Month: August 2014
Hummingbirds!
There is only one species of Hummingbird in the Chicago aea, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. They spend their winters in Central America and arrive here in May. Throughout the summer, though, there was almost no sign of them in our garden this year. That changed about 10 days ago. Since then, we see hummingbirds almost …
Lights! Camera! Goldfinch!
Judy shot this video today of a goldfinch eating seeds on the Cupplant (Silphium perfoliatum) in the front garden. Goldfinches love cupplant, and I love to watch them eat. Though they can be messy. This one must drop at least three seeds for every one he swallows. I guess that works fine from the Cupplant’s …
Sic Transit Tithonia
If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I’m in love with Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia), with its intense orange flowers that draw butterflies like a magnet. However, we cannot be blind to the flaws of those whom we love. This past week I learned about such a flaw. Namely, in rich soil Tithonia will …
The Mostly Mellow Garden of Westwind Farm Studio
Westwind Farm Studio is one of the places we saw during the first day of the Portland Garden Bloggers’ Fling. It seemed to me, as a Chicagoan, to be a very Portland sort of place, one where you can record music, take yoga classes, smell the fields of lavender, or commune with nature. It’s a place …
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
I was going out this morning to pick tomatoes when I saw an unfamiliar butterfly on the Mexican Sunflowrer (Tithonia rotundifolia). Judy grabbed her camera and came outside to get some pictures. However, the humidity was so high that her lens fogged over. So, if you’re wondering what photos look like taken with a fogged …
Late August Foliage
And now I’m going to force myself to stop obsessing with brightly colored flowers and focus on some calming green stuff. This is something I need to do to keep from getting overstimulated. Fortunately, My Hesperides Garden hosts Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day to remind me of this essential aspect of the garden. ‘Northwind’ Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) …
Left Bank Garden Makeover!
The Left Bank is my new name for the sunny garden bed that is west of the driveway, between the crabapple and the sidewalk. I like the name, but at the moment the garden looks like a collection of green lumps. My intent with this garden was to prove that I was capable of planting …
Chicago’s Baha’i Temple and Gardens
Have you had the experience of living practically down the street from a major attraction that you never visit, apparently because it’s just down the street? That’s how it’s been with Judy and I and Chicago’s Baha’i Temple, one of only seven in the world. Technically, the Temple is in Wilmette, a suburb just north …
Looking for a Few Good Vines
I am done with morning glories (Ipomoea tricolor). Last year I got only about half a dozen blooms total, and this year seems only marginally better. The cool summers, I suspect, are a big part of the problem. These are tropical vines; they want heat, but they’re not getting it. And so here we are …
Blooms in August
Once again it is time for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day (GBBD), hosted by May Dreams Gardens. GBBD provides a mid-month opportunity to count up our flowering plants like a latter day pirate counting his treasures. So put on your eyepatch, and let’s go. The Driveway Border is the most colorful of all the front garden …
gardeninacity 