Who would have thought a blooming plant would tap me on the shoulder in the garden? I stooped to trim an ambitious ground cover, focusing on the escaping tendrils at my toes. Not knowing the truth of the matter, I thought I was being stalked the second time it touched me. Looking up, I was face to face with a gladiolus stalk in full bloom. I was right — stalked! Its compatriots died months ago, and it was surrounded by dried leaves, languishing in the dust. It was bowed over, facing the ground, which is why I hadn’t seen it from the porch. Any living thing, clinging to life like that, deserved to be digitally immortalized.
The shot was a blind one. I held the toy camera under the blooms, shooting up at the cloudy sky. The old oak tree photo-bombed it, waving with the leaves it had left. The top of my Einstein hair-do jumped in, too.
As long as the camera was in the garden, it captured two other blooms. The most enthusiastic bloom was a single clematis. I thought its expression was like a deer in headlights. It was as surprised to be there as I was to see it.
The rose was one of 22 left on the two bushes. It will be a while until the last one succumbs. I’ll play a proper elegy for it then. Do you have any clingers in your garden?
Mehrling Muse 
Whoever thought that being stalked could be so lovely!
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Your rose is so beautiful so with the other two blooms! What a nice surprise.
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The rose lied. It didn’t look very good in person! I thought cameras always told the truth, but it was in collusion with the rose.
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How lovely. I’m so glad for you! The best part of the first year in a new home is all of nature’s surprises from season to season. Here yellow is finally taking a firm hold on the trees in town as well as out here in the acres. Grass is slowing down but so are the weeds. Tomatoes and peppers are still ripening but no more blooms. Cukes and zukes have given up the ghost and inchworms took over the kale rendering it good chicken food. The roses only stopped budding this past week, but the blooms last much longer. Sweet alyssum and petunias are as fragrant as ever, but they too aren’t budding anymore.
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I loved the way you took roll call of your plants. I’m on a first-name basis with most of mine.
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Gardening helps bridge the gap with the kids so far away.
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I’m still getting pinks and yellow day lilies, and my annuals are still all blooming. My mums are just starting to be in full bloom. And my roses actually seem to bloom a bit better for a week or so after the first frost, which still hasn’t come this year. Love all those fall flowers!
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You’ve still got lots of blooms! Way to go!
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All that’s left in my garden are my pansies. Beautiful photos and enjoy those lingering blooms:)
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Pansies are so much fun. Love their faces!
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Yup the bowl makes me smile every time I look out the window
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The photos are beautiful Anne! My Russian Sage continues to bloom and my blue flax has decided it should try a few more also. I was also surprised by the Stella del Oro daylilies that have a couple blooms this last week. Usually our sedum is the only thing with blooms at this point.
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Your plants are out-doing themselves!
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I think they know their time is short! We have a freeze warning for tonite.
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That’s something that you have a freeze warning for tonight. After the hurricane rain came through, our temps rose. It almost feels like summer here. John said it is supposed to last all week. I’m glad my summer clothes are always within reach.
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Your plants are out-doing themselves!
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What beautiful blooms clinging on before the winter approaches. I love how you fully appreciate their beauty and grace. I wasn’t blessed with a green thumb, but I do have a solid appreciation for the glorious colors and blooms put in our path. Beautiful photos (Einstein hair notwithstanding–love it!).
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I am a most reluctant gardener, taking up hand tools because a small garden came with the house. Any bloom that survives here is tough, indeed.
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Plants are endless fun. The photo of the clematis is beautiful. They don’t do well around here. I miss seeing them on a daily basis.
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I wouldn’t have known the clematis would like living here. It came with the house. I hope it survives me.
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thankyou for sharing i have a rose in bloom as well as mexican sage and pine apple sage
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I should look for photos of Mexican sage and pineapple sage. I haven’t a clue what they look like. My plants have to introduce themselves to me, enunciating clearly. I might have met your plants and don’t know it.
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I cut my clematis down last week. I have a beautiful blue one but if I don’t cut it down to the ground, it gets very woody with stems and is not attractive in the middle of the summer. We have aging hydrangeas that look just lovely along with a stray annual. It’s late for gladiolas! Treasure that thing!
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Our clematis seems to be the self-trimming variety. It never gets big enough to threaten me. Our middle-aged hydrangea has never bloomed and has no intention of starting on my watch. I’ve seen photos of your garden — you are talented.
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No, I’m lucky.
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Your camera has a great eye for extreme beauty! Kudos to you Anne for letting the camera explore.
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The little red camera may be telling his story soon. I trusted him, and the trust was well-deserved.
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Gorgeous surprises in your garden. My husband and I gazed in amazement at our forsythia bush which has blossoms for a second time. Perhaps because of our warm weather. I still have zinnias to cut and bring indoors to the vases. They continue to gift us with color even after the first frost. 🙂
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I’ve seen forsythias have a second season on Long Island. Ours here is pleased to stay green. That’s great that you still have zinnias to bring indoors. What a gift!
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The colors of the zinnias are glorious too. A gift indeed!
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Flowers continue on our rose bush as well. Buds galore still on the Cherry Tomatoes.
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And the cherry tomatoes are USEFUL!
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So beautiful! I remember well those lovely late-bloomers from back when I had a house, 1975-1992. Always a welcome surprise to see them!
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I hope our plants don’t know how we treasure the first and last blooms. They might not bother blooming in between.
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I love the way you wrote this-quite clever. And yes, a few things seem confused as your clematis does.
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Beautiful post Anne, with fabulous photos.
Thank you for sharing your garden with us all.
Have a blessed rest of your day ~ Cobs. x
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Thank you, Cobs. I’m glad you are still seeing me. I’m going to go through the reader now to find several blogs that posted without sending me an email.
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I hope you don’t find many Anne. Playing Catch up is just awful.
Sending squidges ~ Cobs. x
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The only blooms I’ve noticed are the hibiscus, full and red. My neighbor has huge yellow ones.
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Those are certainly dramatic flowers. I’ve seen them in nurseries, so I know they can be grown here.
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Oh Anne, your flowers are so beautiful! I’m glad Mr. Gladiloli was brave enough to tap you on the shoulder to get your attention – he just wanted you to share your lovely blooms with us. Great pics!
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