‘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.
‘Jaune Desprez’
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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Spiderwort
Spiderwort
This is the first bloom on our Tradescantia (spiderwort) out front in the shade garden. This one is lighter purple than most but still quite pretty. I especially like the deep purple stamen hairs and the yellow anthers. Apparently, when the stamen hairs are exposed to ionizing radiation they turn pink. Looks like were safe, for now.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Hardy Perennial, Perennial, Purple, Spiderwort, Tradescantia, Yellow
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Rain
Rain
It cleared up later in the day but this symbolizes the day for me.
Buckeye
Buckeye
his is a common buckeye (Junonia coenia), posing for me on a garlic mustard. An uncommonly beautiful butterfly, I think.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Buckeye, Butterflies, Butterfly, Insect, Insects, Junonia, Junonia coenia, Lepidoptera
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Maidenhair Fern
Maidenhair Fern
My dad had a maidenhair fern growing for years and when we bought our first house I dug up a small bit from the edge. When we moved I took some from that and it’s now well established in our yard here. So, this is “dad’s maidenhair fern.” (Adiantum pedatum)
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Adiantum, Adiantum pedatum, Fern, Fiddlehead, Maidenhair, Maidenhair Fern, Native Plants, Northern Maidenhair Fern, Pteridophytes, Spring
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Soap Bubble
Soap Bubble
Lea was blowing soap bubbles outside church this morning. Have you ever tried using autofocus on bubbles. It doesn’t work so well. Also, they move out of focus pretty quickly. I didn’t do a whole lot better on manual. Still, this one turned out pretty well.
Does anyone else see a face in this?
Chive Buds
Chive Buds
The chives I have in a container out back are about to start blooming. I love chive flowers and enjoy sprinkling them on soup or on top of a salad to add a bit of color.
Dandelion Seed Head
Dandelion Seed Head
I took a bunch more insect pictures today but Dorothy and Simone wanted me to post this picture of a dandelion seed head. For anyone interested, there are four new insect pictures in Extras.
Jumping Spider
Jumping Spider
After the heavy rain this morning I wasn’t sure I’d get out but it was a beautiful afternoon. I took more butterfly pictures but my favorite of the day is this spider I found. I think it may be a tan jumping spider, Platycryptus undatus.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Arachnid, Jumping Spider, Platycryptus, Platycryptus undatus, Spider
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Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley
I love these little bells. We brought lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) with us from George Street only to buy a house where there was a significant amount already planted. I’ve seen it forcing its way up through pavement, so it’s quite tenacious once it gets established. I could only wish the flowers lasted longer.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Convallaria, Convallaria majalis, Flower, Flowers, Lily of the Valley, Perennial, White
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Yellow Jacket
Yellow Jacket
I went out hoping to get a better butterfly picture today. I got a few but they aren’t enough better than yesterday’s picture to justify putting them here. So, here’s a picture of a yellow jacket on a garlic mustard flower.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Bee, Hymenoptera, Insect, Insects, Wasp, Yellow, Yellow Jacket
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Eastern Tailed Blue
Eastern Tailed Blue
These little guys don’t sit still for long and don’t like being approached but I managed to get a reasonable shot of one today. Eastern tailed blue, Everes comyntas.
Follow-up: I have two more pictures of this butterfly taken on April 27 in my Extras gallery.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Butterfly, Eastern Tailed Blue, Everes, Everes comyntas, Insect, Insects, Lepidoptera
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