More than 24 hours and 100 mm of rain later, the air is clear and skies are finally showing a bit of blue. Until the next round, it seems. The pattern most summers, this one included, is for rain clouds to travel north or south of us, leaving our soils parched and our trees and much of my garden very sad looking. That trend is officially broken and leaves on trees are very perky this morning.
Also perky are these black eyed Susans, cut yesterday in a pause between passing clouds, joined by Allium ‘Millenium’ and a luscious pink gladiola stem. The purple leaves surrounding my amethyst hyacinth jar are beet leaves. I’m told they’re delicious in a salad so a few may wind up on my plate tonight.
Cathy at Rambling in the Garden encourages gardeners to share a container/vase/jug/vessel of something from their gardens every Monday. Whilst Cathy always has an intriguing prop to add to her vase, I’ll add not as a prop, but perhaps a bonus, a photo of this lovely moth I noticed nestled and nicely camouflaged amongst the Coleus foliage on the back porch. It’s a geometer moth, in the genus Xanthotype. Have a great week, everyone!
What a lovely moth, and what attractive beet leaves. I never would have expected that, but combined with the black-eyed Susans they make for one of the most unusual yellow-and-purple combinations I’ve seen. (My personal favorite is goldenrod and beautyberry — one of autumn’s delights.)
I wasn’t expecting the beet leaves to be so glossy…I’m hoping the beet roots themselves are as delicious as the leaves are beautiful! Speaking of…I’ve never tried to grow beauty berry….
Looks very pretty! I see that Moth has a ‘face’ on its back. Enjoy the beet leaves in your salad. My daughter made beet salad, yesterday: beets, apple (a Granny is great), red onion, vinegar…because I used to make it!
Are the beet leaves still in the ground, or are they cut and in the vase. (They look like they are not cut.) Those black eyed Susans would be as pretty on their own.
Handsome moth! I’m impressed that you still have Glads this late in the year – and I’m very envious of the rain of course.
100mm in 24 hours – wow, that’s wet! I am glad it has refreshed your garden and it is a joy to see such fresh flowers in your vase
What a pretty moth and I love the unusual coleus as well as the abundant Rudbeckia, Chris. Rain is a welcome thing if it comes on a regular basis. We’ve been luckily to have squeaked by this summer and what a relief it is not to have to water. The cooler days are appreciated as well, much more pleasant than July was.