Late Summer Blooms

I recently inherited this bread box from my friend Sally's heir.  Sally had a red breadbox with a rooster on it when she was a child and had always wanted one, so Dallas found a woman on Etsy who found the vintage tin box and custom painted it for her and surprised her with it on her 72nd birthday.  It will have pride of place in our kitchen.

The flap on top goes up and I will put my muffins in there and the bottom flap opens where I'll put the loaves of bread.

I am deliberately appreciating the flowers blooming on the deck and in the yard, knowing summer is so fleeting and time is marching on and soon we'll be having pumpkins out there.

August is Oregon's most dependable month for pleasant, even hot weather.  

My shamrock plants did so well out on the deck last year that I put them out a while back, the sun fried what was left and I was worried, but new growth has emerged and they both look wonderful, the green and dark red one.

All the geraniums that Dayle winters over in our basement landing are doing well, too.

Our one hollyhock is growing up next to the flower basket which it's leaning on.. kind of fun.

My favorite spot for enjoying the birds, waterfalls and pond and the koi fish.

A shout out to my blog friend Meredith and her sister Claudia, Mere was gifted a sheep pot and I loved it so much I found one and purchased it, and Claudia has shown her ZZ plant, and I'd been wanting one for a while and just found one to buy.  It's a Zamioculcas zamiifolia, a tropical perennial plant native to eastern Africa, from Kenya south to northeastern South Africa.  I will plant the ZZ plant in a bigger pot and find something just right for the sheep planter.  :-)

One of my Rose of Sharon plants is in bloom.. what a pretty flower, so much like a hibiscus!

Our big pot of Stargazer Lilies is bringing much visual joy and fragrance to our yard.

I had to show you this little survivor, it's a little petunia coming up and blooming in our brick walkway.  A volunteer.

A most magnificent flower.. I had them in my wedding bouquet and on our wedding cake and I even named our sailboat Stargazer.

I ordered some gladiola bulbs a few years ago and Kristi planted them for me in front of the deck of the garden shed.  We have 3 color varieties in bloom right now.  

Above a dark pink and yellow one, below a lighter pink one.

And a true red one, wow.

I like this shot with the barn and windmill in the background.

I am taking this week to rest and recover from so many losses of my loved ones.  I hope you are having a nice week wherever you are on this spinning globe we all share.
((hugs)), Teresa :-)