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.

Amaryllis Redux

This 27” tall amaryllis sprung from a pot of old bulbs that we had put out on the back porch last March after they had bloomed.  Nature does not need humans.  It only needs humans to stay out of its way.

Sunflower Profiles

These are starting to gear up for seed production, withdrawing water from the no-longer needed petals.

Sunflower Back

Sunflower for Summer Solstice

Babies

Rhododendron bloom babies.  And a baby bear halfway up a  tree on the trail near my house, its mother nearby,  naturally.  (How can we live in a country that is standing by watching while the would-be dictator and his sycophants and stooges rip babies away from their parents?)

A Deeper Orange!

Today’s bloom on the orange daylily,  fire brick!