Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - October 2022

There's not much to show you from my zone 9 garden here in Southeast Texas on this October Bloom Day. We are in an extended period of drought stretching all the way back into mid-summer and that has been very hard on my plants. I haven't provided much supplemental water, having decided to let the plants make it or not on their own. And they are making it but they are in survival mode which doesn't leave much energy for blooms.

Coral vine might be an exception to that; it seems to have more than enough energy for blooms.

Turk's Cap blooms are not very showy but there are plenty of them.

The almond verbena blooms also are fairly unobtrusive unless you have a sense of smell in which case you will never be able to ignore their sweet fragrance.

The yellow cestrum does not seem to be bothered by the lack of rain.

The American beautyberry bloomed profusely and now is full of colorful berries which don't last too long because the birds love them.

Blue plumbago is a dependable bloomer regardless of the weather.

Justicia 'Orange Flame' is another tough bloomer.

If it is autumn, then the autumn sage must be in bloom. This one is a bit past its prime.

The Duranta erecta is another bloomer that seems impervious to the weather.

And, of course, if it is October then the "Naked Ladies" (red spider lilies) must be showing their stuff.

These tough old plants gladden my heart with their blooms every time I walk into the garden. I only hope that their toughness will soon be rewarded by a plentiful amount of autumn rain.

As always, a thank you to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for this monthly meme. Happy Bloom Day!

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

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