do, Linda.
Stay safe!
that’s great news (and views) of your beautiful hydrangea! glad for you. :)
glad that you had a day of rest, too.
some of my family and i went for a ride yesterday, took a highway to some gravel roads, then got onto a narrow gravel road. turned around at an even-more-narrow dirt road at which was posted a warning sign that it is a “minimally maintained road … enter at your own risk”. we decided not to risk (in part because it’s been rainy here). in the process, saw acres and acres of fields full of black-eyed susan flowers and got within ten feet of some very sweet cows. :)
otherwise no big news around here and nothing big on the schedule.
hope you all have a good day and stay safe.
kathy
Kathy thanks for your concern
Just gets worse
Wish they would have meetings to make people vaccinate mask and stop this Covid…also about the guns…wishes…
i agree, brenda. covid, guns (especially assault, automatic and other war-level weapons), crime, anger, hatred … ugh. i also believe better days are ahead so we need to keep going … and take breaks as needed.
stay safe and well!
prayers continue. sending a hug, if okay.
kathy
My black-eyed susans are getting ready to bloom. I love them!
Stay safe, Kathy.
Beautiful
Thank you, Brenda.
Stay safe.
The hydrangea looks spectacular! Glad you hung with it! And love that butterfly/coneflower image. Right place at the right time!
Have a lovely day!
Cutting back is a good thing, Jeanie!
Stay safe.
You can never tell sometimes about plants…glad you hung in there with the hydrangea. She has rewarded you well…it is gorgeous.
Love your capture of the winged wonder on your coneflower….I’ll have to look that one up. Always finding something new here…that’s one of my favorite things.
Enjoy your day! ;)
That’s a butterfly that I see frequently around here. Very pretty!
Stay safe, Donnamae.
Wonderful news about the hydrangea!
So glad you had a quiet & restful Sunday.
We were fortunate to receive rain and much lower temperatures over the weekend. The high Sunday was 71° (temperatures had reached 102° for a couple of days last week), and a steady drizzle most of the day — made for a lovely, relaxed Sunday indoors!
Beautiful shot of the great spangled fritillary & coneflower.
Stay safe & well.
Thank you, Amy.
Big storms coming in today.
Stay safe.
It seems like most plants benefit from being cut back, at least that has been my experience. Love Emersons quote about flowers and happy you had a restful day. Bill and I went to visit our Mom in her assisted living facility. She is in hospice now. I don’t think she has much longer, but I just wanted to sit with her and hold her hand. We also play music she likes. We played one of our favorites by Wynonna “I Can Only Imagine”. We got a smile out of her. I lost my mom when she was 52, so Bill’s mom has had more time with me than my biological mom. She had 3 sons, so she always called me “ her daughter”. Just a special relationship and so hard to watch her slip away. We will go visit her again today. Enjoy your nice weather!
I’m so sorry you’re facing the loss of your beloved mother-in-law, Deb. Thinking of you and your family as you prepare for the days to come. I’m glad you have been blessed with a loving mom.
Stay safe, Deb.
deb …
i will continue to pray for everyone in your family to have comfort and peace now and always.
take good care of yourself, too.
sending a hug, if okay.
kathy
Lovely photos of your flowers and that butterfly is perfect!
I will be watching the hearings tomorrow. Thanks for the time reminder! Those hearings give me hope that truth will win.
Me too. And boy, do we need that hope!
Stay safe, Ellen.
I’m actually writing this Tues because I wasn’t online yesterday; indeed READY to watch the hearings in just about three hours from now. I cleared the calendar!
Pleased to see your coneflower photo; I have them in my meadow patch and didn’t know their name. I love them, and they’re nice little ‘meadow’ flowers which have lasted a long time for us. Good color in the garden.
They last for a couple of months and bees and butterflies love them.
Stay safe, Vicki.