The day ends and I try to remember where all the hours went, and what I did with them. It was not one thing, but the sum of many little ones, strung together to make it complete. I wouldn't have it any other way. For all practical purposes, this is my life and I love it. It is that time of year, when flowers and plants take their place in the garden, to bud and bloom, unfolding the seasonal bliss that comes with it. Are you ready to plant more? Who can resist?

I generally go to several different places for flowers and all things gardening and today is no different. There are three different locations, a family-owned business, and the one we will be going to today is at 8132 Lee Hwy, Falls Church, VA 22042.

A lovely hibiscus. It has just finished raining, then it burst out in a fit of sunshine. Everything looks fresh, looking just perfect. I don't resist. I take the pink hibiscus home with me. It is not a deal, but, she is a beauty, I came exactly looking for this bush for the garden in my front yard. It will flower all summer and right until the frost come to visit. So that won't be until at least November. Because I am not in a tropical climate that hey hibiscus prefer, I will dig it out and bring it inside for the winter. If I fertilize it, it will even bloom throughout the winter. Oh, the hibiscus! She is a giver!

I like these little silly stones. I have one for my garden that says Worm Farm. Do you have signs or stones - making a little garden humor? I didn't buy one, but, if I did, they were priced from $8.95 to $10.99. Not too bad for the smiles they get. You just can't put a price on a happy face, yes?

I look at this picture and marvel at their ability to put these plants together and make them look so lovely. My imagination doesn't stretch that far, also keeping in mind that the plants will grow bigger and they still have to fit into the scene. They usually do. I can come back in three weeks and they will have grown, seemingly melding into one another. Darn it, if they don't look stunning. My question is always, how do they do it? Every. Single. Time. They are that good.

It is a meander through the pots and trees here. The pink petunias sit on top of a blue bird bath, they use every object they can to achieve the look. The pots have a wide range in price. The smallest pot that they have is about $6.95 for a 5-inch and the largest is $159.00 - but, I couldn't tell how big it was, but, it was huge! They were all ceramic. The rule of thumb is a 12” plant needs a pot that is usually 4 or 5 gallons. I usually get one that is bigger than the plant and let it grow into it. Nowadays, I don't really buy too many pots, I have a collection of them at home that have been passed down to me or given as gifts. I can remember the days when I had none and had to buy one every time I bought a plant. That ship has sailed. Now it is me passing on the pots as I have too many. How about you? Do you have more pots than you know what to do with? Or are you still buying every time you get something new?

They built basic three or four-tiered wooden shelves to just set the plants on in the annual house. That is where the plants live. They last one season and then go to seed. I find them more colorful and unique than the perennials that come back every year. Annuals are cheaper nd offer a spot of color in places that have none.

Yikes! And what did I see? I think he will be a black swallowtail, but not sure. Does anyone want to venture to guess? He comes free with this plant! :) Or we could just go to the Garden Critter class they are having next week.

Please leave the link to your post here so it can easily be found by others. It helps you and me to have them in one place. Where else can you take such a quick trip around the globe? Thank you so much for joining us!! ❤

Flowers. Always. To color my day. #alwaysaflower Let the sun shine in your life and let the joy touch your soul. Let this day be yours. Don't let anyone take your sunshine away Beleive it or not, I didn't finish telling you about it, so there will be a continuation later this week! Fair warning!

A big shout out to @lizelle and the Hive Thrifted Community Store that opened recently, and it is just waiting to be discovered by the Hive Community! If you've not heard about HIVE THRIFTED this is your opportunity to declutter, put unneeded items up for sale, and earn HIVE or HBD! Check out the intro post here If you like the idea of extra income the easy way, read up on it in the intro post, you won't be sorry! Any Questions? Ask away! If you reblog the current post from Hive Thrifted, which you can find here we can start filling up the Hive Thrifted store,