This is our very young crape myrtle, which was put in after we returned from Riyadh because our old dogwood was dying. It didn’t bloom at all last year and was attacked by aphids, and I thought it wasn’t going to bloom this year because of another pest, but it did!

Unfortunately, the almost constant, heavy rains we’ve had for weeks have weighed the blossoms down. At least it’s higher today than it was yesterday, when it was on the pavement.

Shadowed water lilies, posted earlier: