Almost Blooming

Things are at a sort of in-between stage in my garden in terms of flowers. Of course, the old stand-bys, like the geranium and the nasturtium, are still shooting out blossoms at a steady rate. But most everything else seems to be between shifts. The bulbs are through for the year, the roses have buds but no flowers at the moment, the sweet peas are being dreadfully slow about growing up at all.

But then there are a few things just about to open that have really captured my interest. One of the foxgloves that I planted this spring is shooting forth a white spire of buds. I thought foxgloves only bloomed in their second year. Could I have a prodigy on my hands?

Then there is the canna. I got this as a start this spring in my landscape hort class (one of the benefits of this program is that teachers and students alike are happy to share their bounty). I didn't know what color it would be, or whether it was a dwarf canna or standard-sized. But now I see a bright red bloom ready to explode and I can't wait to see how it develops.

And finally, there is yet another volunteer, although this is one have in the garden. I don't know whether it crept under the fence from my I'm happy to neighbor's yard or was planted by birds, but it's had me curious for a few months now. Before the bud appeared I feared it was going to be a gladiola. I can't stand gladiolas since I can't help but think of them as funeral flowers. But it looks now like it's a crocosmia, and I'm anxious to see exactly what shade these tight, orange-red buds open to.