The little clematis that could

I can't help but love this little clematis. We planted it this year beside the gate to our patio, along with some Pansys. I'm not sure how happy they are, but the clematis is going nuts! It is scrambling up the trellis by leaps and bounds, and finally reached the top. As soon as I saw it, I pictured it peering around, having one arm hooked onto the top, and the other raised in celebration. Maybe it's in a competition with the other clematis, since they're all doing really well this year, except for the one that produced a beautiful 4 star blossom, then succumbed to a fungus.

Some days I get inspired by the plants and bees. They do their thing. If something gets in their way they go around it. I'm not sure where this clematis will go next since it's quite a jump to the next bit of trellis. Perhaps we'll put some twine up for it to cling to. If we do nothing it will find it's way to the posts, and grow up them. They don't complain to us about the weather. They focus on what's important to them, absorbing sunlight, drinking rain, pulling nutrients from the ground, and growing.

A close up of the stalk on a new hens and chicks plant in the front bed. Did I get it's good side?

A somewhat more conventional view of that same stalk. I prefer the first.

A couple of the poppies in the back. For some reason I haven't been feeling the poppy love, and haven't been happy with many of the photos, till these two.

I shot this looking for the texture on the bud, but all the action is in the water drop.

One of the white poppies. I missed the light by THAT much! Sigh.