Good morning, gardeners, and welcome to the Saturday Morning Garden Blog!
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you've overeaten, but it's patriotism." ~ Erma Bombeck
With the holiday weekend upon us (yay!), our attentions turn to frosty drinks, festive flags, and of course, fireworks! But not all explosions of color require the backdrop of a darkening sky. In the spirit of July 4th pyrotechnics, let's head into the garden to see what "floral fireworks" nature has to offer:
Sssssst ... pop-pop-pop ... pfsssssst ...
Pop-pop, pop-crackle-pop ... pfssssssst ...
Boom ... pop-pop-pop, BOOM ...
Nature sure does put on a great show! But if actual fireworks are what you crave, here's a little something from our nation's capital last year to get you in the mood - the silhouettes of the boats drifting by in the reflections just slay me:
Here at home, hubby and i have a time-honored tradition of staying off the roads during a holiday and July 4th is no exception. But fireworks are legal in the state of Washington and several of the neighbors go wild with their purchases. This year, we may throw a few logs into the firepit, uncork a bottle of wine, and enjoy the dazzle that surrounds us.
And speaking of dazzle, in last week's SMGB, Merry Light wrote about the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter that took place this past week. To anyone interested in astronomy, this rare celestial occurrence is every bit as dazzling as a fireworks display. In case you missed it, here's a shot hubby took of the planetary embrace ...
If you look closely, you can see the moons of Jupiter!
Oh yes, nature certainly does put on one heck of a show ...
So what's going on in your gardens? Any big plans for the holiday weekend?