Sparkling Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Zinnia, Pansies and a Busy Bee

Raindrops on chrysanthemums: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

Happy floral Friday! I took these photos yesterday after a heavy rain. I love how the flowers sparkle and glisten in the sun when covered in raindrops. The yellow chrysanthemum above is starting to turn bronze on the edges and makes it feel more like autumn here in my Maryland garden.

Raindrops and bee on curly dahlia: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

But the buzzing bees make it feel like summer is still hanging in there. I love the curly petals at the center of this bicolor dahlia.

Yellow zinnia: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

The bright yellow zinnias are a ray of sunshine, no matter what the sky is doing.

Raindrops on funky dahlia: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

These funky petaled pink, yellow and white dahlias make me smile every time I see them. I love how the pinks go from pale to hot pink with other shades in between and all on one flower. This year I'm going to try digging up tubers again. Last year I didn't succeed so any tips from you would be greatly appreciated! Particularly on how to dig them up without piercing the tubers (which I found out the hard way aren't necessarily directly below the stalks), how long to let them air dry before storing them away for the winter and how to store them away. 

Rain soaked pansy bed: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

My husband planted the wheelbarrow full of pansies and bought some more to fill out the triangular area they're now enjoying (previously occupied by a load of marigolds and a few pink zinnias). They were beaten down by the heavy rain and are showing the stress of being transplanted but should perk up in a few days if the weather cooperates. As I mentioned last week, when God smiles on our garden the pansies can bloom right through winter, into spring and sometimes even early summer.

You can see (from left to right) some of our coreopsis, zinnias, roses, perilla and lantana in the closer background and our and neighbors' trees and big shrubs in the far background.

Thank you for visiting! Every week brings new joy in my Maryland flower garden. I aim to post every Friday from spring through first frost so be sure to visit again soon for more flower photos. May God bless you!

Related posts:
Wheelbarrow pansies: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-wheelbarrow-full-of-pansies-for.html
Freeloaders and flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/search?q=funky
Autumn Maryland flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/10/autumn-maryland-garden-flower-photos.html