Dear Folks ~ Here it is another Friday. Almost August, and that seems amazing. Where is this year going? We will be glad when Oct/Nov arrive when our temps and the humidity will be much lower. Until then we will just have to take the heat and sweat it out.
Hope you all have had a great week and that your weekend is wonderful.
Thank you all for your kind comments about my latest artistic photo endeavors. Gimp is fun, although there is a learning curve, and it will take me some time to learn what all this ‘free’ program can do. What I really like is the scissor tool., which allows you to cut out a portion, which in my case were the roses or main flower, inverting the images, so that I can fuzz out the background. We did notice that there is a sort of halo or bleed-out around the flowers, so have to tweak the settings and not quite sure what is needed to do that yet. All in good time.
Below is an image that I used some sort of edge enhancement tool. The rose is Dainty Bess. I really love how this turned out.
Now, below are some garden pictures.
This is Miss Muffett a sweet caladium from Meems. These are growing in our screened room.
The next two pictures are of Miss Muffett in a huge pot with frangipani and firebush. The firebush are rooted cuttings from Darla and the caladiums seem happy growing here and the pot is in the new picket fence garden area to the east of the Gypsy Wagon.
Next is a Zebra Longwing butterfly with hamelia paten blooms.
Below is that hamelia paten bush, that I grew from a cutting. It is about 13 years old now, and has grown up to about 10’ tall and is covering the lattice arbor and my shed’s roof. It just keep growing and growing. The bees, hummers, and butterflies all love the blooms.
When I went out the morning of the 20th, I could smell something sweet, and finally found the source. Maman Cochet, my climbing rose. She had creeped across the lattice and mixed in with the hamelia paten and another rose, and orchids, and passion vines too.
This wonderfully colored bougainvillea was here when we move in 38 years ago.
Next are self sown celosia. I just love the colors of the foliage and the blooms are wonderful too.
Next is Clerodendrum, which I call ‘bleeding hearts’.
Here is Copperleaf, a favorite of mine
Passion vine blooms and hamelia paten blooms.
A close-up of crepe myrtle.
Porterweed and a Zebra Longwing.
A murder/suicide happened in our area this afternoon, and it has left my heart heavy for lives lost.
Be thankful for your many blessings. Love and cherish your loved ones. Let them know how much they mean to you, in word and in actions.
May you all be blessed with love and peace in your lives, from God the Great Creator of all life.
Hugs ~ FlowerLady
19 comments:
There is much unhappiness and ill will and tempers flying it seems, in every corner of our country and in every state and every town.
It is so very sad of these murders/suicide, a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and it seems that this is the today's way of solving the problem.
Your florals and your so very peaceful hamlet lifts my heart, and brings joy with all of its splendid colors.
Have a wonderful weekend
Denimflyz
Beautiful flowers and photography elements! I know you are having fun learning your new program.
My heart goes out to those in your neighborhood who were lost today. So very sad; and unfortunately more and more common, it seems. It sure makes you cherish those you love, doesn't it?
Everything looks lovely. I especially like the Celosia and Copperleaf. Beautiful. Hope you have a nice weekend.
Cher Sunray Gardens
Flowerlady, your tropical plants are amazing as always! I am especially impressed by the 'Miss Muffett' caladium, I think I have never seen one that is so colorful. I love the photo with the Zebra Longwing butterfly, it makes such a great header to your blog! Thanks for sharing your garden world!
Christina
Such a terrific selection of blooms today. They all seem to be quite happy in the heat and humidity. I especially loved the foliage and flower colour of that Celosia ... very striking. How wonderful to spot those Roses peeping out from the Hamelia and Passiflora. Loved your rose photo at the top.
It's always disturbing to have events like murder and suicide happening so close to home, isn't it? I don't think anyone expects that it will actually happen in their own area and I know I would certainly be deeply saddened by such a thing. Hopefully those lovely blooms will help lighten the load a little.
What beautiful plants and photos. My hubby loves the scissor tool on gimp.
Sorry to hear of the tragedy in your area.
I am sorry to hear of the violence that occurred so close to you. It always makes my heart hurt when I hear of such tragedies too. I often find solace in the garden. I hope you find peace and comfort as well.
Your garden is full of beauty in the blooms, plants and butterflies. May you be blessed as well with His Peace, FlowerLady.
I am amazed at the variety of flowers which flourish in Florida's heat and humidity. My spring bloomers are all resting now--I need to learn of more plants which will stand the heat of high summer.
I'm enjoying the artful effects you are creating with 'gimp'--but still love the 'real' flower photos best.
Oh, the butterfly is the most beautiful one I have ever seen! I hate to admit this, but we're starting to look forward to fall a little bit too, even though it will mean another six months of cold and snow. We're just not used to all this hot and hotter weather and the humidity is something else again. I long for the 70 degree weather we would normally have and an end to the incessant mosquitoes. Oh, well, before I know it, we'll be shoveling snow again, lol.
Gimp looks to be very fascinating, something I'll have to look into. Your flowers are so beautiful, so much variety and so exotic compared to my petunias and marigolds. I am sorry to hear of the tragedy in your neighborhood; we hear of these things much too often around here, too. Thank you for the reminder to cherish our loved ones.
The passionflower and the Zebra, great combo for caterpillars. I finally got a porterweed. It's blue. Thanks for reminding me it might need water.
Oh, and I almost forgot, Alamo vines are growing up my stick house. Thank you.
So lovely. Have you had the opportunity to photograph hummingbirds around your hamelia? One of these years I have to grow passion vine!! I have admired its blooms for so long that someday soon I will have to give in and purchase a potted plant. Thanks for sharing the beauty of your garden.
Beautiful flowers and the butterfly is just spectacular!
We had a similar incident in our rural neighborhood though not terribly close to us.
A man and his wife missing for a month were found down in the boondocks hidden in a wooded are in their car. Double homicide, drugs are suspected but not known for sure.
In these difficult economic times, we may see more and more people become desperate and do desperate things.
Isn't that amazing how your hamelia has flourished...from a cutting! :) We need reminded every day that life is gift from the Giver of life...thank you for reminding me today!
I'm sorry to hear of the tragedy in your neighborhood. Such things are hard to understand and are so hard on the families.
I like what you did with Dainty Bess, very nice! Wonderful images of all of the beauty in your garden.
How sad about the tragic event in your area. It's definitely hard to understand such sad things. Your flowers are looking lovely and I've been meaning to tell you that I really like your new header pic. Have a great weekend!
Your blooms and butterflies are looking wonderful. I'm sorry about the tragedy in your neighborhood. Oh, and that photo you experimented with sure is cool!
Beautiful photos. I love that butterfly. Heartbreaking about the murder/suicide. They happen up here too. It's the ultimate domestic violence and it needs to stop!
I am glad you are having fun with GIMP. I love looking at your tropical plants, and Maman Cochet is just wonderful! Thank you for these lovely pictures.
Post a Comment