Sempervivum
I’ve always liked hens-and-checks (Sempervivum) and this pot of it is doing particularly well. I like both the swirling patterns of the leaves and the wide variety of colors.
Sempervivum
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Hens and Chicks, Sempervivum, Succulent
Comments Off on Sempervivum
Strawberries and Cream
Strawberries and Cream
One of life’s little pleasures.
Categories: Food/Drink
Tags: Cream, Dessert, Fruit, Strawberries, Strawberries and Cream
Comments Off on Strawberries and Cream
Watching a Movie
Watching a Movie
Dorothy and Simone watched a movie on the computer this evening.
Jack
Jack
Our friends Lauren and Tommy let us come visit them and see their beautiful three-week-old son, Jack. He had a rough first week but seems to be doing wonderfully now. He slept most of the time we were there but it was great to hold him and get caught up with Lauren and Tommy. What a sweet baby and what great parents.
Butterfly Weed
Butterfly Weed
We have this orange Asclepias tuberosa as well as a pure-yellow-flowered variety.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Asclepias, Asclepias tuberosa, Bloom, Blooms, Butterfly Weed, Flower, Flowers, Hardy Perennial, Native Plants, Perennial
Comments Off on Butterfly Weed
Iris
Iris
But this is not your run of the mill Iris. Among other things, she’s one year through med school.
Free Range Hens
Free Range Hens
Do you know where your food comes from? This is where we’re getting our produce and our eggs. http://www.rocklandsfarmmd.com/. Thanks, Shawn and Greg.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Chickens, Eggs, Free Range, Free Range Hens, Poultry, Rocklands, Rocklands Farm
Comments Off on Free Range Hens
Asiatic Lily
Asiatic Lily
This is the first of our few (but beautiful) Asiatic lilies to bloom. We really should have more of these.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Asiatic Lily, Bloom, Bulbs, Flower, Flowers, Lily, Orange
Comments Off on Asiatic Lily
Evening Storm
Evening Storm
It was hot again today, 102° F at Reagan National Airport, and I really didn’t feel like going out. When I got home I took three dozen pictures in the yard. Nothing exciting, though. More flowers, blah, blah, blah.
Then, about 7:45 a storm came through and I took this picture just as it started to rain.
Variable Dancer
Variable Dancer
These little damselflies don’t stay put for very long and they don’t like you to get too close. Also, it was on the warm side today, especially in the sun, which made it harder. I did manage to get two shots of this one. Argia fumipennis violacea
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Argia, Argia fumipennis, Damselfly, Insect, Insects, Odonata, Variable Dancer
Comments Off on Variable Dancer
Bergamot
Bergamot
You have to admit, Monarda didyma (bergamot or scarlet beebalm) has one of the coolest flower structures around.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bergamot, Monarda, Monarda didyma, Scarlet Beebalm
Comments Off on Bergamot
Ailanthus Leaf
Ailanthus Leaf
This tree has already put on four feet of growth this year. Is it any wonder they are so successful in the environment? It has pretty leaves, though.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Ailanthus, Ailanthus Leaf, Leaves, Tree, Trees
Comments Off on Ailanthus Leaf
Editing Exercise
Editing Exercise
I was dropping Dorothy and Chris off for band practice and Chris suggested this tree as a photo subject. Unfortunately, there was a basketball hoop in front of it. So, the exercise was to remove the basketball hoop (and a bench, as well) and make it look natural. Did I succeed?
Levi
Levi
We had a wonderful time with our good friends Erin and David this evening and were especially happy to meet their one year old son, Levi. What a charmer.
Waxing Moon
Waxing Moon
A tiny sliver of a moon was setting shortly after dusk this evening. I had to move around so I could get it without power lines or street lights and I think this turned out pretty well.
Categories: Sunrise/Sunset/Sky
Tags: Crescent, Moon, Night, Sky, Waxing Moon
Comments Off on Waxing Moon
Garden Spider
Garden Spider
The wind was whipping this little fellow around and I could only get at him from behind, so this isn’t as good as I’d like but still, it’s reasonably sharp and kind of cool. If you like that sort of thing — I understand not everyone is crazy about spiders.
Dorothy and Friends
Dorothy and Friends
Ellen, Sarah, Jenny, Anna, and Dorothy.
Allium caeruleum
Allium caeruleum
This is a sweet little blue allium. I think I’ll get a few more of these this fall.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Allium, Allium caeruleum, Bloom, Blooms, Blue, Bulbs, Flower, Flowers, Onion
Comments Off on Allium caeruleum
‘New Dawn’
‘New Dawn’
On August 31, 1931, the U. S. Patent Office granted plant patent number 1 to Henry Bosenberg for the rose ‘New Dawn’. There’s a lot to like about this rose but not least is that it so reliably reblooms and it has such beautiful, shiny green foliage that doesn’t have problems with black spot, even here in Maryland. I got my plant from my coworker, Kamala and it’s growing up and over the back fence. This brings “rose week” to a close as this is the last of the nine roses in our garden.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: New Dawn, Peach, Pink, Rose, Rose New Dawn
Comments Off on ‘New Dawn’
‘Perle d’Or’
‘Perle d’Or’
Next to our front door is this sweet little China rose, ‘Perle d’Or’ (Joseph Rambaux/Rambaud, France, 1884). It’s just about through with it’s first main flush but it will have at least a few flowers on it from now until the first frost. A wonderful scent, as well.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Apricot, Perle d’Or, Pink, Rose, Rose ‘Perle d’Or’
Comments Off on ‘Perle d’Or’
Nick Weber’s Heritage Rosarium
Nick Weber’s Heritage Rosarium
I spent the better part of the day at Nick Weber’s Heritage Rosarium today, taking over 350 photographs of roses. What a wonderful place to be. Just before 1:00 PM a very heavy rain shower came through and we all watched it from the shelter of the gazebo.
I decided to take a panorama of the garden in the rain, and took nine shots that have been stitched together to form this image. As you can see, the tripod head wasn’t completely level so the image slopes a bit but this gives you a bit of an idea what Nick’s main garden looks like.
Thank you Nick and Rosanne.
Categories: Flowers and Plants, People
Tags: Garden, Nick Weber's Heritage Rosarium, Rosarium, Rose
Comments Off on Nick Weber’s Heritage Rosarium
‘Blush Noisette’
‘Blush Noisette’
This rose has taken a bit longer to get established than the others but it’s starting to look pretty good. ‘Blush Noisette’ (Noisette, France, before 1817) is a pretty little rose with a terrific fragrance. If you’re counting, this is the fourth and final Noisette rose in my garden. It’s not actually in full bloom yet, having a half dozen buds for every open flower.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Noisette, Rose, Rose ‘Blush Noisette’, ‘Blush Noisette’
Comments Off on ‘Blush Noisette’
Tiny Fly
Tiny Fly
This little fellow is only about 3/8 inch long but he’s as busy as any bee you’ll find. I originally labeled this as a bee but noticing that it only has two wings, I’ve changed the title to Tiny Fly. I’m guessing that it’s a diptera (di = two, and ptera = wings) — a true fly.
Green
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
Comments Off on Love-In-a-Mist
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
Comments Off on Male Ebony Jewelwing
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
Comments Off on A Pink Multiflora Rose
‘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’
Comments Off on ‘Rose de Rescht’
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’
Comments Off on Rose Trellis
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.