First and Last Blooms

 The photo on the left displays the last daylily bloom of the season in the Cats and Catts house.  It's an H. fulva plant, the most common daylily in the world, but it proves its utility here by giving us some color so late in the season.  This close-up doesn't convey the loneliness of this flower.  It's time for the daylilies to close down the flower shop for the year and recharge for 2011.

Elsewhere in the plant kingdom, things are just getting started.  I took the photo on the right today, too.  My Miltassia Charles Marsden Fitch 'Izumi' -- a favorite in my collection -- is showing off its first blooms.  It looks so much more healthy and robust than it did less than a year ago. 


Many orchids, with their Fall/Winter bloom habit, are a perfect way to compensate for the colder weather here in Zone 5. And the daylilies will be here again before we know it.