Judy took this series of photos of bees on the Tithonia. Here are three I particularly like. One thing about this picture is that it shows very clearly what a composite flower is. What looks like one flower is really a bundle of flowers – you can even see the tiny pistils in each. …
If orange is the new black, then at this moment my front garden is very fashionable. For now the blues of early June have given way to an orange July. Orange is supposed to be a difficult color – too bright, too strong, so you’re not supposed to have too much of it. But I …
It’s really a tomato/herbs/cutting garden, but that is kind of an awkward name, so I’m calling it the Mostly Edible Garden. I was a reluctant vegetable gardener, but Judy wanted to be able to eat our own tomatoes. Farmers’ market tomatoes would have been good enough for me, but marriage is about compromise, so I …
It is right and proper at this time to pay our respects to the pansy (Viola x wittrochiana). Actually, I am about to pull all the pansies out of my containers and replace them with summer annuals, but I will throw them onto the compost pile with only the sincerest regard. Any annual that can …
I’ve been thinking about Hummingbirds a lot lately. This may seem odd in that the snow along my curb is piled about 4′ high and the temperatures lately have varied between really cold and brutally cold – not exactly Hummingbird weather. But perhaps that is why thoughts of Hummingbirds are such a pleasant diversion. Plus, …
In recent decades many garden designers have sought to de-emphasize flowers and pay more attention to form, foliage, and structure. Giverny’s upper garden, on the other hand, is first and foremost about flowers. There are no hedges, no ornamental grasses that I can remember, and not much in the way of plants used primarily for …
I’ve already mentioned the Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) growing in the vegetable/herb patch. The longer I watch this annual from Mexico and Central America, the surer I am that I want to plant it again next year. First of all, when I hear the name “Tithonia” I think of Freedonia, the fictional country in the …
The light was so perfect Thursday morning that Judy was inspired to grab her camera on her way out the door and take a few pictures. I know I just did a post on Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), but look how the yellow flowers are luminous in the sun. Here’s the grassy path that separates …
We got back from the Garden Bloggers’ Fling last night, and found that our own garden has been progressing at breakneck speed: flowers blooming, buds swelling, vines twining, berries ripening, seeds sprouting. I’ll post about these developments shortly, as soon as Judy is able to get out with her camera and take some pictures. In …
I’m late with this post for some very legitimate reasons. It rained most of the day yesterday so photography was not an option. When it finally cleared, we were due to leave for Judy’s brother’s house for what turned out to be a wonderful dinner. Judy did take a few rushed shots but we didn’t …
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