Garden Surprises: Flower-of-an-Hour

A Fleeting Bloom’s Secret and Its Tiny Guardian

Nature is full of small wonders. It begs you to slow down and look at the
world with a new lens. Early mornings are my favorite time of day. The light has a special kind of glow to it, with the cotton candy pink that tinges the pare blues of the sky. The dew on the grabs beckons one to frolic barefoot amongst the clovers and newly opened dandelions, and thankfully for me, the grass in my new backyard is much softer than the sharp, itchy grass that outrounded my last home.

It has been two months since I moved, far too late in the reason to accomplish the gardening dreams I had for this year. Still, I have enough to do this fall as I weed the overgrown brush and creeping vines and build up the raised beds so that I am ready for spring.

Walking out to my back garden to clear out some more weeds where I plan to plant an edible flower garden, I spotted a tiny visitor enjoying the morning light where it perched on an equally surprising Flower-of-an-Hour hidden amongst the choking vines. 

I freed the gorgeous plant, clearing the weeds around it to give it more of a fighting chance. The frog never moved, trusting me to free its home without disturbing him. Ironically, the Flower-of-an-Hour is, in fact, edible. It is a part of the hibiscus family, and according to praf.org, plants can be used as diuretics to help calm itching in humans.

The Hibiocus trionum is a flower that knows its worth and will not bloom
on cloudy days. It can be seen as a weed and invasive in some areas, but if cultivated properly, it can be a beautiful addition to any flower bed. Once my flower beds are built, I will definitely transplant this gem into its new home!

Have you encountered any unexpected wonders in your garden? Share your own garden surprises in the comments below!