“A Standout”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
It rained again today. It seems as if Mother Nature is making up for all the dry days in June and July. I am not complaining since we still need more rain to catch up with our normal yearly totals, and the clouds help with the heat.
It does stop any puttering in the garden when I come home from work. Since I didn’t feel well yesterday and went straight to bed as soon as I got home, today dictated at least a walk around the garden to see how things were doing (and checking for more lubbers – see Sunday’s post).
Just about everything looked a little bedraggled because of the late afternoon rain shower, but one flower still looked fresh and crisp even with a few raindrops. The gardenias are putting on their final show for the year. They usually have three bloom periods. The first one is the most prolific in spring, the second flush comes sometime in late June, and the final flowering is in mid August. While the August bloom period is not as numerous, the flowers are still welcomed for their beauty and scent.
Even on a dreary, rainy day, this bright, white flower stands out and adds a bit of cheer.
Always Growing 
Wicked Gardener said,
August 12, 2008 at 6:22 pm
That gardenia is pretty. Any tips for getting them to bloom?
perennialgardenlover said,
August 12, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I love the smell of gardenias and their scent does stand out on a rainy day. My grandmother had those in her garden when we lived in Texas. I don’t think they will survive here but they are a gorgeous bloom.
Jan said,
August 13, 2008 at 4:20 am
Well, Wicked Gardener, I don’t do much of anything to mine, and they bloom well. I know they need full sun and moist soil, but I live in an area that usually has a lot of rain, so I don’t water mine much. I do fertilize lightly with an acid type fertilizer once a year. I find these to be very easy to care for.
The aroma of gardenias is one of the nice things about summer, perennialgardenlover. I know they are not hardy outside of the south which is a shame.
Alexandra said,
August 13, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The white flower IS beautiful…very.
Jan said,
August 13, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Thanks, Alexandra, white flowers are my favorites.