Monday morning mist lay thick as gossamer — veiling crisp contrasts and obscuring firm edges — lending a mildly mysterious tone to the start of day, start of week, start of midsummer,… The first two photos (black and white) in “Mondays & Waterways” were made before the mist lifted as is the black and white at the top of today’s dispatch. An hour or so later, as the brume burned off, Teddi captured this delicate view, the first of several cutting garden glimpses memorializing the July-to-August baton pass now almost upon us.
Views from the cutting garden…
— Teddi, Monday, July 28, 2025
Pollinating this pinkish petaled bloom, a midsummer bumble bee fumbles drunkenly through the heart of the matter, golden powder clinging like laughter and goodwill to humorous storytelling.
And there’s Nigella, also known as love-in-a-mist and devil-in-a-bush, labyrinthine matrices erupting in bloom. Botanical fireworks.
Nigella seed pods as pretty as the flowers – great for drying.
— Teddi
And a Black Knight Scabiosa (Scabiosa atropurpurea) forerunner welcoming other soon-to-bloom companions.
First scabiosa beginning to bloom!
— Teddi
New to me, I enjoy speaking aloud the name Scabiosa atropurpurea (despite the unsettling linguistic echo of scabies!)
Scabiosa, the newest darling of the cut flower industry, has come out with some incredibly fun colors, namely Black Knight Scabiosa. This deepest maroon, near black button-shape blossom is both exotic and versatile. Long stems support a pretty mound of petals that when faded, give the stem a second life. The seedpods are just as interesting as the fresh flower, as both find the opportunity to shine in the garden and vase. (Source: Eden Brothers)
Hope you’ve enjoyed these cutting garden glimpses. Two days late, but better by far than overlooked altogether, I hope.
What’s blooming in your flowerbeds?
What do you think?