August Flowers

August is my birthday month. I turned 70 this time. There have been times I never thought I would get this old. And sometimes I wish I hadn't. But putting those thoughts aside. My flowers decided to celabrate with lots of beauty. My favorite color is blue. The wild chicory is a  gorgious shade of blue. We have a bunch on the edge of the road that have been blooming away. They open first think in the morning but are usually gone by noon. The stem they grow on has very few leaves that are hardly big enough to see. Chicory is a kind of daisy and in the herb family. It has been used as an additive to coffee but I have never tried it. 

Little sunflower

Angle wing begonia. I had 3 nice begonias this year. This angle wing has done great. Also had a couple of others that came from a bulb. The angle wing is red, and a nice pick one, and the other one is a pale pink with darker pink edging. First time I have ever had begonias.

My hydraina was here when we moved in. It was planted in front of the front yard water spiket. I thought of moving it but was afraid it would kill it. It was only about a foot tall when we moved it. I haven't done a lot to it except pruning it some. This year it is about 6 feet tall or sort of that tall. It is so heavy with the blossoms that most of the stems are leaning over. The clusters of blossoms have been big and eash one has thousands of indiviual blossoms on it. What is so nice about hydrainas are that the blossoms dry on the plant and last for months. Every time I go to turn the water on to water the plants in pots that need an extra drink I have to duck under the hydraina limbs. They don't have a lot of sent but what there is is pleasent. 

The crape myrtle was, also, here when we moved in. It was already a good size and is bit bigger now. A beautiful color somewhere between a bright pink and a red. I can see it from the kitchen window when I am doing dishes or cooking. It blooms for about the whole month of August. 

These are a common wild flower we see at this time of the year.

My caladium bulbs did well. The leaves have been really nice. One had a flower but it disappeared before I got a photo of it. I think something ate it as there was nothing to be found just a few hours after I saw it. My hosta is hiding under the caladium leaves. 

Had a couple of visitors to our yard. This deer stopped by for a few minutes. 

I know we have snakes here but I don't see them that often. But one day this black rat snake was hanging out in the yard. It was fairly long. First photo is of the head and then one of the body and tail. I left it to go on its way. We have lots of mice for them to eat.