Getting Past the Bombast of Gladiolus Blooms

If I can get past the spectacular bombastic aggressive show of the gladiolus blooms in our garden, I can luxuriate in the intricate alluring complexity of the individual flowers.

Amaryllis Seed?

The seed pods grew fatter and gradually shrunk and dried out.  The tiny seeds are white and about .25mm long.

Not So Lush, the Difficult Part

The swelling ovaries of the amarylis, each lush in its own way.  I pollinated several of the blooms to see what would happen—

Downtown Asheville, Early Sunday

My friend K and I are sitting on a bench on Eagle Street.  It is cool, slightly breezy, quiet.  The sun shines lightly on us as we draw a church down the block.
After an hour or so we amble around and find ourselves at the end of Chicken Alley.  Tucked into a tiny collection of potted plants against an old wall, these astonishing pitcher plant blooms stir gently in the breeze.  The air is quietly seething.

Bloom to Seeds, Step 1

The final bloom with the swelling ovary/fruit of one of the spent blooms. 

I hand-pollinated the blooms, and this one is swelling. Stay tuned for seeds!

Late Bloomer

A week after four blooms had opened on the giant amaryllis, this small tubular bud-like thing appeared.  Two days later it had grown taller and fatter.
Yesterday in the sunrise rays its petals began to loosen;

and this morning petals relaxed to form a cup.
After today’s heat and humidity a fifth flower is in full bloom, almost as fully open as the older blooms.