Floral Friday

 

There are town squirrels, and there are country squirrels here in our area.  

Some town squirrels have traveled to the country. Some even hang out on our bird feeder.

I learned a long time ago that some people in town don't even like town squirrels, and some people in the country really hate town squirrels.

In my mind, a squirrel is just a squirrel, and regardless of their color, size or species, they are all cute.  

This discussion is really leading somewhere. Trust me.  

Okay, here goes. 

I have decided after much observation and taking pictures that there are town flowers and there are country flowers. 

I have never met anyone who makes much of a distinction between the two varieties, like on the squirrel issue. 

What I do know, however, is that most town flowers I know tend to be more prolific, healthy, plentiful and beautiful than what we grow out here in the country. 

'Cept maybe for Janice Johnson's country flowers up the road.  

I think hers might just be a throwback, resulting from her childhood days spent growing up in town. 

Her green thumb must have gotten highly developed during those years, and, over her decades of living out here in the country, that thumb has kept its antibodies. 

No booster needed for Janice cuz she knows how to raise a plethora of gorgeous posies.

As does, my friend and editor Helen's husband Skip. 

I went to their home yesterday afternoon, immediately pulled out my cell phone and started snapping away at the bountiful groupings of colorful and vibrant zinnias, nastyurshums, cosmos and a whole lot of flowers I can't name.  

Just "purty," that's what species they are. 

Now, let me talk about the Lovestead flowers.  Many are pretty but far too many are shriveled up and dying, regardless of my efforts with watering or fertilizing. 

I've got deck flowers and manure-spreader flowers and rock-garden flowers and manure-pile flowers. 

This year's deck flowers are doing okay because many live in semi sun, semi shade. Plus, I seem to have progressed a little in my talents for keeping them alive and blooming.   

Rock garden flowers are downright pathetic right now, even though I water them every day. 

Manure spreader flowers in the north lawn have their moments.  

Sometimes I'll go out there and behold a sudden burst of bright colors.  Other times, it seems that all those blooms just plain got tired and went back to their flower bed. 

Out behind the barn, the manure pile petunias and marigolds, which are out in the direct sun most of the day-----they are downright impressive.

Some marigold blooms might measure almost three inches across.  Both species have bloomed profusely of late, and it's always fun to come around the barn and see the purple, orange and yellow show separating the manure pile from the west-barn lawn. 

All this said, I do believe flowers---be they town or country, healthy or pathetic---do a lot of good for our soul.  

They keep us busy all season long, trying to encourage them to look better and prettier, and, for months, providing us fleeting moments of eye-catching beauty and temporarily erasing all that other ugliness and insanity out there. 

So, today's photos include a mixture of Skip's town flowers and my country floral cousins. I have featured Janice's beauties in past blogs. 

BTW:  Skip and I may love our flowers and spend lots of money at the Flower Farm each spring to get them started, but we do differ on one topic. 

He's not a fan of town squirrels, while I don't mind them at all. 

We'll talk about town and country squirrels in more depth on another day.  

Today it's time to admire the virtual flowers and maybe spend some time outside to smell the real posies. 

Happy Friday.