A "Little Joy" For a Little Joy On A Cloudy Day

Joy is a flower that blooms when you do. ~ Author Unknown
Daylily..."Little Joy" (Click to enlarge)

"You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence." ~ Acts 2:28 (New Living Translation)

The daylily are fading fast; some have already lost their spiky leaves and it has been a month since blooms have been in play. This variety held on until the very end, outlasting all the other larger forms. "Little Joy" with smaller and multiple blooms on the flower stalks, a deep and dark rich red color that worked so well with the bright red and yellow lantana beside it. This may be the brightest red we have in late summer as with all the hot and dry weather this summer, the trees have been stressed and the usual spark of color is muted, with leaves spackled in green, dirty yellow, brown and faded red. Their edges are curled and shriveled.

I am surprised at how much color is still present here in late October. The mums are at their apex of color and in the back flower beds this means a dark magenta purple. Right next to the mums, the lavender is still blooming as is the occasional purple-top vervain. Two coneflowers, white and bright orange are still blooming and the blood red milkweed has gotten a second wind since the monarchs have gone. Occasional black-eyed susan still bloom.. yellow varieties, as well as the dark "Cherry Brandy" red ones. Blanketflowers are going strong as is the perennial lantana Miss Huff. Miss Huff has really outdone itself and is a huge bush like plant now. The Abelia bush is blooming as are the re-blooming azaleas. So all in all, for fall... we still have quite a bit of color.

This was the first year for many of these plants and I am anxious to see how they come back for a second season. With a bang, I hope. Until then, I have all of their pictures to keep me company in the gray of winter. Thank goodness that is but a short time here.... things start budding out in late February.

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Ruby Tuesday