AbsoBloominLutely Thrilled to Still Have A Garden

Ike has come and gone, and a messier (and more unwelcome) guest I have never seen! If you're wondering whether I have any blooms left for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I am happy to share with you these pictures from a trek around the garden this morning. Mind you, one does not stroll the garden at this point in time ... one navigates with all the caution taken by those venturing deep into the Amazonian rainforest.

The butterflies have a navigational advantage, as do the hummingbirds.
Both were out in full force, working the flowers for every bit of nectar
they could. This Gulf Fritillary paused in his endeavors to soak up some sun.

The coral vine covers one of the Texas persimmon trees; both

emerged from the storm unscathed.

A bumblebee on the Salvia 'Otahal'. This blue and white variety is named
after native Texan plantsman David Otahal, an old friend of mine
from Hartman Junior High School in Houston.

We put the birdbath on the ground so it wouldn't be toppled by the winds.
This Profusion Apricot Zinnia is a cheery sight.

Unlike its nearby neighbor, which I pulled out a few months ago,
this Blackfoot Daisy is not sulking from a surfeit of water.

Near the melampodium, a 'Serenity' mix verbena sports bright pink blooms.
Would you call this color Fuchsia or Magenta?

The hummingbirds are happy that there are a
few blooms left on the red Firespike.

This Salvia (not sure it's a greggii or a macrophylla)
is a little less vibrant pink than it was pre-Ike.

Okay, folks, steel yourselves. Remember my beautiful red Bauhinia of which I posted Friday before last? The pride and joy of my corner bed? The good news is that it's still alive. The bad news is that the wind whipped it around six ways from Sunday and it's thoroughly contorted. Behold it and weep.

I'll do my best to put together a post tomorrow detailing our experiences during and after Ike, and share the pictures I've taken. For now, I'll just say that we were very fortunate, all in all. We had some minor property damage and the oak trees in front took a real beating. I think there are as many leaves on the ground as on the trees, no joke. I spent today attempting to do some cleanup and I swear things look worse afterwards than they did before! I have to keep reminding myself to think of this as an opportunity to make some changes. It was a little easier to do pre-hurricane, before I was faced with such an unholy mess!