garden — Page 197

Flora and Fauna Edition

August 12, 2014 at 8:26 am by Claudia

Yesterday, I was walking Scoutie on the property. As I headed around the corner of the porch, I saw the most gorgeous Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. He was on one of the blooms on the butterfly bush, wings fully spread, quite still.

No camera.

So I tried to hurry Scout along as best I could so I could get her back in the house and grab my camera. I managed to get back there with the camera, but the butterfly had changed positions. He moved around a lot more and I could never quite capture that stillness he had when I first saw him. I think he sensed my presence.

swallowtail 1

I followed him around the property. Here he is on the phlox. But the images are a bit blurry because his wings were moving. This will give you an idea of his size and his beauty.

swallowtail 2

I rather like this photo. Wings in Motion.

But oh, if I had the camera with me when I was walking Scout, what a picture that would have made!

hummingbirdmoth 1

Then there’s my pal, the Hummingbird Moth. He’s everywhere: the phlox, the butterfly bush, the hanging plants. He moves very quickly.

hummingbirdmoth 2

This morning I opened the door to let Scout out and thought I saw something, but couldn’t be sure.

I grabbed my camera.

first morning glory

I was shocked. The morning glories have been growing very slowly this year. Some of the shoots haven’t even reached the fence yet and the vines have yet to really take off. I didn’t expect anything out of it until at least the end of the month.

So this was a delightful surprise!

first morning glory 2

August 12, 2014: The first morning glory bloom of the season.

And you know I love my morning glories.

We’re due for rain today and tomorrow. We really need it as it’s been very dry here lately. But I hope it holds off for a while so I can try to find that darn butterfly again!

On another note.

I’m heartbroken by the tragic death of Robin Williams. His talent and heart were enormous. Many of you have either struggled with depression or watched someone you love struggle with it. It is very, very real. I’ve lost friends to suicide, friends who saw no way out, who couldn’t summon another possibility in that one moment in time. To try and understand the death-grip of depression from a rational point of view is pointless. All rationality goes out the window. What is needed is compassion. I pray that those who suffer from depression and who feel lost will reach out for help. We need to erase the stigma that surrounds depression. It’s an illness. As is addiction.

Such, such sadness this morning.

Happy Tuesday.

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Thoughts on Traffic Noise and Garden Colors

August 5, 2014 at 9:02 am by Claudia

Sometimes, when I sit here in the morning (or any other time of day) with the window open, all I hear is traffic: trucks rumbling by, cars, motorcycles. If I somehow tune into those sounds, the noise of it all becomes overwhelming. It’s enough to make me want to scream.

But how is it that at other times I’m not even aware of those sounds? Same amount of traffic; but I’m able to tune out all of that noise. I’m barely aware of it. I suppose it’s all in the level of concentration on whatever task is at hand. I didn’t sleep so well last night, so this morning I’m tired and a bit edgy. It’s harder to concentrate. So, it follows that I am hyper aware of all the traffic noise.

But if at some point today I am able to become completely engrossed in a book, all of that sound will fade away.

I’m looking forward to it.

Just one of things I contemplate during the course of a day.

tuesday - zinnia bud

Zinnia buds are little works of art.

tuesday - group of phlox

Walking by the big garden bed is such a pleasure these days because the scent from the phlox is so heavenly. Don tells me that when he lets Scout out late at night, the scent from those flowers fills the night air. We’ve determined that the white phlox has a stronger scent than the purple and pink volunteers that have sprung up in the bed.

tuesday - purple phlox

Though I have to say that the purple phlox is quite lovely.

I looked around my gardens the other day and I’ve come to the conclusion that there is very little red in my garden. I like red, in fact, there is quite a bit of it in my house, but I’m not so crazy about it in the garden. The bee balm is red, of course, and some of the first roses that bloom are red. Though, to be honest, those roses were yellow when I bought them. I wanted yellow roses. And I got them for a few years but since they were grafted, the red blooms eventually emerged. I’m not so crazy about that deep red.

Truly the most predominate color in the garden is purple in all its shades and variations, with white coming in a close second. There are pops of orange and yellow and pink here and there. But purple and lavender are the winners.

If you have a garden, do you find yourself continually drawn to a certain color? What about when you buy flowers for a bouquet?

(Don’t forget about the book review on Just Let Me Finish This Page. I’m giving away a copy!)

Happy Tuesday.

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Birdies and Flowers

August 1, 2014 at 7:08 am by Claudia

Thanks for your kind words yesterday. I ended up being rather busy all day, which certainly helped. When I wasn’t busy, I did a lot of reading, which was just what I needed.

On the birdbath:

little finch on birdbath

Bird on the fence:

house finch on fence2

(Picture taken from inside the kitchen using my old camera’s zoom lens.)

My white David Phlox has reseeded in the main garden. Some of it is purple and some of it is….

pink phlox

Pink! I love it when that happens.

mass of rudbeckia

Masses of rudbeckia.

The big garden bed is at its peak…August always brings the winding down of the garden.

I can’t go there yet. Not ready.

Have a Happy Friday.

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Flora and Fauna Edition

Thoughts on Traffic Noise and Garden Colors

Birdies and Flowers

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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