Category: Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge

2025 The #Flower Hour #11 — Last Chance Holiday Florals

Revisiting Christmas Florals

Terri from Second Wind Leisure Perspective is the host for The #Flower Hour #11. This week she is giving us a Last Chance to share our Holiday Florals. Having already posted several Holiday Florals I dug deep into my archives to reshare some Christmas Florals with all of you.

Poinsettias are a popular Christmas floral, however, you probably don’t see this one around your everyday Christmas displays.

Euphorbia pulcherrima
(Stelle di Natale)
Christmas Star, Poinsettia

Let’s now take a look at a different Christmas floral known as the Christmas Berry. The Christmas Berry is a compact shrub with dark green elliptic leaves, but are crimson red when young in early spring. The shrub tolerates moderate shade and grows in well drained soil.

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ P x fraseri

Next, we are admiring a succulent known as the Christmas Kalanchoe, a popular house plant known for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers in colors like red, white, pink, and orange. It is a succulent that thrives in bright, indirect light and well-drained soil, making it a great festive gift for the holidays.

And finally, we are changing colours from red to green for our Christmas florals. This plant was seen at Anne Springs Close Greenway’s garden at the Stables Entrance. It is a Helleborus orientalis, often referred to as Christmas Rose, or Lenten Rose. It is a winter-blooming, broadleaf evergreen, clumping perennial in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.

Helleborus orientalis 
Aka Christmas Rose,
Hellebore, Lenten Rose

Terri’s The #Flower Hour #11

Also posting for: 

Bren’s Floral Friday 

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2023-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

God Bless. Have a very Merry Christmas Holiday Season. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Macro Monday: 15 December

Callicarpa americana

American Beautyberry

American Beautyberry is a woody deciduous, perennial shrub native to the southeastern United States including the Carolinas.

Clusters of small flowers bloom on the late spring and early summer. However, what you are seeing here are clusters of vibrant purple berries in the Carolinas that peak in late summer through autumn (August to November). The vibrant berries often persist into early winter providing significant food for birds and wildlife, making it a quintessential fall shrub for the region. The colors vary; most common is the vivid purple, though white and pink varieties exist.

American Beautyberry

The American Beautyberry offers many ecological services. How might you ask does it work? Its seeds and berries provide an important food source for a tremendous amount of songbirds of America. Some of those include American robin, brown thrasher, northern bobwhite, purple finch and eastern towhee. It is also a nectar source for butterflies and has fragrant foliage.

What I found interesting is that the American Beautyberry has been used by farmers successfully since at least the early 20th century to repel biting bugs from mules and horses by rubbing it on their coats and under harnesses. Why did I found this information so fascinating? The location of this particular American Beautyberry shrub is located near the horse stables at Anne Springs Close Greenway.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Terri’s The #Flower Hour

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Greenway Horse Stables; Greenway Stables and Farm Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Macro Monday: 2025.06.10

Rosa carolina

Eastern Carpenter Bee
feasting on the nectar
of the Rosa Carolina

Click on image for enlarged Viewing. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Canon EOS 2000D with Canon Ef-S55-250mm lens

Settings: f/5.6 • 1/250 • 175mm • ISO160

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Floral Friday/FOTD: 03 October

Conoclinium coelestinum

Aka Blue Mistflower

Conoclinium coelestinum also known as Blue Mistflower is a native perennial wildflower. It has fuzzy blue or violet flowers that bloom from late summer to frost. [These just recently popped up in the last week after lots of rain and thunderstorms.]

It is a member of the Asteraceae family. It was formerly classified in the genus Eupatorium, but phylogenetic analyses in the late 20th century research indicated that that genus should be split, and the species was reclassified in Conoclinium.

The Blue Mistflower is native to the eastern part of the United States of America from New York down to Florida and west to Nebraska and Texas. It can grow up to three (3) feet tall and spreads quickly to form dense groundcover.

 This species prefers moist soils and can be found in wood edges, sandy woodlands and clearings, wet meadows and stream banks. It can thrive in a variety of light conditions ranging from shade to full sun. [With the tropical storms and thunderstorms we’ve been experiencing the ground is extremely wet making the conditions viable for the growth of the Blue Mistflower.]

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge 

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D)

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Floral Friday/FOTD: 19 September

Azalea 

Pink Azalea,
Rhododendron genus

Fun Facts:

  • Azaleas are part of the Rhododendron family, which includes over 1,000 species.
  • Azaleas symbolize Beauty, Resilience, and Renewal.
  • Their Vibrant flowers signify the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
  • Azaleas inspire embracing change, letting go of the past, and welcoming new opportunities in each new season.
  • Pink Azaleas represent love, romance , and femininity.
    • They convey affection and tenderness
  • Over a dozen different cities in the United States hold festivals during blooming season.
  • Azalea meaning encapsulated an array of artistic interpretation in art, literature, and horticulture, with many cultivars named after famous individuals or places. 
  • Azaleas remind us of the beauty of nature and the promise of new beginnings that each season brings.

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge 

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: The Nature Trail; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina. USA

God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Embrace Change and New Beginnings as Autumn is almost here. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: 18 September

Common Zinnias

Click on image to enlarge.

Thursday Trios 

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Cee’s FOTD

Remembering Bren

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion 

Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA 

God Bless. May you have a Garden of Love, Friendship, and Joy. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 06 September

Creeping Cauticola Sedum

Sedums are large flowering plants in the Crassulaceae family, known as Stonecrops. They a leaf succulents found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, but also extend into the Southern Hemisphere in Africa and South America.

Aka Stonecrops, Succulents

These Sedum Stonecrops are grown in a rectangular container planter outside of Confluence in downtown Cramerton, North Carolina.

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit: 2025 Deb L Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Outside Confluence; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Floral Friday: 05.09

Mailbox Flower Planter

Be careful not to knock over the Flowers

Bren’s Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge 

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 16 Pro Max

God Bless. Have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Weekend FOTD: 08.30/.31

Clematis terniflora

Sweet Autumn Clematis is a fast growing deciduous perennial vine which is adored for its masses of small, fragrant white flowers in late summer and fall. The Sweet Autumn Clematis plants are in abundance everywhere around here.

While being appreciated for their beautiful flowers which grow vigorously and abundantly, they are considered an invasive plant species in many parts of the Eastern and Midwestern United States. The plants aggressive self-seeding and rapid growth can lead to it escaping cultivation and outcompeting native vegetation.

Sweet autumn clematis
Clematis terniflora
with Eremnophila aureonotata wasp

The Clematis terniflora (Sweet autumn clematis) flowers are excellent magnets for attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. As you can see from the images it also attracts wasps like the
Eremnophila aureonotata, aka the gold-marked thread-waisted wasp. The Eremnophila aureonotata are in the family Sphecidae (“thread-waisted wasps”) which belong to the order of Hymenoptera (“ants, bees, wasps and sawflies”).

Cee’s Weekend FOTD (Flower of the Day)

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Capture their beauty. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 22.08

Helleborus orientalis

Helleborus orientalis
Aka Lenten rose

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … AlL Rights Reserved

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens

Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (now called Daniel Stowe Conservancy); Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Admire the Flowers. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 19 August

Lagerstroemia speciosa

Queen’s crepe-myrtle
Lagerstroemia speciosa,
aka Pride of India

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take time to admire Nature’s Beauty. Smell the flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Macro Monday: 18.08.2025

Hibiscus moscheutos

Swamp rose mallow

Click on images for enlarged Viewing 

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera:Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 08.16

Sunflower

Sunflower

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

God Bless. Have a Sunshiny weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Floral Friday/FOTD: 08.15

Goat Guarding
a Garden

Floral Friday

Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge 

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: iPhone 16 Pro Max

God Bless. Have a terrific fun-filled weekend. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 14 August

Coreopsis auriculata

Lobed tickseed,
aka Coreopsis auriculata,
is a low-growing,
herbaceous perennial native
to the southeastern United States.

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2020 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized use permitted.

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take time to smell the flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CosPhoChal Flora Macro Monday

Floral Macros

Click on images for enlarged Viewing 

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-Close Up

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: Centennial Center; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 10 August

Beeutiful Calendula officinalis

The Garden in The Farm
at The Schiele Museum
of Natural History

Bombus impatiens
Common Eastern Bumblebee
on a Calendula officinalis

Silent Sunday

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: The Garden in the Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and enjoy the Flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 A Welcoming Bench in a Garden

Bench Challenge
Pull Up a Seat

Roscoe Village

Memorial Garden

Looking back to a trip my daughter and I took to visit (meet in person) cousins from my mother’s side of the family in Coshocton, Ohio.

Memorial Garden
Roscoe Village
Coshocton, Ohio

There is an area in Coshocton known as the Historic Roscoe Village. The Historic Roscoe Village is an 1830 Restored Canal Town. Roscoe Village began as a small port town in 1816 after a bankrupt merchant bet that rural farmers would rather do business there than have to shell out 25 cents for the ferryboat to Coshocton.

Today, the restored Roscoe Village stands as a testament to Ohio’s bygone Canal era.

My daughter
relaxing on a
Welcoming Garden Bench

The Frances Montgomery Memorial Garden is one of nine gardens in Roscoe Village and is located near the Visitors’s Center. This Garden is dedicated to honor Mrs. Frances Montgomery and her passion for gardening. The Gardens are planted throughout this restored 1800’s canal town.

The flower beds were created in the early 1970’s by Frances Montgomery out of her love for gardening. Many of the gardens have historical significance and assist in the education mission of Roscoe Village.

Click images to enlarge.

Jude’s Bench Challenge 

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 32

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Commune with Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 08.08

Ampelaster carolinianus

Ampelaster carolinianus
Climbing Aster

Please click on image to enlarge.

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2021 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Location: Lake Wylie, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Stop and smell the flowers. Admire their beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 07 August

Silphium perfoliatum

Aka Cup plant, Cup-plant

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Mark Watson (my cousin) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Ohio State Fair; Columbus, Ohio, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Numbers Game #84-206

Numbers Game

Judy from Life Lessons blog hosts a weekly photo challenge called The Numbers Game. This week’s number is 206. Her instructions for playing along are listed below …

To play along, go to your photos file and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find under that number and include a link to your blog in Judy’s  Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title.

Please click on photos to enlarge.

Here are my entries …

Please click on photos to enlarge.

Judy’s Numbers Game #84-206

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Photo Credit:©️1968-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Macro Monday: 08.04

Floral Macro

Yucca gloriosa

The Yucca gloriosa species is known by the common names moundlily yucca and soft-tipped yucca. The Yucca gloriosa is also known as Roman candle, candle yucca, palm lily, and Spanish needle.

Close-up
of the
Yucca Flowers

Yucca gloriosa is caulescent, usually with several stems arising from the base, the base thickening in adult specimens. The leaves are long narrow, straight and very stiff. [The tips of the leaves are extremely sharp to the touch.]

Yucca gloriosa
with Raindrops

The inflorescence is a panicle up to 2.5 m (8 ft) long, of bell-shaped white flowers, sometimes tinged purple or red. The fruit is a leathery, elongate berry up to 8 cm (3 in) long. [We have not seen or noticed the berries on the Yucca plant as of yet.]

Moundlily Yucca 
and 
Soft-tipped Yucca

The habitat for Yucca gloriosa is normally on exposed sand dunes along the coast and barrier islands of the lower East Coast of the United States. [There are two (2) of the Yucca gloriosa grown as ornament plants on our front lawn.]

Yucca gloriosa has been known to cause skin irritation and even allergic reactions upon contact. The leaf points are even sharp enough to break the skin.

Click on image for enlarged Viewing 

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Ultra Wide Camera

Location: Old Town; Riverside Community; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 #SimplyRED #31 – Final Day for Red Squares

Throughout the month of July we have seen many Red Squares to pique our interests and delight us uplifting our spirits. Keep Calm you still have a few hours yet to join in and share your Red Squares.

Keep Calm Sign
at Señor Frog’s
in Cozumel, Mexico

I know myself and others have shared Red flowers in honor and in memory of Cee Neuner. What a beautiful way it has been to remember Cee in Becky’s #SimplyRed challenge.

Lagerstroemia Indica “Whit II” – Dynamite Crape Myrtle
Garden Roses
Red Zinnias

Please don’t have a cow …

Riverbanks Zoo &
Botanical Gardens

Call a friend and have some fun. Squaring may be almost over for now, but alas Becky will host another Square Challenge again before you know it. The time will pass quickly, however you can still join in on this one for a few hours more.

Pay Phone in
Stone Mountain State Park
Roaring Gap, North Carolina

Stop and enjoy a beautiful Red Sunrise …

Andrew Jackson State Park
Lancaster, South Carolina
Red Sunrise

And Raise your flags proudly over the land …

United States of America Flag,
North Carolina Flag & Gastonia Flag
Warlick Family YMCA
Gastonia, NC

Thank you Becky for hosting the Squares Challenge and challenging us with this month’s #SimplyRed theme.

Becky’s #SimplyRed #31

Cee’s FOTD

Thursday Trios

Photo Credit:©️2017-2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. See ya Red. Till next time Squares. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day — Remembering Cee with Dahlias

Dahlias in Eureka

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2025 Fred Blackburn

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Macro Monday: 07.28

#SIMPLYRED #28

Gulf fritillary
on a Zinnia

Click on image for enlarged Viewing 

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Becky’s Squares-#SimplyRED #28

Becky’s Squares

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Numbers Game #82-204

Judy from Life lessons hosts The Numbers Game . She has chosen the number 204 for this week’s #82” Numbers Game challenge. To play along, go to your photos file folder and type that number into the search bar. Then post a selection of the photos you find that include that number and post a link to your blog in my Numbers Game blog of the day. If instead of numbers, you have changed the identifiers of all your photos into words, pick a word or words to use instead, and show us a variety of photos that contain that word in the title. This prompt repeats each Monday with a new number. If you want to play along, please put a link to your blog post here.

Here are my contributions to the album.

Germany
Faires/Coltharp Cabin
#SimplyRed
Nornal, Dalline, & Eddie Waters
Alona
Alona & Coleman
Atlantic Ocean
Alex Marina
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
American Pekin
Discovery Center Creation Museum Abilene, Texas
Hylotelephium cauticola
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Coleman
McDowell Nature Preserve
New Braunfels Railroad Museum
Greenville Zoo
The Schiele Museum of Natural History

Judy’s Numbers Game #82-204

#SimplyRED22

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️1974-2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

#SimplyRED in Floral Macro

Gaillardia pulchella

Aka Indian Blanket,
Firewheel, Girasol Rojo

Click on image for enlarged Viewing 

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Becky’s Squares-#SimplyRED #21

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Location: Crowders Mountain State Park; Kings Mountain, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 #SimplyRED #19

Becky’s Squares

Viola × wittrockiana

Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana)

Becky’s Squares-SimplyRED #19

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S18-55mm lens

Location: The Garden in The Farm; The Schiele Museum of Natural History; Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Missing Cee. Stop and admire the Flowers. Capture their Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: 17 July (on the 18th)

Trios of

Canna indica

Canna indica
Aka Indian shot,
African arrowroot
Coleman admiring the
edible canna,
purple arrowroot, 
Sierra Leone arrowroot & other flowers

For more information about Thursday Trios check out Mama Cormier’s page by clicking here. 

Thursday Trios 

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Floral Friday Fotos

Remembering Bren’s Floral Friday

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cee’s Flower of the Day: 16 July

Lagerstroemia indica

Crape Myrtle

Crape Myrtle’s were introduced into the United States in the early 19th century. It gained popularity in the southern United States due to their ability to thrive in our warm climate.

Lagerstroemia indica

Crape Myrtle’s are referred to as the Flower of the South. It typically blooms from July to September when other types of plants are ceasing to bloom.

Aka Common Crape Myrtle
Crape Flower, Crepe Myrtle,
Indian Crape Myrtle, &
Lilac of the South

 The species epithet references its native origin in India. The common name is derived from the crepe paper-like petals and the bark and foliage features that are similar to the myrtle plant.  

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Downtown Cramerton; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week and weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Macro Monday: 07.14

Heart of Jesus

#SimplyRED #14

Caladium bicolor
Aka Heart of Jesus

The Caladium bicolor (Aka Heart of Jesus) is typically grown as a houseplant for its large, heart or lance-shaped leaves with striking green, white, pink, and red blotching. [These Plants were planted in large landscape planters in and around Centennial Center in Downtown Cramerton.] It is alright to plant it outside in USDA Hardiness Zone 10 as an ornamental.

The Caladium bicolor, called the Heart of Jesus, is named such as a nod to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a symbol of divine love in Christian tradition. The plant’s heart-shaped leaves echo the symbol of the Sacred Heart, making it a living embodiment of this spiritual icon.

Caladium x hortulanum
(fancy-leaved caladium) 

Caution: Caladium bicolor contains calcium oxalate crystals, making all parts of the plant poisonous to humans, livestock, and pets. If its sap comes in contact with the skin it may cause skin irritation. Ingestion of this plant may cause burning and swelling of the lips, mouth, and tongue, as well as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Be aware that if your pet consumes caladium your pet may exhibit vomiting. Other symptoms a pet may exhibit are drooling, pawing at mouth or face, and decreased appetite.

Caladium bicolor (Heart of Jesus) is pretty to look at, but it is extremely toxic if chewed or swallowed.

Click on image for enlarged Viewing 

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Becky’s Squares-#SimplyRED #14

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Centennial Center; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday: 09 July 2025

Zinnia elegans

Aka youth-and-age,
common zinnia or elegant zinnia

Wordless Wednesday: 09 July 2025

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Ultra Wide Camera

Location: Greenway Farm and Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy all of Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 #SimplyRED #8: 07.08

Canna indica

Canna indica,
Aka Indian shot,
African arrowroot

Becky’s Squares-#SimplyRED #8

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: Centennial Center; Downtown Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

#SimplyRED #7 in the Garden

Tomato Red Zinnia

Echinacea purpurea ´Tomato Soup ´
Zinnias

Becky’s Squares-#SimplyRED #7

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Benches, Chairs, and Other seating — Coleman’s Choices (Part Four)

Pull Up a Seat at

The Farmhouse Gardens

Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Welcome back to my saga of Benches, Chairs, and Other seating. This week we are continuing with Coleman’s Choices of Pulling Up a Seat at the Daniel Stowe Conservancy, we uncover a variety of seating arrangements Coleman selected to Pull Up a Seat. Coleman’s choices this week are located at The Farmhouse Garden Center on the grounds of The Village at Stowe.

#SimplyRED!

Coleman’s Bench 
Pull Up a Seat Choices 
within the Gazebo 

Click on each image for enhanced enlarged viewing.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 27

Becky’s Squares-#Simply #Red

Photo Credit: ©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Cameras: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; The Village at Stowe; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Cee’s FOTD #Simply #RED#5 Camellia japonica

Becky’s Squares
Japanese Camellia
(Camellia japonica
‘Governor Mouton’)

Becky’s Squares-#Simply #Red!

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Red

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF75-300mm lens

Location: Glencairn Garden; Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Remembering Cee with #Simply #RED!. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

#Simply Red #3 #Red Floral Trios in Memory of Cee

Red Spider Zinnias
Red Zinnia
Macro Red Zinnia

Becky’s Squares-#Simply Red

Thursday Trios 

Cee’s Flower of the Day 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Greenway Stables Entrance; Anne Springs Close Greenway; Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Take time to admire the flowers wherever you may wander. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much. 

Remembering Cee with Simply Red#2

Zonal Geranium

Becky’s Squares-Simply Red #2

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens

Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Macro Monday: 06.30

Hydrangea

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Limelight Panicle Hydrangea

Click on image for enlarged Viewing

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Flower of the Day: 27 June

Cee’s FOTD

Natchez Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica

Click on image for Enlarged Viewing.

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: Goat Island Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a funtastic weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: 26 June

Farmhouse Garden Trios

The Farmhouse Garden Center is located at The Village at Stowe, a part of the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. It is more than just a Garden shop, it is a delightfully warm and inviting destination for those who love and admire plants and flowers regardless of you are a home gardener or not. The flowers are beautiful and displays are enticing.

The Farmhouse Garden
Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Belmont, North Carolina

The Farmhouse offers educational opportunities such as workshops on wreath-making, floral arranging, gardening, and any and all other aspect related to plant care.

For more information about Thursday Trios check out Mama Cormier’s page by clicking here.

Thursday Trios

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: The Farmhouse Garden Center; Daniel Stowe Conservancy; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a marvelous weekend. Take time to admire the flowers wherever you may wander. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CosPhoChal: Welcome Summer’s Floral Blossoms

We didn’t do anything different on the 20th than we would normally do on any other day. Coleman and I enjoy being outdoors and wander through the woods whenever we possibly can. Right now in our area the weather is in the mid to high 90’s, much too hot to be out in the sun for any length of time.

With the heat advisory regarding the extreme heat temperatures, we only go out for short periods at a time. In those short periods Coleman likes to check to see what new blossoms have started blooming. These are some of what we have seen within the past week till now.

Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge Shades of #Pink in the Great Outdoors

The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Say hello to Summer

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Macro Monday: 06.23

Toucan® Scarlet

Canna Lily

Aka Indian Shot ‘Toucan Scarlet,
Cana Lily Toucan Scarlet’

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday 

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Cee’s FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments. 

Location: The Center; Town of Cramerton; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Floral Cell Pic Sunday: 22 June

Canna Toucan® Yellow

(Canna Lily)

Aka Indian Shot ‘Toucan Yellow’
Canna Lily ‘Toucan Lily’

John’s Cell Pic Sunday 

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location:The Center; Town of Cramerton, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Take time to admire the beautiful flowers. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Floral Forage Plus Hives = Eastern Bumblebee

Rubus bifrons +

Bombus impatiens

Walking along the Pathway parallel to the Big Pond we spotted the Blackberry Flowers. Coleman notices them quicker than I do, he really likes it if they have ripe blackberries on the vines.

Aka European Blackberry

Getting a closer look we noticed the bee foraging the nectar from the flowers.

Aka Himalayan Blackberry

A little further down the pathway Coleman noticed some box-like structures through the grassy opening. As curious as he is he naturally wandered into the grassy opening to investigate the structures. After closer examination he informed me that they were Beehives.

Coleman
walking towards
the Bee Hives
Aka Common Eastern Bumblebee
+ Blackberry Flowers

After checking out the Beehives from a safe distance, we walked back towards The Trailhead Store hiking past the Himalayan Blackberry Flowers. Noticing more than just the flowers, I zoomed in to examine what was feasting on its nectar. Then I noticed not only the Common Eastern Bumblebee, but also the Cetonia aurata, which is called the rose chafer or the green rose chafer.

Aka Common Eastern Bumblebee
+ Himalayan Blackberry Flowers

Two for one foraging on the European Blackberry flowers. Think it’s nice that different species can share their delicacies.

Debbie’s Six Word Saturday 

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: The Trailhead Store Pathway; The Village at Stowe; Belmont, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Enjoy Nature. Admire its beauty and intricacies. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.