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The sun was done in Salzburg this morning, and the rain returned. But after a good breakfast, we were on the road again for the long trek back to Germany — destination: Heidelberg.

All over both Germany and Austria, we saw fields — some large, some small — of rows of fresh flowers where you can cut your own! I guess it’s like I’m used to seeing the pick your own berry places (and they have them too – amazing strawberries all around Bavaria).

Thought you’d find that interesting. The only thing more fun than going to my own garden to pick flowers fresh would be walking down the street to pick them from someone else who’s sweated and anguished over them!

It rained on us most of the day and we were on the Autobahn all day, in and out of construction and lots of traffic — both vacation and commerce. Lots of trucks.



We also make an unplanned stop at the concentration camp memorial at Dachau. It was very solemn and moving. But we were all very glad we realized how close we were to it and went and found it.

We’ve just come back from a wonderful time on the farm in Indiana where we enjoyed cool, crisp nights – 56 one night! – and beautiful days in the upper 70s and low 80s.

We took Flat Stanley with us and tooks lots of pictures so we could share our travels with Kallie’s class back home. Here they are in the family barn visiting the horses and down the road enjoying the neighbors’ cows.

I absolutely love these wild day lilies that grow all over the country roads throughout Indiana. So wish I had some in my garden, but haven’t been able to find any to buy. I thought about dividing a few and tucking them in my suitcase, but decided not to.

This is one of the family wheat fields — so pretty and about 2-3 days from cutting.

And then we came home to RAIN! Glorious rain! We had 1/2 inch this week, which we so desperately needed.

There isn’t much else to say about this Painted Bunting that visited our feeder tonight. It’s just stunning with all those beautiful colors.

He showed up last night, but when I got up to run get the camera, he flew off. Tonight I was able to sneak to the window because I’d left the camera sitting on the table just in case he came back.

What a lovely dinner guest we had!

Nothing.  That’s what’s left of the scattered wildflowers blooming, the salvia I dug up and transplanted and have been hand watering daily and the beautiful little 1 foot crepe myrtle tree that I transplanted as a volunteer this winter.

Welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, when Carol of May Dreams Gardens invites us to share all the beautiful blooms in our gardens.

Because we basically enjoy nine months of summer here in Austin, and so many of the plants bloom for most of that time period, I decided to focus my post today on a few unusual things that are blooming instead of the normal laundry list.

Rest assured, the lantana and blackfoot daisy and other annuals and perennials that were blooming last month as still blooming. The one big change that I am seeing since our 90 degree spell — the beautiful magenta snap dragons are starting to wilt. About half of them have died and don’t appear to be coming back.

You’ll find a few favorites I couldn’t resist sharing, but also several blooms on the vegetables growing in my garden with the promise of delectable veggies yet to come. Here are my first day lilies blooming. These are not from my new bed, but ones that I planted last year. I got the full “frontal” shot for you (tee hee) but was more intrigued by the look from the back, so I took one of those as well. Isn’t the back of it lovely, too?

This is a Mexican Hat native wildflower that I planted after grabbing a handful of seeds on the side of the road during a walk last year! I crushed the dried head into an open meadow area where we have our bird feeders and they came up this year! I am so excited that my experiment actually worked!
This is a terrible picture, but I wanted you to see Mr. Lizard who was hot-footing it away from me down the driveway. Think he’s camera shy?
First blooms of the lovely Guara.
The Damianita in the front bed in its full glory.
This Black and Blue Salvia is one of my favorites. It’s so rare that we are able to get true blues in our gardens and I just love these.
A collection of little pots that I SWORE I wouldn’t plant this year. (When we get to 100, it takes a LONNNNNNNNG time to water all those little pots every single day without fail….and every year I swear I am not going to plant them again …… I lie!)
More little pots…
More little plants and more little pots into which I will someday put the plants!
My new Spiderwort who is still WAITING to go into the ground and has decided to shame me into planting it by blooming!
Rudbeckia that came from a mail order and I am so pleased with its lovely color.
These are Tomatillo blooms.
These are bush bean blooms. By the way, we have lots and lots of beans, so I am planning to cook homemade green beans on Sunday night for dinner…with bacon and onions! Yum…like my Grandma used to make.
The cucumbers are looking very healthy and started blooming this week.
A little garden art I picked up at a nursery across town — this is on the fence by our playscape.
And, finally, my Pavonia – or Rock Rose, that I have gleefully planted behind the fence out of the range of the hungry deer. Over the years, they’ve eaten 3 on me, so I’ve learned my lesson and was excited to think of a spot to safely plant one. This is across the way from the new daylilies on the edge of that bed. Tonight two Mexican heathers and an Idigo Spires joined her, but that was after photo time. I snuck in three plants while Kallie was brushing her teeth and putting her jammies on!

It’s so nice here in the evenings these day, it’s just plain hard to come inside until it’s dark, but Mommy duty calls, so I only get a few stolen moments!

Wow. Never mind what’s blooming in my garden today.

I wanted to share with you some of the amazing sights that I enjoy on my daily neighborhood walks with Tanner.

As I was taking these pictures, I was humming that infamous Mister Rogers tune ~~ don’t hate me if you start humming it to yourself now!

Stunning and soft blooms on this prickly cactus.

A close-up of native Agarita berries bursting forth.
Lantana and yuccas make a nice couple!
More blooms,
And a yellow blooming yucca – much less common than the red.
Mexican feather grass blowing in the breeze.

Have a lovely day!