Category Archives: flower

In Front of Our House

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This morning I took camera in hand to get a picture of the Suzies that grow on the front side of our house.  They are always very charming.

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This one was entertaining a visitor.

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These two shots I added to the two images I capture Sunday evening.  I went out Sunday to capture a photo of my favorite day lily before it was too late.  (It [they] grow[s] on the front side of the house.)

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You can see why I particularly enjoy this beauty.  After capturing that image I turned 180 degrees to see the sun low in the western sky.

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We had received a quarter inch of rain to supplement the 1.5 inches we’d received a couple of days earlier, so the sky was cloudy.  The peeking sun did put some drama in the scene.

In the Garden

I haven’t done a good job of reporting on out garden, so this morning I captured this image.

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On the left, fence-climbing peas.  Behind them are onions that heavy rains have bent down.  We’ve harvested about half of them already.  Potatoes and tomatoes are behind the onions.  Rhubarb grows along the far fence.  It doesn’t look big, because we keep it well harvested.  The taller green plants are zucchini, which are as prolific as you would expect.  Beyond them is New Zealand spinach–a favorite of ours because it doesn’t bolt in warm weather and gives us great greens from spring until first frost.  Beets grow along the fence beyond the blue spinner.  They are quite tasty this year.  We are fed up.

It’s all about timing

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Perhaps I’ve learned my lesson.  I hope that is true.  It wasn’t easy.

Sylvia’s friend, Shirley, gave here some hollyhock seed.  She had white holly hocks, but these were different.  The new ones came into blossom this year.  I saw them and went out, camera in hand, to capture the beauty.

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I was so glad that I didn’t wait . . . like I did for the beautiful red rose.  The weather had been hot and I had terrible pain in my feet so I waited.  Obviously too long.

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The day before it had been beautiful.  Yes, I was sad, but willing to own my own neglect.

For years, turkey vultures have nested in an old hollow oak tree.  I could never remember to take my camera when I’d go that way.  Last winter a storm split two main portions of the upper tree.  I was putting the pro in procrastination.  (apologies, Scott)

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The turkey vultures nested there again this year, but it is not the same.  At least it’s not the same to me.  Can’t say what the vultures think about it.

There is another beautiful oak tree that stands in the middle of a field.  I love seeing that tree every time we drive past it.  I think, “Next time I must bring my camera.”  I hope to remember one of these days.  Perhaps I will.

Do Flowers Have Personalities?

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I have come to believe that flowers do have personalities.  Some are brash and bold while other are demure.  Some are extroverts and want to be center stage.  Others are introverts.  Shy things that just peek at you.  Here are a couple of examples.

Bold Extrovert

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You can’t ignore this big fellow, who sits just outside my office window.

Compare this to the Shy Introvert.

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These beauties peek at us from behind their large leaves.  Have you ever wondered why they call introverted people wall flowers?  This may explain it a bit.

While we finally got some rain today (only a trace), the future forecast looks promising.  We do water the vegetable garden, but most of our lawn is brown.

Summer heat bakes all
Grass on the lawn is now brown
Praying for some rain

Update from Secondary Rds

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I meant to post pix of the flower garden last week.  I’m late.  But not as in the late . . .  You know what I mean.

The contrast between the peony and the lily caught my eye

The contrast between the peony and the lily caught my eye, salvia completed the scene

Returning to the back door, this beautiful rose caught my eye.

Life overflows from the rose. Once again salvia completes the scene

Life overflows from the rose. Once again salvia completes the scene

A Beautiful Evening

Tuesday the weather was perfect so I opened windows and enjoyed the fresh air.  In the evening, our small group met at our house.  After they left, I took my glass of ice water out on the back deck.  Sylvia soon joined me, bringing some strawberry-rhubarb crisp.

As we sat together, an oriole began to sing from a small maple tree.  We delighted in his song and watching him dance around that tree.  (We think there was a female hiding in the tree and he was trying to win her favor.)  Sorry, no pix.  The light was failing.  Shortly after the oriole left for other parts, we saw the doe crossing the low land.  With her was her tiny fawn.  It was fun watching the wee one jump, run and cavort while mom made her way to the shelter of tall grass.  Soon they disappeared.  Shortly after, we went into the house and got ready for bed.

The next morning, I awoke and was barely able to breathe.  Allergies had me completely plugged.  The sinus headache lasted until 3 PM.  I kept the window closed and set the furnace/AC fan to run full time.  That helped clean the air so I’m okay today.

Would I do it again?  Probably so.

Where did May go?

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Busy schedules and multiple overlapping distractions have colluded to keep me from posting.  I took a walk through the flower gardens on the last day of May.  I meant to share them . . .  Here’s what I saw.

White Rose

White Rose

White Peony

White Peony

Purple Peony

Purple Peony

Iris -- I'm fond of this color combo

Iris — I’m fond of this color combo

Spider Wort

Spider Wort

Rhododendron

Rhododendron

Creation — a haiku

Surrounded by life
Glory found in everything
A beautiful world

Nothing like a walk outside to lift one’s spirit.  Don’t forget the tiny creatures that visit these flowers to the benefit of both.  It’s hard to capture images of all that is at work.

Spring Sproings Onward

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I look forward to seeing the tulips in blossoms.  I particularly like the sassy red ones, but the red ones are not all the same.

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Our tulips are not all red.  This yellow one seems to prefer less gaudy company.

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She fits in well with the daffys, don’t you think so?  They are all so nice.  The daffodils also come in different shades and hues.

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This daffy sure looks pale to me.  It is, however, one of my favorites.  Periwinkle blossoms add a nice contrast.

Haven’t had much time to spend here of late.  I did get the garden tilled and have the fence back in place.  Next time (whenever that comes), I may share with you some garden scenes.

More Signs of Spring

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The following pix are a week old.  I meant to post them earlier this week, but life intervened.

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Lots of daffodils and more opening each day.

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I love the friendly blossoms on the ground cover.  We call it myrtle, but you may know it as vinca or periwinkle.

Meanwhile out in the garden . . .

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Rhubarb is greeting the spring.  These leaves have been touched with frost.  (Remember this is from last week.)

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What a happy sight to see the first shoot of giant garlic breaking through.  It is a promise of another good year.

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Then we come to the end of another beautiful day.  Time for a good night’s sleep.

Looks Like Spring Has Sprung

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Saturday, I went on an inspection tour.  This is the first thing I saw.

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We used to have several crocuses, or are they croci?  The beautiful colors makes this one my favorite.  It is also the last one that remains.

Snowdrops are still in blossom, but will very soon be gone.

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Our snowdrops appeared as if by magic a few years ago.  The good news is that they continue to thrive and multiply.

Very near the crocus and the snowdrops, I saw these beauties in the yard.  I really enjoy their happy appearance.

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My guess is that you are also enjoying spring at your house.  I certainly hope so.

This Is Almost Unheard Of . . .

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About this time of year, I watch closely the blog of my friend Lin.  I know she will post a photo of her snowdrops in bloom.  That’s my cue to start watching for mine to blossom.  Most years, I have to wait a couple of weeks for my snowdrops to open.

When Lin posted a pic on FB with a shout out to me, I told Sylvia that I ought to go check ours.  She asked, “Are you going to take your camera?”  I replied, “I doubt I’ll need it.”

A few minutes later having donned my coat and hat, I did pick up the camera.  I decided I might see something worth capturing in an image.

At the barn, I looked . . . and . . .

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There they were.  Not yet open, but still in bloom.  What a happy surprise.  Had to take a closer look.

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I see mole sign in that area.  I’m hoping these beauties and the day lilies survive these intruders.

 

Open and Shut

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I heard someone say recently, “It was an open and shut case.”  That started me thinking about what that means.  I suppose it’s a matter of they open the question, the answer is obvious and so the matter is shut (closed).

Later, I was in the flower garden and saw “open and shut” illustrated.  I smiled when I saw it.  Perhaps you will too.

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The rose is open.  This late blossom is as beautiful as the first ones, which came in the spring.

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This Queen Ann’s lace blossom is shut.  (I zoomed in to capture the spider webs that decorate this clump.)  Inside that “fist” the seeds are ripening, protected by the surrounding plant.

The call to lunch has just gone out.  Time to wrap this up for now.