Fourth of July Flowers

Tomorrow is Independence Day, the Fourth of July.

And a great way to celebrate is by decorating with flowers.

There are some amazing red, white, and blue combinations out there.

I really like this arrangement by Kelli Walker. 

The delphiniums are so beautifully blue 

and the white peonies and lilies look great. 

The red is something Walker called "geum,"

something I'd never heard of before. An alternate name is avens,

which doesn't help me much either.

http://www.countrybouquetsfloral.com/_blog/Country_Bouquets/post/4th_of_July_Inspired_Arrangement/

This window box creates the holiday theme

using white and red impatiens and tiny blue flowers:

pinterest.com

Wouldn't this be a fun way to welcome guests to your Fourth of July barbecue?

Red and white geraniums and blue lobelia from On Blueberry Hill blog:

http://blueberryhillcrafting.com/2013/07/04/fourth-of-july-flower-fireworks/

And you knew this was coming: a flower flag. 

This one incorporates blue lobelia and white and red dianthus:

Photo Credit: S. Smith via examiner.com

This year, forget the fireworks and celebrate your independence with flowers.

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Crape Myrtle Trees

The crape myrtle trees have been in bloom 

here in the Shire for a couple of weeks now.

tree-land.com

They are everywhere you look: white flowering, violet, pink, 

and my very favorite, watermelon-red.

This photo is a cropped version of one from tidewatergardener.blogspot.com

Today I was downtown, walking in the heat and humidity.

The air was stifling, in fact.

And then my path led me through a tunnel of watermelon-red crape myrtle trees.

The shade felt great, and hundreds of tiny faded red blossoms 

were scattered across the path like petals in a wedding procession.

Made an ordinary day a little special.

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Fences and Flowers

This morning when I was walking one of my dogs,

I noticed four o'clocks growing through the pickets of a fence.

There is something about a flower escaping the bounds of a fence

in search of the sunlight that stirs the spirit a little.

Here are a few fences and flowers I found on the internet:

Sunny cosmos make this white picket fence very picturesque:

natureintheburbs.wordpress.com

Here a rose grows beyond the slats of a weathered wooden fence:

via pinterest.com

Bright blue morning glories have taken over this fence:

doityourself.com

And if you think that's cheery, look at this one:

103fence.com

This yellow fence and pink flower combination

would have to cheer anybody up.

Which is your favorite?

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