You can’t imagine how excited we are to finally have a week of pleasant temps and pretty blooms. None of that veggie junk this week! Now let’s get started. Take it away Wilson!
Psst…yo buddy, you’re up.
Wilson: Huh, wha…yawning, oh good morning. Sorry I was just resting my eyelids until my introduction. Alright then, let’s get cracking, shall we?
Elsa: It’s about time. I was beginning to think I’d have to get this party started.
Wilson: Sorry, about be a smidge late-it’s still dark when Mum gets up and I really was just resting my eyes.
Elsa: Yeah right. So that’s an interesting flower. What is that?
Wilson: It’s a Zinnia that Mum planted from seed in a pot by the front door. She wasn’t sure if they’d germinate since the package of seeds was a few years old but like all the seeds she plants, she stores them in the refrigerator. Apparently that keeps them viable, even if not all of them germinate.
Elsa: Ahh, I see, using up space in the fridge that otherwise could be used to store tasty fresh toppers for us, eh? Hmm, I’m not sure I totally approve, I mean, we could have more space for tasty morsels for us. What do you think?
Wilson: Come on, mate…you’re always saying Mum’s needs to have a hobby, and it’s only a small glass container that she keeps in a jar by the door…
Elsa: STOP! No singing tunes from your fellow country-compadres.
Wilson: Ahem, let me assure you, I am as American as you are, born and breed in Missouri but fine, yes, I do like the chaps from Liverpool. So do a lot of other Americans, I might remind you.
Elsa: Fine. Sheesh, so touchy first thing in the morning. Looks like somebody got up from the wrong side of the cuddle bed.
Wilson: Not at all, I just wanted to point out the facts here. Not everyone is a conspiracist or fact denialist, okay?
Elsa: Boy…man…what a stickler, dude.
Wilson: Well it seems like everyone on the news is blathering on about some absurd thing. I mean, I even heard that some people are saying pets are supposedly being eating by people and we know that’s just crazy.
Elsa: Yeah, I heard that too. People…what can you do with them?
Wilson: We just have to set the record straight. Over and over. And people think I’m stubborn!
Elsa: Well I hate to break it to you, but you kinda are, but let’s debate that some other time. What else have you got?
Wilson: Well here’s another Zinnia from that pot. That bright orange color is screaming autumn all over it, I say.
Elsa: WHAT, I CAN’T HEAR YOU, THAT FLOWER IS TOO LOUD!!
Wilson: I say, young lady, I do believe you’re trying to spin me up, aren’t you.
Elsa: Hee, hee. Just pulling your leg, House Pony. But you got to admit, that’s one brightly colored flower.
Wilson: It sure is. Here’s another one. It’s another volunteer and one that delights Mum whenever or wherever it shows up. She planted a pink Snapdragon years ago and they are such vigorous reseeders so she enjoys it when it pops up, especially when the color is so different from the original. She’s never seen this color combination at the nursery. Just goes to show how important pollinators are in nature.
Elsa: Whoa…looks like a floral rainbow going on there. That’s so cool.
Wilson: It sure is. And here’s another pretty you might say is screaming autumn-the simply marigold. Mum always plants some seeds next to her tomatoes to keep the crawly things away. Too bad they don’t seem to work on the squirrels. They’ve been noshing on her big tomatoes though they don’t seem to bother the potted cherry tomatoes. We still have a jillion of those buggers.
Elsa: I hope you don’t have pics of veggies. I just want to see flowers, okay buck-o.
Wilson: Right, I shan’t bore you with any veggies this week. What do you think of this photo?
Elsa: Now we’re talking. I think that’s an aster. And look, a bee is working it’s magic in the center of it. Asters are synonymous with autumn.
Wilson: Mum and I could hear them as we walked past this lovely. I wanted to help her stage the photo but she shooed me away so I wouldn’t be tempted to snap at them as they flew about.
Elsa: Maybe if Mom let you get bit, you might learn. But I’m doubtful. For being such a smart dog, you are a bit of a knothead about some things.
Wilson: I beg your pardon. I am 100% Old English Sheepdog, not a drop of DNA has any knots…
Elsa: {interrupting} Oh brother. Come on, dude…just get with the program and show us what you got.
Wilson: {refocusing} Ahem.. Well I do have another beauty for your pleasure. This is a lovely bed of Dahlias that Mum and I walked past a couple of days ago. They sure are stunning.
Elsa: That’s a lovely shade of coral. Says autumn to me.
Wilson: Yes, autumn is beginning to make appearances. Even some leaves are beginning to change. Take a look at these Viburnum leaves.
Elsa: Ahh, so that’s what that shrub is, eh? Hmm, did not know that. You’re getting pretty good at naming these plants. I mean before you know it, you’re gonna be a Master Gardener.
Wilson: Not likely, I understand the program frowns on sniffing the plants.
Elsa: Good point, but at least you’re learning who’s who in the garden.
Wilson: I try. Here’s another plant that speaks autumn with its coloring. This is Coreopsis, also known as large-flowered tickseed. Did you know it’s also a member of the aster family?
Elsa: I did not. It sure is cheerful looking.
Wilson: Speaking of cheerful, you know how Mum is always on the hunt to spot new garden art. Check out what she found yesterday. She giggled out loud when she saw its face.
Elsa: Hee, haw…opps…sorry I couldn’t refuse. I’ll be seeing the real McCoy this weekend when we go down to see Grandpa and Mom’s other sister who is spending a few days in Colorado visiting. We’ll be walking across the street to say ‘top of the morning’ to the donkeys that live near Grandpa. Won’t that be fun?
Wilson: For you maybe…I’m not much of a fan. They’re awfully large and I’d rather say hello to the bunnies than those monsters.
Elsa: Wuss. I’m all in…just think of it as a fun outing-who knows, maybe Mom will let you drag off a bone of some poor critter who bought the farm.
Wilson: Bones? Umm, well now you’re talking.
Elsa: Hee, hee…note to the ladies…the way to a man’s brain is definitely through his stomach. Just a little tidbit from the Ninja.
Wilson: Excuse me, I’m still here, sister. I’ve got one more photo that shows we’re transitioning nicely toward autumn. Skellies.
Elsa: Oh for crying out loud. Seems kinda early to be bringing out the Halloween decor. Or as Mom would say, “no Halloween decorations just yet…it’s still summer and I haven’t finished my margarita yet!”
Wilson: I know-we’re slowing seeing more and more Halloween decor already. Humans are hilarious, aren’t they. Can’t wait until the next big thing.
Elsa: Yeah, they’re always wishing their lives away. Unlike us dogs who live in the moment. Well, I’ll give you props, big guy, nicely done. And no veggies.
Wilson: Well like they say…Bob’s your uncle. We hope you have a great weekend and check out all the flora that’s out. Even if it’s a veggie or a fruit. Cheerio, mates!
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Mee-yow WOW!!! Elsa an Wilson an Miss Monika THE Flowerss are all so beeuteefull….stunnin inn fact!!! Yore Snapdragon iss amazin….makess our yellow oness look sorta ‘pale’ ya nose?
Summer sure zipped bye didn’t it???
**nose bopss** BellaDharma an ((hugss)) BellaSita Mum
Thanks! Pollinators make great gardeners, don’t you think? We love that rainbow hued Snap! 🐝
I love the conversation. The flowers are gorgeous. Thank Wilson for helping me identity the large-flowered tickseed. We have a smaller version growing in our yard. I posted a photo but just called them wildflowers. My phone said it was a tickseed, but I didn’t believe it. I trust Wilson far more than I trust Apple.
Thanks Dad. It’s always interesting when those two get together. You weren’t wrong about calling tickseed a wildflower. They are quite lovely and will grow in unhospital conditions and water content so they’re perfect here.
Lovely…yes indeed Lovely!! The oranges are so vibrant.Dahlias do quite well for me usually, I must try zinnias next season. Or maybe snapdragons as well.Are you going to save the seeds from that pretty one you showed us? It would be fun to see if they grow like the parent stock or maybe a whole new hue?!
Thanks for the pretties you showed us, and we love that donkey too…I, Benji, would bark it to make it run away, BOL!
I, Dalton, would try to hide from it…
You’re too kind-thank you. Zinnias are the perfect annual. Easy to grow and they bloom until the frost. That snapdragon reseeds itself (the seeds look like pepper and I never remember to collect them so I never know where they’ll show up next season. Snaps appear all over the garden but that color combo is my favorite. The original plantings were pink as I recall. Now pink, pale creamy yellow, white, red and that occasional rainbow bloom show up but never where they were originally planted. It’s a delightful mystery I always look forward to.
Benji, I’m sure you could corral that donkey. Dalton, never fear buddy, he’s only about a foot tall and very docile. Have a great weekend.
The ranch has awesome flowers. Thanks for sharing.
Aww, thank you. It’s remarkable what you can find in an urban setting. Focusing on those kinds of little things can be transformational in a hectic chaotic city setting. I need to do more of it consciously. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lulu: “Wait, is Wilson up? Because Wilson looks like Wilson is sleeping. Which I am 100% in favor of, to be clear.”
Java Bean: “Ayyy, I can tell you which flowers are Dada’s favorites! The orange ones!”
Charlee: “That skeleton looks like it’s trying to dance, or possibly moonwalk. Did it wander in from ‘Jason and the Argonauts’, by any chance … ?”
With the sunrise arriving later, we’d all like to sleep in a bit longer. Orange flowers scream autumn we think. In just a space of a couple days, more and more skeletons have shown up-can’t help but wonder if all the garden sheds around the neighborhood are really their homes the other 10 months of the year. Have a great weekend.
Beautiful floral colors of the season – and leaf season is approaching. But Wilson looked so comfortable – so why didn’t Elsa let him snooze? Enjoy your weekend … especially because we are still toasty and dry.
Thank, Frank. Yes, leaves are beginning to change in the High Country and I’m planning a trip to check them out next week. Oh you know Elsa…she always has an agenda. It’s been the first week in forever where the temps haven’t been in the 90’s but no moisture. I hope the next front that comes through drops some significant rain. We’ve got more wildfires north of Denver and they are desperate for some help as is the entire Front Range. Have a great weekend.
Man, that Elsa really knows how to get under her brother’s skin, she’s as expert at it as my little sister used to be with me way back in the day! That’s impressive.
Beautiful captures, mama
Here’s hoping everyone has a great weekend.
Many thanks, Marc. Elsa is a no-nonsense kinda gal. She does not suffer fools lightly.
She cuts to the chase, I dig.
Boy, does she ever! 😆
LOL
Beautiful pics…Zinnias are always such a great late summer-early fall go-to flower!
Thanks Lisa. They have become my go-to when it comes to color after the irises and spring bulbs have done their thing. Always dependable and never fussy about water (mostly lack thereof) or soil.
Fall always has beautiful colors. If it didn’t bring on winter, it’d be perfect!
It’s the best of the 4 seasons in my books.
Lots of pretty flowers this week. Happy Equinox, the gateway to your favorite season. 🍁 🙂
Thanks, Eliza…yes, autumn is definitely our favorite. Nice days, cool nights. Perfect weather and that golden light to photograph the transition of the seasons.
Lucy: Those flowers are like G_d smiling at us! *smiles and wags*
Xena: That donkey is really cool, and I wish I could be there with you to bark at the real thing! Uh, did someone say Cheerios?
Chia: Bet I could catch the real ones (donkeys, not Cheerios)!
Thanks, guys. Itsn’t it great when nature smiles at us? Have a great weekend.
A lovely tour. Zinnias are one of my favorite flowers. That one that drowned out Wilson is especially beautiful. All the photos were terrific. Also, I’m surprised the marigolds didn’t keep the pests away. That control always worked for me. Wishing you and the crew a lovely weekend.
Thank you, John. Zinnias are truly a no-fuss annual. If only they had a lovely fragrance…then they’d be absolutely perfect. Still, they are cheerful and steady the entire growing season-you can never have too many of those kinds of performers. The marigolds do well with keeps chewing insects away, but the squirrels, not as much. That or they really hate our Mom and her lumbering House Pony who’d each happily murder them. 🤣
Your friend,
Elsa 🐾
I missed that they were squirrels. Nothing keeps them away. 😁
You are so right. They are the most annoying critter in the ‘Hood.
😁
Maybe it’s just me, feeling great after getting back from exercise class, but the photos seem especially vibrant today. Lovely job. Very cheery,
Aww, thank you! I think photos shot this time of year are always more vibrant and colorful. The golden light helps. Have a great weekend.
Golden light always helps. You have a good weekend as well.
What gorgeous flowers, the snap dragon really caught our eye! That sure is a cute donkey too!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
Thanks! It’s such a pretty rainbow snap; sometimes it shows up in a different part of the garden but that spot is close to the solar fountain which we always see whenever we come out of the house. Donkeys are so adorable, they have such a mischievous look on their faces but incredibly soft gentle eyes.
We think that “thing” is a cross between a rabbit(the ears), a duck or platypus(the nose/beak/bill), and a donkey(the body) but it is cute! Mom says Gramma always planted flower gardens when Mom was growing up and her favorites that she had every year were the Zinnias and the Snapdragons. Have a fun weekend, and say “hi” to the real donkeys for us. Our breeder has a couple, so as puppies we got to meet them.
That little dude was a bit odd looking, but still made our mom smile. She’ll definitely enjoy sunrise with the real ones especially when they come trotting over to the fence when we walk past. Zinnias and Snaps are so easy grow and last until the frost. Good thing too-color is not in great abundance with our autumn-ish garden flowers. Have a great weekend.
Beautiful orange blooms and I like the asters too. It is NEVER too early for Halloween as far as I am concerned. I do think it is a bit early for stores to have Christmas stuff out though. 🙂
Thanks. It just seems weird having skellies out before October 1st. After that, we say knock yourself out. Yeah, don’t get our Mom started about the Christmas stuff out in stores already. She went to Costco last week and thought she’d traveled through some sort of time continuum. Way too bizarre.
Have a great weekend.
Your fur-iends,
Elsa & Wilson 🐾
What a colorful selection. And we learned to put seeds in the refrigerator. Thanks for passing that along. Happy weekend y’all.
Thanks. If Mom were better at planting when she buys them, she wouldn’t be hogging all the fridge space for a bunch of seeds. That said, it does seem like a clever way to extend when you overextend your good intentions. 😉 She puts them in a plastic bag and then stuffs the whole thing in a nice fairly air-proof glass jar. It seems to work for her though I’ll never know why. Have a good weekend.
Your fur-iend,
Elsa 🐾
Mighty pretty flowers – autumn colors everywhere…….we’re seeing signs of impending Autumn too – mostly the trees – especially the maples and oaks. Just wait until the lawn service sees all of THOSE on the yard…..it will take them the usual 3-4 hours to blow them into the woods I bet. Haven’t seen any Halloween stuff around the ‘hood yet but I’m sure it’s coming soon. Meanwhile thanks for the Friday update!!!
Hugs, Pam and Teddy too
Thank you. It turned out we kinda went with an orangey theme, but that’s autumn for you! We’re glad the hot temps seem behind us and we’re loving the crisp, cool mornings. Hope you have a great weekend.
Such pretty, pretty flowers, WOW! Hey Wilson, you don’t look stubborn to me!
Thank you. Trust me, Terry. He’s as classic a stubborn sheepdog you’ll ever meet.
Your fur-iend,
Elsa 🐾
Hee haw! Such beauty!
Many thanks. Mom had to chuckle when she saw that donkey yard art. Sure beats seeing skellies all over waaay before Halloween. Have a great weekend.
That’s a cheerful collection of flowers for the start of autumn.
I do like the snapdragon!
Thanks, Helen. Isn’t it striking? Hope you, Leo and the Thugs have a great weekend.