Today we found there were eight flowers in the backyard saffron, which at three threads each gave us 24 saffron threads! Now they sit in a jar in the plant window, with a loose lid to protect from cat ideas. This lets them dry out a bit before they join the spice cabinet. Very few bulbs are blooming so far, which I suspect is because I divided them extensively this spring. Probably next year we’ll have a lot!
The original saffron patch after being divided this spring has three plants big enough to flower! A bumblebee was visiting one!I didn’t divide this patch very well oops. In the front yard, I had planted three patches the last two seasons. So far only one is up and no visible flowers. someone else here near Norman had several at this stage. I think the smaller bulbs don’t flower the first season and need to grow more. Judy reports one flower from her bulbs planted in the spring after the division! Hers are in a pot.
Heath asters were buzzin‘!Common Eastern bumblebees were all over both the Heath asters and these Liatris mucronata. Wooly bear!Marigolds doing well around the sweet peppers. A close up of the same marigolds. They really thrive in the fall.
It was fun to see wild horseherb today at Abilene State Park in Texas. We have one big patch in the yard from a NPSOT plant sale in 2022 and it has thrived.I went with Mom and Dad to see 88% of the annular solar eclipse! This photo was just after the peak. The pecan tree leaves are creating a pinhole effect so all the shadows show the slice of sun that’s left. Mom will be posting her pictures on her blog tomorrow.
Liatris punctata var mucronata from home is finally in peak flower! It’s a bit horizontal because it’s near Briar’s favorite laying spot. Oops. The heath asters aren’t as full as the local wild ones yet but they’ve started. This one hitched along with the liatris from home.
Another plant of fall obedient plant started blooming! Coworkers gave me several of their plants and I put them in several spots around the yard. This one by the winter birdbath by the house was a bit optimistic but it seems to have made it!I thought it looked neat from above with four rows of flowers in the spike.
Credit for fancy salad to Paula. The Chef made the bacon cheese chicken rounds and sautéed veggies. All of us and our guest rolled out potato gnocchi. The potato gnocchi is topped with pesto made with garden basil. the sunflowers are the ones from the garden from two days ago. Our guest brought this exquisite chocolate flourless cake topped with chocolate ganache. Paula added the edible flower of Texas mallow. (It tastes… like a plant haha.). The cake was DIVINE.
After kindly avoiding sitting on the Mexican sage while I weeded, Briar finally decided to sit on them. 🙄Earlier, Briar helped us look over the now conveniently low Maximilian sunflowers. We can see all the insects easily!
Probably Solidago rigidiuscula (thanks for ID, Mom!). This was an accidental but fortunate stowaway in the caliche from TX home!Heavy work, feeding the neighborhood. The maxes hadn’t fully dropped yet here like they did after the rain.