Green
The world (at least this part of it) has turned green. It’s been a lovely spring. It’s getting quite hot today and summer is basically upon us.
Love-In-a-Mist
Love-In-a-Mist
Nigella damascena, otherwise known as love-in-a-mist, is a very pretty annual. It grows easily from seed and is a good choice for a sunny spot in the garden.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Annual, Annuals, Blue, Love-In-A-Mist, Nigella, Nigella damascena
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Male Ebony Jewelwing
Male Ebony Jewelwing
Without the white spot on the wing, this is the male Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly (Calopteryx maculata). Handsome fellow, too, but fairly shy.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Calopteryx, Calopteryx maculata, Damselfly, Ebony Jewelwing, Insect, Insects, Odonata
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A Pink Multiflora Rose
A Pink Multiflora Rose
Normally I’d be the last person to suggest that anyone grow a multiflora rose. About them the great plantsman Michael Dirr says, “use this species with the knowledge that none of your gardening friends in the immediate vicinity will ever speak to you again.”
Still, when I came across a bright pink multiflora — it is almost certainly a natural hybrid but it is a multiflora in every way except petal color — I decided I had to have it. I dug up a small piece and it’s thriving on my back fence. The parent plant was destroyed, so I got it just in time.
It’s really a lovely shrub and it is absolutely covered with hundreds of flowers and thousands of buds. Just don’t tell Spencer.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Multiflora Rose, Pink, Rosa multiflora, Rose
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‘Rose de Rescht’
‘Rose de Rescht’
This is the rose that I was taking pictures of when I found the little frog Thursday evening. There are more flowers open now so it’s a better picture today than it was then, anyway. This is a little Portland rose called ‘Rose de Rescht’ which was brought to England by Miss Nancy Lindsay from Iran or France (it’s so easy to get those confused), before 1900. It’s a small shrub (two to three feet at most). I’ve been growing it in a large pot but I really should find a permanent place for it in the ground.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Old Roses, Portland Rose, Rose, Rose ‘Rose de Rescht’, ‘Rose de Rescht’
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Rose Trellis
Rose Trellis
Last summer Kevin helped me build this rose trellis. The roses haven’t had a chance to fill in completely but it’s starting to look pretty good.
On the right is ‘Champneys’ Pink Cluster’ (Champneys, U.S., 1811). Although it isn’t really a climbing rose the support is helpful, anyway. On the left is ‘Crépuscule’ (Francis Dubreuil, France, 1904). Both of them are Noisette roses and bloom pretty well off and on all summer. ‘Crépuscule’ has the stronger scent but both are nice in that regard.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Noisette, Rose, Rose Trellis, Rose ‘Champneys’ Pink Cluster’, Rose ‘Crépuscule’, ‘Champneys’ Pink Cluster’, ‘Crépuscule’
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Rainbow
Rainbow
Every time it rains and is sunny, Dorothy goes out looking for the rainbow. Usually it’s either not sunny enough or not raining hard enough for a rainbow but this time she came back in saying it was there and it was awesome. It was a pretty nice rainbow, I have to admit.
What Is It?
What Is It?
Anyone have a guess as to what this is?
Columbine Seedpod
Columbine Seedpod
After the flowers are done, columbine gets these crown-shaped seed pods.
Allium christophii
Allium christophii
I planted six of these Allium christophii last fall and they are just starting to bloom, a little late but that’s normal for the first year after planting. It will shortly but a huge ball of these cool, six pointed stars.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Allium, Allium christophii, Bulbs, Onion
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Ben, Lilias, and Michelle
Ben, Lilias, and Michelle
We had a terrific afternoon with our friends Ben, Michelle, and their beautiful daughter Lilias. She only smiled for me in a couple pictures but I think this one is pretty sweet.
‘Jaune Desprez’
‘Jaune Desprez’
I wish you could smell this rose. This is a Noisette rose called ‘Jaune Desprez’ (Desprez, France, 1835). The individual blooms are not the most beautifully shaped in all creation but it blooms reliably and grows pretty vigorously.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Noisette, Rose, Rose ‘Jaune Desprez’, ‘Jaune Desprez’
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Fireworks
Fireworks
You know when the really big fireworks explosions go off, they produce lines of light radiating out from the center with smaller explosions at the end of each ray? That’s what this reminds me of. It’s one of the large Alliums (gigantium or cristophii, I’d guess) growing in Ralph and Tsai-Hong’s garden.
Bearded Iris
Bearded Iris
The irises are starting to bloom all over. This is a purple and yellow variety outside our dining room window. I think yellow and purple are a terrific color combination.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bearded Iris, Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Iris, Perennial, Purple, Yellow
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Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
As an illustrative photo this isn’t much but seeing an oriole (Icterus galbula) is rare enough that any photo that catches the color is pretty cool, in my book. I got two others of it on a branch but it’s mostly hidden by the branch. I could hear it singing after it flew to a different tree so I have hopes of seeing it again.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Baltimore Oriole, Bird, Birds, Icterus, Icterus galbula, Migratory Birds, Oriole
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Tiny Green Damselfly
Tiny Green Damselfly
These little things are quite shy and wouldn’t let me get very close so this is cropped from a larger image. It could be a little sharper but I’m pretty pleased with it.
Harvestman
Harvestman
There are over 6,400 species of harvestmen which together make up the Arachnida order Opiliones. They aren’t spiders (which are in the order Araneae) but are cousins. I’ve always thought they were cool. Their eyes are on either side of a little turret on their heads — the little black blob in this picture.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Arachnid, Daddy Longlegs, Harvestman, Opiliones
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Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day
We went out to lunch with our mothers (and Dorothy’s grandmothers) today. A nice time with two of the best moms in the world. Thanks for everything, mom.
Rose ‘Roseraie De l’Hay’
Rose ‘Roseraie De l’Hay’
This is a nice rugosa hybrid that booms all summer long. The flowers have an intense clove scent that I really love. The only downside is that the shrub is so tall and most of the roses are on the top so you usually see them from below. Still, it will have a lot of blooms shortly and will be something to see.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Pink, Rose, Rose ‘Roseraie De l’Hay’, ‘Roseraie De l’Hay’
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Lady Beetle
Lady Beetle
I found a lady beetle today. She was nice and bright and crawling around on garlic mustard and mile-a-minute vine. Cute little thing, isn’t she?
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Beetle, Coleoptera, Insect, Insects, Lady Beetle
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