Penstemon (P. gloxinioides)

These flowers have been blooming all summer and they don't seem to be anywhere near the end of their season. The extra shows the branch with the flowers on it. This plant is a bush that is about 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It is happy in the sun or partial shade and it doesn't need much maintenance. It returns faithfully each year. I would say it is a "nice plant".

Today I am feeling a sad; a very sweet young lady who is very close to me lost her mother in a car accident two days ago and my granddaughter's tiny baby is having serious health issues which have required emergency surgery.  She will need a liver transplant in the near future too. The baby is with her adoptive parents and that adds to the confusion; emotions are running high and communication is not exactly enough for my granddaughter.

So, I wander into my garden looking for comfort in the beautiful of flowers, birds, trees and ripe produce. Is it escape from reality or escape into the real world of nature? I suppose both.