Tag Archives: nature photography

Top Ten Blooms – August 2019

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I enjoyed seeing Chloris’ Top Ten August Blooms this morning and decided on a whim to join in this month. I have not spent enough time in my garden this year. I knew there would be zinnias and dahlias but honestly was relieved to walk around and find I could meet the requirement of sharing ten different blooms. These are what I saw today.

Flowers in my garden at early morning were still bathed in rainwater after yesterday’s storms.  Rudbeckia laciniata  is growing in three different parts of the garden. Flowers are giving over to cones, but there are a few fresh blooms.

Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)

Perovskia atriplicifolia has struggled some years, but is doing well in the Southern Path.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

This salvia is spreading slowly through the southern border, but never overreaches. In the past it took breaks before reblooming in cooler days, but this summer it has shrugged off dry weather and heat and kept going.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ has been given more space and sun this year. It responded to being cut back sharply in early spring. This is invasive in some places and I would not miss having it but it has been difficult to dig out. Despite its butterfly-attracting reputation, it doesn’t seem to draw much attention.

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)

Lantana camara has been a magnet for swallowtails and other pollinators, though I saw only one butterfly this morning while I was taking pictures.

Lantana camara (Common lantana)

Leucanthemum bloomed profusely for weeks this summer. This morning a lone flower stood bravely among drying seeds.

Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)

Physostegia virginiana, a passalong from my garden mentor, Virgie, began blooming this week.

Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)

Cleome has bloomed cheerfully all summer. It reseeds freely but is easy to remove.

A new addition to the garden in 2019, Crinum ‘Powellii’ looked promising as I left for the beach at July’s end. When I returned August 4 it had already bloomed.

Crinum ‘Powellii’

You can see I didn’t think through the color scheme when planting the Crinum, just hurried it into the ground before weeds came any closer.

Crinum ‘Powellii’

For my final selection I must share a few dahlias. Many did not survive but I enthralled with the blooms on these plants that made it.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

Dahlia ‘David Howard’

I invite you to check out Chloris’ top picks for August at The Blooming Garden. You are in for a treat with offering from her Suffolk garden and from others around the globe.

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

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In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement composed of materials collected from our gardens.

The inspiration for today’s vase is a large piece of the kitchen aloe I keep handy at all times. I intended to let the aloe be the focal point, but I kept filling in with other cuttings from the autumn garden until the design veered drastically from my initial idea.

Aloe

An overgrown section of aloe was positioned upright into a florist’s pin resembling spokes of a wagon wheel. As more materials were added the aloe became more horizontal without me realizing it.

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

Plum-tinged by the weather, Aquilegia foliage is featured front and center, its soft hue echoed and reenforced by surrounding spires of purple angelonia.

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

Richly colored salvia and bright zinnias add zesty accents.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)

Materials
Aloe
Angelonia ’Purple’ (summer snapdragon)
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Vase
Ceramic bowl, black matte exterior, red glazed interior

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

In A Vase On Monday – October Plum

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Glow

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Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement composed of materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Glow

The weather continues to feel very summery but autumn reveals itself this week in the bright, yellow glow of Swamp sunflowers currently dominating the western border.

The sunflowers are the focal point of this Monday’s vase.

Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp sunflower)

A lichen-covered branch from the river birch out front is used for structure and visual texture.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Glow

This arrangement really is a lot of fun in person but its personality proved difficult to capture in photographs.

In A Vase On Monday – Autumn Glow

Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp sunflower)

Materials
Flowers
Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp sunflower)
Lichen-covered Betula nigra (River Birch)
Container
Oasis Lomey 11″ Designer Dish, black, round
Three floral pins (frogs)
Black stones

Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp sunflower)

The Swamp Sunflower has its attractors, including this Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus).

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

September 2018 Visitor

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Junonia coenia (common buckeye)

Happy to see Junonia coenia (common buckeye) visiting pbmgarden today. These butterflies are reportedly common and widespread across the United States. Lavender color in the center of the eyespots is an indicator of freshness.

July 2015 marked the first time I noticed this type of butterfly in my garden. Another appeared in August 2016; none were recorded in 2017.

Junonia coenia (common buckeye)

Common buckeyes nectar on a variety of flowers and frequent open, sunny habitats. This one was resting in grass immediately after a rainfall. I filmed it for nearly a minute. The yoga teacher in me wanted to calm and regulate the uneven pattern of opening and closing the wings.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

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In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement composed of materials collected from our gardens.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

With the autumn season officially upon us, my garden is overgrown and in need of some tough love. Even the zinnias are fading. Today’s vase is fitted with a few rebloomers and lingerers, beginning with several lusciously fragrant gardenias. Of the the few zinnias that remain most are coming in with very tiny blooms. I spotted several diminutive white ones to include. There are also a couple of pristine Shasta daisies making a surprising appearance for this time of year.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

The title of this vase would more accurately be “purple, blue and white in autumn,” with Angelonia from the meditation circle providing purple hues and Blue Sky salvia offering up a true blue.

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

In A Vase On Monday – Blue And White In Autumn

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia ‘Purple’
Gardenia jasminoides
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests.

Vase
Small matte-glazed blue ceramic vase

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

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In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens.

A reblooming yellow iris appeared suddenly that I was eager to share. While awaiting Hurricane Florence earlier in the week, I prepared a vase for today by foraging foliage from several previous weeks’ vases and pulling in a freshly cut dahlia and a handful of zinnias.

In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

There was not time to fuss with this one.  We are safe from the storm and feeling very grateful. Hope you dear readers in the affected areas fared well also.

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia ‘Fireworks’
Iris
Zinnia ‘Cut and Come Again’ (Zinnia elegant pumila), Botanical Interests.
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Canna
Gardenia
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Ikebana Blue Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H inches)

In A Vase On Monday – Yellow Iris

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday – Duality

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In A Vase On Monday – Duality

Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement every Monday using materials collected from our gardens. After very little rain recently an impending hurricane lurks in the Atlantic.

The inspiration for my vase this week is the foliage of my favorite indoor plant, Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ or Beefsteak Begonia, with its rich forest green leaves that somehow are richly red on the underside.  I have been watching this begonia overflow its pot this summer and so decided to remove a section to use today. Then I will allow it to root in water and pass it along.

Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)

Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)

I wanted also to feature a garden phlox, perhaps it is ‘Robert Poore,’ that has been quietly blooming for many weeks in the southwestern part of the garden. Once clippers were in hand I discovered there was not as much flowering as it had seemed.

Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)

Phlox then has been overshadowed by strong spires and deep color of my next choice, Angelonia, which is dominating the meditation circle with its vigor.

Once all the materials were chosen their colors seemed incompatible. (With apologies to Elizabeth Warren) I persisted. The shock of a bright orange zinnia was used to offset the weight of the red and green foliage in the lower half, to keep drawing the eye back up toward the purple-blue flowers in the upper half of the design.

Staging the Ikebana vase on top of an iron candleholder gave the begonia leaves space to drop and flow with grace, rather than be compressed at the base.

In A Vase On Monday – Duality

Materials
Flowers
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Blue’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Purple’ (Summer Snapdragon)
Zinnia Cut and Come Again (Zinnia elegant pumila)
Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)
Foliage
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)
Begonia ‘Erythrophylla’ (Beefsteak Begonia)
Vase
Porcelain Ikebana vase, Georgetown Pottery, Maine. Triangle Black Wave (6.5 W x 6.5 L x 2H)

Zinnia and Angelonia

In A Vase On Monday – Duality

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us an opportunity to share flower designs across the world. Visit her to discover what she and others found to place In A Vase On Monday.