Welcome!! It's time to display our blooms again! I found this
red and black dragonfly and I thought it'd make a great welcome
picture. To see what's blooming in gardens across the world,
please visit our gracious host, Katarina at Roses and Stuff.
I'd brought this gladiolus plant from my mother's garden in
July. All the plants had finished blooming (then) and I only
got to see some drying-on-the-plant flowers. But I did get a
tiny plant with a few leaves (three, I think) and brought it home.
Well, I didn't expect it to bloom this year but gardens never
fail to throw in a few surprises from time to time.
Honestly, I thought the bloom was going to be in one colour.
But the pink lines make it look rather special. These plants
are common in the hilly areas (like my hometown) but I admit
I've never grown them. You see them in most gardens or on the
edge of gardens spilling on to the road.
As I photographed the buds yesterday, the heat of the afternoon
sun was so intense that I had to rush back in. Thankfully, it
rained last night and getting to photograph any bloom with raindrops
still on it, is a gardener's delight!
At the back you can see the Sunset Bells, still providing a great
deal of colour. The idea is that when the summer colours fade, other
plants will take over:) It's a small circular bed but the photographs
give the impression of a little more space....
This photo was taken early this year in February. This is to
show the glads I grew after buying the corms from a local nursery.
This variety is not found in the wild.
As for other blooms, the pink and white four o'clocks are
blooming in these colours. Some are pure white, some have
a tinge of pink. It's interesting to see the blooms.
The yellow ones are also blooming...the scent in the evenings
is wonderful. I'm waiting for the hummingbird moths to come.
So far there's been no sign of them. Still hoping......
Have a great weekend, everyone! And thank you for checking out
my "Blooming Friday" post.
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35 comments:
Kanak,
Stunning dragonfly! It looks a lot like our Roseate Skimmer which I posted on blog last night.
What a great way to start my day Kanak! The dragonfly is so unusual. I love the glad you brought from your Mother's home. What sweet colors. As for the four o'clocks, they are so pretty yet I never see them around here. Thanks for a tour of your beautiful yard and I wish you a nice weekend and cooler temperatures. The raindrops are lovely on the glads.
So beautiful! I love gardens, but right now I stay in an apartment. So I am planning a balcony garden :). Your garden however is BEAUTIFUL!
♥ Chaitra
Lovely Dragonfly and beautiful blooms, they do look wonderful with raindrops on.
I hope you get a visit from the Humming Bird Moths soon, they are such exquisite creatures, I haven't seen one in my garden for some years but when I did it was an amazing experience and I have never forgotten it!
A very happy weekend to you Kanak :)
What beauty! And, two of my favorite flowers. I am growing 4o'clocks for the first time this year.
The rain drops on gladiolus flower are looking awesome. I love four o,clock flowers because of their availability in varieties of shades and unusual behavior.
Very pretty dragonfly, Kanak. We see them here too. Dont know the name though.
The gladiolii are really brighteningup your garden, aren't they? Do you dig out the corms and store them away when they are done flowering?
Very gorgeous blooms! Gladiolas I love and miss growing.
Rosey
Thanks Randy..will check it out. This one was rather difficult to photograph.
Mildred....so glad to read your comment. The most common four o'clocks come in pink. Mixed colours can be fascinating because you don't know what's in store.
Chaitra, thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Mine's a small garden. Good luck with the balcony garden. I'm sure it's going to be a beautiful one!
Jan...thank you! I did get a few Humming Bird moths earlier this year. Managed to get some blurry shots but the colours were spectacular! Ever since I heard from Randy (Emmit) about these amazing creatures visiting four o'clocks, I've been hoping they'd come here too. So happy you liked the photos:)
Barbee'....thank you so much! Your mirabilis jalapas must be lovely!!
Birdy...I was delighted it rained last night!! The drops do make such a difference!
Sunita...the name is some long-winded 'neglectum'!!! I decided red/black is better!! I did store the corms. Last year (if I remember right) I planted them in November. The sudden rains during/after Diwali make the ground very soggy. The corms are safe and dry...till now.
Hi Rosey, thank you so much!!
The gladiolus with the pink stripes is really special. I have never seen a red dragonfly- the picture is beautiful.
It looks like rays of sun emanating from the center.
Just beautiful Kanak, they are stunning flowers the gladiolus both in the garden and in a vase.
Have a great weekend/ Tyra
The four o'clock flowers are pretty. In fact I like all three of them :-) I am not familiar with gladiolus but that bloom is indeed a beautiful one. Yes, surprises are good... makes gardening more fun. Enjoy your weekend!
The dragonfly looks so handsome - it's got such intense colours. And I think the glad from your mother's garden is so pretty with the crimson stripes! -Lovely flower display, Kanak.
Trevlig blommig fredag!
Katarina
Love your photoes of insects :) and flowers.. So you are blessed with visits from hummingbirds aswell, wonder whenever the decides to move up in the cold North...
I understand a gardener's delight in photographing drops of rain water on petals. Such satisfaction!
Kanak... I love how the dragon fly's abdomen is the same color as your striped glad... lovely! Great color and how can they bear the heat? Hope you are getting all the rain you need to cool things down. Have a lovely weekend. carol
What lovely colors, Kanak. Well-captured...
Following your blog is a pleasure..
Lovely blooms as usual Kanak! Nice dragonfly too.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Incredible dragonfly. I like 4 o'clocks, too. Exquisite gladiolus.
I just love gladiolus Kanak. I used to grow them for cut flowers. Seeing them here really made me miss them. When as a student in Paris I used to buy the giant ones by the bunch from the market for my apartment and for Madame Peltier my professor at school. No I wasn't trying to suck up to teacher...lol. I just loved them so much that I wanted to share them. She loved them and told me that no student ever bought her flowers. I could just hear her Helene, merci beaucoup J'adore les fleurs, merci and I would get two kisses on each of my cheeks a total of four. La vie c'etait bon!
Padma/Tina/Tyra, thank you so much!
Steph....glad you liked the four o'clocks!
Katarina...happy to read your comment. I should be learning some Swedish phrases. Glad you used this. Trevlig helg!
Thanks Mia,but I'm blessed with visits from H.moths,not the bird:( Wish we had hummers here too!
Blossom....exactly! Thanks for stopping by!
Carol, wow, I didn't think about the coincidence but now that you've said it....yes, it's the same colour! It's slightly cooler today, cloudy skies but the humidity is BAD here. As for the flowers, it's amazing! I think they get very used to this kind of heat!
Urban Green, thank you so much! i feel the same about your blog too:-)
Thanks Susie....wish you the same too!
Prospero....thanks a ton!!
Helen...thanks for sharing this! Madame Peltier sounds like an angel! Wow...you're truly international! Paris must've been a wonderful experience! BTW, je ne parle pas French...can you tell?!:)
I always enjoy dragonfly photos. Since we have a couple barrels with water gardens, we had some around last year, but I haven't seen any this year.
I do have 4 o' clocks, though, and they are too far from my house to notice fragrance. I should plant some closer. I enjoy it that they seed themselves each year. They come up a little late in the spring, ready to take over the area from the larkspurs. I love your white and pink ones. Mine are yellow and a darker pink or magenta. I've never grown glads, but yours are pretty.
LOVE your colors!! I don't think we have that color dragonfly here. And the only four'oclock color I have is pink. That gladiolus was a nice surprise wasn't it? My favorite kind:) Wonderful!!
the four o´clocks are so beautiful. thank you for showing!
simply beautifully captured shots....lovely views!
Thanks Sue...I'm surprised to know that you haven't grown glads. You have such a variety of blooms most of the time! I have to say the dark pink four o'clocks are most common here too. I got my pink/white one from the roadside.
Carla....that dragonfly is difficult to photograph! I was lucky because (I think) the heat made it lethargic!!! Nowadays there are many dragonflies in several shades of rust. Pretty, but not as striking as the red/black one.
Lillebeth....thank you so much!
Flying Stars...thanks for stopping by.
I call the dragonflies "pond ballerinas" they looks so ethereal and light on their wings! Love wild and cultivated gladioli. I grow the G.acidanthera, Peacock orchid. Similar to your wild one but white and purple. It is a very exotic looking more like an orchid and highly perfumed flower. I have never seen the beautiful salmon. I am glad it showed its lovely flower in your garden. You have got beautiful 4 o'clocks.
Love your gladiolus - especially the one with the pink stripe. Gorgeous!
You are so blessed to be surrounded with this beauty.
I especially love dragonflies. Do you have water in your garden for them?
I am glad you enjoyed my photo of the squirrel and sunflower. If the sunflower wasn't tied to the roof it wouldn't hold the weight of the squirrel, I am sure.
Thanks for sharing the lovely photos.
Sorry, I got a little behind in my replies. Was down with a bad cold.
Trudi..."Pond ballerinas"---that's so apt! The gladiolus cultivar you mentioned must be exotic! With that kind of colour combination! My one does not have even the faintest of fragrance. Wish it did.
Helen, thanks a zillion! I know how busy you are these days and I'm touched you stopped by.
Terra, happy to have you stop by. I live in a low-lying area and there are two empty plots of marshy land in the vicinity. These plots have swarms of dragonflies as well as damsels. They all simply fly over and grace my yard. This year I've seen more colours than ever before. It's fascinating!
And I got interested in photographing them because of the blog. If you ask me about my pre-blogging days....I can barely remember the colours, or the kinds of insects flitting about. We hardly get to see squirrels, though.
Your gardens have such a nice combination of colors! Your four oclock are divine and I wish mine would bloom before it freezes. I started them too late. I have seen some lovely blooms of glads and yours are no exception. I haven't grown them in a while and now I want to try them at high altitude.
Rosey
Good luck with the glads, Rosey! And I hope you get to see some blooms on your four o'clocks before winter. Thank you for stopping by.
Kanak, I love your gladioluses, their colors. Is it right that they grow in wild in your place?
I want to thank you for your kind comments on my blog. Happy gardening and blogging!
Thanks Tatyana. The wild ones usually spill over from garden hedges but they aren't found where I live. They're found in the hilly areas of the region where the climate is a little kinder. happy gardening!
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