What's Bloomin'?

Life in the Deep South involves blooming plants well into winter. I know some of you are looking at snow, coming your way in the next weeks. So let me warm you with a vision of Oriental.
Here's a creamy tea rose on a long stalk.

She and her sisters bob in the sea breezes in front of Marsha's Cottage. Doesn't her sign look festive this time of year?

Another rose, this one along the harbor, untended but blooming just the same!

These bursting mums are on the steps outside the Provision Company.

As we rode our bikes back home, I warned Adam that I'd be stopping to take photos of blooming things. Then this sight caught my eye:

Goodness! Yes, we are a little moist here on the coast!

I noticed this tree a few days ago. From a distance I thought it was a Japanese Magnolia, but it is just a lovely camellia.

See? In the Deep South, camellias bloom all through winter, and some are most heavy in January.

Then I turned around and just had to take a picture of one of my favorite houses. This one sits right on the river. It actually faces sideways. Some of them face the river, as if all the company expected in olden days would arrive by boat.

At the River Neuse Suites, two large urns welcome guests into the drive.

A friend's garden offers this delicate rose.

As the sun set, Adam and I rode along home.

But I had to stop for zinnias.

And I squealed to a stop by this burst of red on a tree -- berries!

Look at this massive stand of yellow. I spoke with the owner. She says it's called Swamp Daisy.

She started with a small pot of it from a plant swap, and now she has tons.

The little tag on this plant says it's a pink gaura. Very delicate and sweet.

The Freewill Baptists have this autumnal offering for neighbors to enjoy. Thanksgiving is just around the corner!