In the Spotlight........

..........My garden has more shade than sun but, some days, mostly early mornings, even the shady areas are dappled with bright sun spots.  I just love to see how the sun lights certain areas and often just one plant or garden ornament.  This is what I am featuring today. Nothing that a lot of you haven't seen before - just shown in a special light. But first, especially for any newcomers, let me show a couple of long shots........

 

Looking across part of the back yard you can see "spotlights" here and there.

 

 

Another from a little farther on. You might guess that the pictures are not all taken on the same day. Even in this landscape photo a very pronounced area of sun, lights up the bench, caladiums and  part of the blue-eyed grass.

 

 

Straight on back past the bench we see the little patio with my table and chairs, partly in the sun but surrounded by heavy shade.  Notice the spot of orange color in the back......

 

 

 

It is this Pagoda flower being spotlighted.

 

 

Now getting to some more specifics, this is a cluster of Peggy Martin roses. The whole bush is in the sun later in the day.

 

 

 In a slightly different area my potted paddle plant often gets chosen by the sun.

 

 

This angel statue had only one wing being really lit up.  I zoomed so close that it doesn't show in the picture as it did to the photographer.

 

 

The first time I have ever been able to grow a healthy hosta for any length of time. I have been dumping coffee grounds around it and they are helping to keep "the chewers" away. The grounds work like diatomaceous earth. Snails, etc. don't like to crawl over them.

 

Here is another spot that is almost always the one that gets lit up out here by the side street on the east side.

 

 

Another angel in it's natural setting of Benjamin Ficus, trees and resurrection fern. Not in the picture but, a good bit of moss really adds to the look here, too.

 

 

 

It wouldn't be for everyone but this is a favorite spot for me. It is amazing what interesting things are growing on the old, rotting tree stump which was the only thing in the sun in a big area here.

 

 

A very large bromeliad blossom. It is such a bright red anyhow and especially so when the sun hits only it.

 

 

Just last week, with the help of a native plant group, I was able to identify this native wildflower, Vernonia gigantea (tall ironweed).

 

 

One more ornament. They stand out the most to me because it looks like they were definitely hand-picked when all else around is in the shade.

 

 

 

Ending with this area which is the first to be blessed by the rising sun in early morning.

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