Skywatch Friday

These were taken this morning after the storm.

These were taken last night after the 1st storm went through.

Flowers at the Kandiyohi County Fair

Today was the first day of the Kandiyohi County Fair.  I am a volunteer in the floriculture division. This is my 9th year doing this and I still love it. It is so much fun to see what other people grow for flowers and how they arrange them. I really love getting to know the families and watch their children grow and change each year.

Here is the display with the Merit Awards. This is the best from each class. I should have taken individual photos of each one, but I didn’t think of it. Tonight they probably will not look as nice because we have had some super hot weather here. It has been over 90 and very humid.

Seed art is a category that we started a few years ago. It is so much fun to see what idea the kids come up with. Every year there are more entries in this category.
This is the Champion exhibit in the Jr. Division category. This category includes all the specimen flower and seed art for the kids in the Jr. Division. The background of his artwork is sand paper.

I hope to share more about the fair with you tomorrow.

Mosaic Monday

Strawflowers

The first two photos are Lisianthus - rose and white.  The two bottom end photos are Scabiosa or pincushion flower. The middle flower is a yellow Gaillardia or Blanket flower.  All of these plants are new for me this year.

Today is Mosaic Monday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Mary at LittleRedHouse!

Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt Your Flowers

Cleome

Phlox

Liatris-common names include gayfeather and blazing star.

Celosia or Cockscomb

Moluccella laevis - Common names are Bells of Ireland, Shellflower, or Molucca balm. 

Despite its common name “bells-of-Ireland,” the plant isn’t a native of Ireland. Rather, the name refers to the green color of the “bells,” or calyces. It hails from the Eastern Mediterranean region to Northwest India, Asia Minor and the Moluccas (Spice Islands), from which the genus name is derived. The species name “laevis” means “smooth,” possibly in reference to the true flowers.

I am planning on drying these and have been reading up on this.  From what I read, the foliage on bells-of-Ireland is prickly and can be irritating to the skin. Remove the leaves to avoid allergic reactions or rashes. Air-dry them by hanging them upside down and place them in a cool, dark, airy location. A wire can be inserted into the hollow stem to create the shape you want them to dry in.

I would love to hear if anyone has tryed this and if they have any advice on how to do this.

Today is Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt your Flower. Thanks to Tootie Time. You can check out the others here.

Father Hennepin State Park

This white doe has two fawns, one white and one brown.  It was really hard to photograph them, because as soon as we would spot one they were gone.  It was so much fun to watch them.  What beautiful animals!

We did get some rain on our trip, but the rainbow made up for it.

We did a lot of bike riding and walking and the trails there were wonderful.

The sky was filled with so many colors.  Sometimes we don't take the moment to enjoy them.  To see my photos of the park in the Fall click here.

You can check out Father Hennepin State Park's website here.

Lisianthus and Dahlias

Lisianthus is my second favorite annuals. I have a few different kinds this year.

Here are a couple dahlias that are new for me this year.  I am very happy with them so far.

Today is Bloomin' Tuesday! Please check out the others, thanks to Jean at MsGreen "thumb".

Mosaic Monday

Today is Mosaic Monday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Mary at LittleRedHouse!