Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Great Outdoors – Midsummer Blooms

~ If you took seasonal outdoor photos that you love this week, join in and post a link in the comments!  I'm replacing {this moment} with The Great Outdoors while the weather is warm and we’re spending so much time outside. ~

I love cutting flowers and bringing them inside, so I take care to grow flowers and shrubs that make for nice cut flowers.  But what about the blooms I can’t bring inside, the amazing plants I couldn’t say no to at the nursery?  I thought I’d celebrate them today, as they’re truly some of my favorites.




My Limelight Hydrangea reminds me of my wedding bouquet, which I still have hanging from the rafter that divides my kitchen and family room.  Our wedding colors were pale green and pink, and the following spring I planted this woody hydrangea that puts out beautiful limegreen blooms that fade to white.  They can be cut and brought inside (unlike my first paragraph suggests!), but I've been waiting so long for the blooms to get here that I thought they qualified.  : )  It turns out that you have to wait for the bloom to fully open before cutting, or else they fade fast in a vase.  It's a long wait! 

Calibrachoa

Hibiscus

Heavenly Blue Morning Glories, my favorite variety


In the past I've found that Black-eyed Susans don't hold up well as a cut flower, but I found out earlier this week that if you cut stem short so you only get one flower per stem, they seem to do better.


And look who I caught when I was out taking photos of the garden!  This female ruby-throated hummingbird is drinking from my tangerine sage.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

** Oh, and DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY SUMMER GIVEAWAY for a set of delightful, customizable handmade note cards, made by me of course!  Learn more and enter the giveaway. **

10 comments:

  1. What lovely photos, the Hibiscus is gorgeous and one of my favourite flowers:)
    Take care
    Linda

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  2. All your flowers are beautiful. The heat has taken its toll on most of ours. Enjoy the weekend.xx

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  3. I cut my hydrangea and they've been in a vase on my table for a couple of weeks now. They are holding up very well and I just change the water every couple of days. They drink a lot!! These are just the regular run of the mill hydrangea (purple and very beautiful), so maybe you have a different type? Jealous of the hummingbird!!

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  4. All just beautiful! I have to say though, the morning glories get pulled out of my yard. They grow wild and will take over my vegie garden if I don't keep them out!

    http://othersideofanna5.blogspot.com/2011/07/this-moment_29.html#more

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  5. I love all the photos! Your flowers are just gorgeous!

    http://allergiesandceliac.blogspot.com/2011/07/this-moment_29.html#more

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  6. Gorgeous flowers!!

    Emily @ Love{&}Bugs
    http://vanessen-family.blogspot.com

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  7. Hello, I am a new GFC follower. The flowers are gorgeous! I haven't really had time to take many pictures of our flowers and such but my favorite is up on my blog. http://woodworkingmomma.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-green-beans.html

    It is of the sunset from our garden. I took it after I finally got done picking green beans.

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  8. Beautiful!!! I love flowers, too bad I have a brown thumb and can't keep a plant alive to save my life!

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  9. Beautiful photos! Your flowers are gorgeous.
    Have a good weekend :)

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