The Maple Hill Hop 36

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop,

where we share what's happening outside our doors.

 With the veggie garden all but asleep,

we focus on the lovely gift of blooms that enjoy the sweltering summer heat.

 This is the gloriosa daisy

and it's magnificent.

 What a vision they are in the morning

when the birds are singing and it's the perfect time for a stroll

through the garden.

This stunner is one of the best attractors 

of bees and butterflies alike.

 These petite beacons of cheer

grace the footpath out back.

With its drought tolerant nature,

the sporadic rain we've been getting is enough to keep it happy.

 As they waken in the early hours,

the petals unfurl like the unleashing of a ribbon on a gift.

An abundance of color is added to any spot in the garden.

What a welcoming sight.

The blooms should stick around for the entire summer

and return next year to this gardener's delight. 

Cutting the flowers to enjoy inside

only encourages it to repeat the process.

So glad they are back in our garden.

What's going on outside where you are?

Let's HOP!


Shared at Tuesday Garden Party

An InLinkz Link-up

Bloomin' Tuesday

The sun's been scarce here the past several days.

You won't hear any complaints from me!

I wasn't able to do a complete check on the garden

over the past couple of days,

so our offerings are few.

These were taken in between raindrops.

"Orange" you glad for the rain?

 

Plant Profile-Gloriosa Daisy

This butterfly garden has gone through

some transformations in the past few years.

This time 'round, seeds

were exclusively used to start blooms.

You can barely spot the gloriosa daisies popping up

on the far upper right corner of the bed

earlier this season...

and then later,

"Hello Gorgeous!"

 

Snuggled in a sea of green,

these clenched seed heads

are just waiting to surprise the gardener

on any given day.

Patience is required,

as these shy charmers

gather their courage to show themselves.

The unwinding petals are a sight.

The massively thick dark mocha centers

are a major contrast to the outer dainty golden petals.

They do what daisies do best-

distribute freely an air of liveliness and cheer.

The blooms just keep comin'!

Flowers in various stages of evolution

create a constant show.

The velvet-like leaves are plentiful,

each housing seemingly fragile whiskers.

You can be sure this stunner

will become a staple in the

Maple Hill garden for years to come.

Thankfully, it's a perennial,

so it will return on its own.

 

Even the back of this lovely bloom

adds interest to the overall drama.

So glad we gave this one a try.

It's quite the looker,

don't cha think?

http://www.estabrooksonline.com/catalog2/perennials/perennial.asp?id=Rudbeckia