Where flowers bloom, so does hope. ~Lady Bird Johnson

The Earth laughs in flowers. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

May is the month in which the flowers I forgot I planted last year begin to poke out from the soil and remind me they are there. So it was with the Cleome plant that sprouted up in the middle of the Lantana!

I believe the birds may be responsible for all the sunflowers that pop up around the yard. This one is almost as tall as the fence! It made such an impressive bloom. I photographed it over time to show the amazing process from bud to flower.

This Sunflower sprouted right in the middle of a pot filled with Salvia. It adds such a startling pop of color to the pot of purple!

The Coleus comes back every year in a different spot in this bed. I am never sure where it will appear. I love the designs on the leaves. Each leaf looks like its own galaxy with tendrils spreading out into the universe.

Another flower I forgot I planted! This Spotted Calla Lily made gorgeous leaves before this lovely yellow bloom appeared. I forget about bulbs when I neglect to label where I planted them. This pretty surprise is a perfect example!

This Garden Balsam bloomed in a pot I had put away when it was not in use. I guess nature had another idea of whether it was in use or not!

The Climbing Hempvine has come back vigorously. I wasn’t sure it would make it after the work we had done in the backyard, but here it is! I can’t wait for the little blooms to appear.

I have had a Sweet Pea plant in a pot with some Mistflower for a couple of years. The Mistflower blooms all season, but the Sweet Pea only had stems and leaves. It finally bloomed this year! The blooms didn’t last very long, but they were lovely while they were here. So delicate.

Another surprise in a planter was the Cypress Vine. I thought a hanging basket was empty, so I planted a Firecracker bush. But then, the Cypress Vine made another appearance. I love the tiny little buds.

Some new additions to the quiet wild are below.

The Blackberry bush has many of these pretty, pink blooms. There is some fruit on the bush, and the birds have already found it!

The white Delphinium has been very showy lately, making multiple blooms at a time. I love the contrast between the outer petals and the inside parts.

A Green Lynx Spider was hiding in one of the blooms when I photographed the flower. I didn’t realize he was there until I reviewed the image. I think he is so unique looking! Kind of other-worldly!

One of the new varieties of sunflower I planted this year was a Teddy Bear Sunflower. The blooms are very full and fluffy. So cute!

Another very recent addition to the quiet wild is a Rose Mallow Hibiscus. It is a very showy plant that the bees just love! More on the bees in my next post. Below is the first bloom from this plant.

These are other blooms from the Rose Mallow plant. I just love the way the light glimmers off the water droplet from the morning dew on the bloom below. Magical!

I hope the images from my little slice of nature has brought a smile to your face today. Until next time…