A thunderstorm woke me up this morning, and we’re supposed to have showers throughout the day. That’s a good thing since the garden was getting pretty dry. I don’t wait until Saturday to take pictures to share with you, so let it rain!

I had already planned the six flower photos to post, but I don’t have as much new to choose from right now. Things are slowing down out there in late October. Our daily temperatures are still in the 80s (Fahrenheit) with nights in the 60s. As I’ve said before, something is blooming 365 days a year, but it’s a bit boring right now.

The front camellia, seen in the top picture, has been blooming for a couple of weeks. I’ve had this shrub for decades and always look forward to its frilly coral blossoms that start early and bloom all winter.

I’m excited about this sasanqua that just opened this week. I think it’s called October Snow. It had a few blooms when I bought it about three years ago but hasn’t bloomed since. A couple of months ago, I noticed it was full of tiny buds, and then Thursday, I saw two of these beautiful white double flowers, tinged with a little bit of pink on the outer edge. I look forward to the shrub being full of blooms soon.

Volunteer plants are fun to discover sometimes. I haven’t planted torenia/wishbone flowers in three years. However, for the past two years, I’ve found them popping up around the garden. I would probably have more, but they look similar to a particular weed, and when they’re small, I can’t tell the difference. I also forget that the “weed” may be a self-seeded torenia. It’s a good thing that I get lax in my weeding duties when the mosquitoes, heat, and humidity keep me out of the garden, or I’d never find these little gems blooming on their own.

This Autumn Fire Encore Azalea has been a disappointment. The shrub is puny and rarely blooms. I’m trying to be patient.

Every year, I leave some goldenrod in the backyard for my Australian Shepherd since he likes to eat the leaves. (You can barely catch a glimpse of Shep on the left side of the first picture.) I understand it has medicinal properties.

Weed or wildflower? The roadside waste places and fallow fields have been beautiful, in full bloom with this plant for the past few weeks.

Finally, I didn’t grow these sunflowers. I bought a bouquet at the grocery store and have enjoyed them on my kitchen window sill all week. Looking at them makes me happy.

What little things make you happy? What gives you joy?

Look for them. Experience them. Grab hold, if only for a fleeting moment.

“Let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” – Psalm 96:12

Shalom, Dottie