The 2nd Gerber Daisy has Raised its Sleep Head

Gerber daisies take FOREVER to bloom.  Seriously, it’s only about 4 to 5 weeks, but the anticipation of a burst of beauty makes it seem longer.  WAY longer.  Back in March, my first Gerber daisy bloomed and was taken down by a wet towel thrown by a child that I gave birth to.  Unbelievable.  Then a bud appeared…. the promise of life anew….weeks later she opened her drowsy eyes and lifted her hot pink head.  FINALLY!  (Yes, I dragged my son out there to witness the beauty and miracle of nature to increase his appreciation of God’s hand in our backyard. He didn’t actually thank me, but I felt the thankfulness emanating from his little heart.)

The exceedingly good news is that there is already another bud forming….. so in May, I’ll have continual hot pink yummy eye candy to behold.

April is so wonderfully warm and inviting in Phoenix…. leads to the illusion that summer might linger off in the distance a while longer!  Makes me want to sit in the backyard swing and forget the laundry, the homeshooled youngin’s, cooking, cleaning, carpooling, etc., etc., etc.

The name of the following flower is still a mystery.  Please share your wisdom in the comment section concerning the name of said purple flower.

That is all.  Hasta luego.

My Stellar Green Thumb

I just had to share my fabulous sunflowers from the backyard.  Why I think they’re so fabulous is because they are actually growing in the SUMMER in PHOENIX!  Only the strong and drought-resistant brave the hell-like temperatures here.  Behold, The Ochre Goddess tasting the morning light:

And her six inch tall sister, Sunny Delight:

Yellow is such a happy color.  Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to sunflowers.  Now, before you go on thinking I’m a stellar gardener…. I must confess to smoke and mirrors with my photography.  Here is the truth for all to see.  Not a blade of a bad weed is growing in my “flower bed” (term used loosely) under the palm tree.  Even the third flowerless sunflower plant is on the outside of the brick that borders the “flower bed.” These beauties seeded themselves and are growing in the rocky border of our yard. 

But hey, any flower is good in my books.  Please stop by in November when my real green thumb is a bit more evident. Oh, and here’s Lizzy, one of our family of lizards that eat the bugs in the yard.  She is hiding on the wall behind the oleander, but I spotted her.  Her scales are amazingly colorful… well, for a lizard in the Sonoran Desert.  Aren’t they supposed to blend in for safety?  There are teal scales above her arms and the yellow scales seem to be in perfect patterns like the horse moves in chess.  God is so cool.

Here are two other happy flower pictures from Bishop, California…. on our 15 hour drive to Tahoe.  The first, The Lone Giant. 

The second, A Bashful Hollyhock hiding from the afternoon Sun.

Garden Strong, my Friend.

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