Friday, August 14, 2009

August Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Blooming Friday, and Camera Critters

I'm a little early for May Dreams Gardens' GBBD, and Camera Critters, and little late for Roses and Stuff's Blooming Friday.

I am enjoying this combination of petunia, and 2 kinds of lantana.



I can't remember which kind of sea holly this is, but I like it.



The stocks and petunias are still blooming since I have kept up pretty well with deadheading.


This nicotiana is not getting very tall, but it sure is blooming well!



These are the first blooms for this volunteer snapdragon.



I planted this rough goldenrod in my back yard last year, and it did not bloom, so I have been watching for the buds to open in great anticipation the last few weeks. They finally are starting to!




The Jacob Cline monarda I planted early summer is blooming. It's sprawling a bit, even though I tied it up.


This heliotrope is in a pot to fill in a gap in a bed.


I enjoy planting various colors of gazanias.




This is Trachelium caeruleum 'Devotion Burgundy'. I've never grown it before. It's a tender perennial, so it may not survive the winter, but it sure is pretty! The butterflies are supposed to like it, too.


This is one of the cockscomb plants from the seeds my neighbor gave me last summer. I have 3 colors, and some are growing taller than others. My neighbor's get more sun, and are huge, still, I am pleased these are growing, and I'll have more seeds for next year.



This delphinium is still on its second flush of blooms.


An American Painted Lady on a butterfly bush.



I have one daylily plant that is currently in bloom.




The hollyhocks are starting to look ratty. The leaves usually get eaten by insects, and frequently get diseased, but their blooms are still pretty. I'll be cutting the flower stalks off at the base of the plant when there are not many flowers left blooming, and I can't stand all the seedheads.



Eastern Tiger Swallowtail:



I'm not sure what kind of bee this is.


I think these Monarchs may be mating here. They let me get pretty close to them. I saw some like this in the grass a couple days ago. I know they like it here, because I have seen 1 to 3 every day for a number of weeks. I should find out about being involved in a count of some kind. Every day when I go out, there is one that swoops down as if to greet me, then flies off. I plan to look up this behavior to see if there is any information on it.

The zinnias, Mexican sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds and other flowers I'm not remembering right now are also blooming.

Have a great weekend! Tomorrow, the crew is going to work to finish up our block and get the dirt put back in. They don't normally work Saturdays, but they want to finish up our block so they can start in the next ones. I am having them put dirt back in up to the street level, except for where the sprinkler heads are, and then filling the rest up with my garden dirt.

24 comments:

  1. Hi Sue~~

    How nice that the workers will be there on a day when you and your neighbors can also be there. ... I grew the Trachelium a few years ago. It wintered over successfully the first year but died the second winter. Your daylily sure is perky with the ruffled edges. ... I take my hollyhocks down too when they start looking "seedy." Looks like all of your flowers are doing very well, admired by people and butterflies alike.

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  2. You sure have had a busy week. I love the white hollyhock. I let some of my seeds dry to collect then cut them down, too. Hope you have a great weekend.

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  3. You have so many things in bloom! You also seem to still be blooming there when the blasted heat wave speeded everything up here. I'm jealous. ;-)

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  4. Happy to see your garden. All flowers are lovely. I also do gardening in my front and back yard and would like to share. Some photos of my flowers are posted at http://tasanas.blogspot.com/

    tasanas

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  5. Lovely selection of flowers, Sue, but I'm really impressed by those butterfly pictures. That's a great shot of the two Monarchs! We've had one or two visit here each day, too, but they never want to stop to let me take a photo:)

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  6. That heliotrope looks fabulous!

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  7. love your gazania and will have to get that heliotrope! so lovely!

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  8. Lovely pictures for Bloom Day Sue. The Delphinium looks beautiful!

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  9. those red lantanas are great and delphiniums..always

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  10. Sue,
    I noticed almost all the flowers you posted are highly fragrant ones! I love Nicotiana, they always did awesome in NE.
    I have a meme award waiting for you on my blog, if you want to accept it.
    http://dunghoe.blogspot.com/
    Rosey

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  11. So much to see! I'll have to make another visit later to really look again. Happy Bloom Day, you've had a busy week.

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  12. Hi Sue, your garden is looking beautiful! one of my favorite cut flowers to use is Tracelium. Cover it with mulch before winter sets in and it should come back.
    Happy GBBD!

    -Cathy

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  13. Looks like you have a fantastic flower garden. Beautiful photography.

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  14. Hi Sue, I love your butterflies! It's so interesting to look at shots of butterflies from abroad, because most of them are new to me.
    I too, will be cutting the Hollyhocks pretty soon - lasy year i didn't and I literally had millions of Hollyhock babies in the flowerbed this spring. Didn't know they selfseeded so willingly...
    Katarina

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  15. Boy it is great to see that there are still butterflies around someplace. We had such a cold wet spring we are only seeing a few around here. I always enjoy my visit to your place, you have so many lovely flowers blooming. Thanks for sharing.

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  16. A butterly on a butterfly bush. Imagine that! I've only managed one photo of a butterfly this entire summer. Guess I need a bf bush. That rough goldenrod looks fantastic. So tall and sturdy looking. I've never heard of sea holly but it does remind me of a sea urchin....a lovely sea urchin. Always fun to visit your garden, sue.

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  17. You always have so much in bloom there, and so many that I don't grow it's fun to see. My Jacob Cline has been blooming for a long time too. I also had to tie it up but the hummingbirds don't seem to mind.

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  18. Wonderful range of flowers in bloom! I don't know many of these flowers, so it is especially fascinating! And adore your various photos of butterflies! The last photo highlights such beautiful markings!

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  19. Looks great around your gardens!!

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  20. hi sue,
    when ever i take a peep here i try to find out if i know any of the flowers and today i named quite a few, the petunias, hollyhock, snapdragon etc. g8. we have them too. take care and as always very refreshing.

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  21. Your garden is so beautiful! I enjoyed some of the old favorite flowers, but also learned some new names. You surely do have a green thumb! Linda

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  22. You have a wonderful selection of blooms....your garden must be full of colour....

    I love the photograph of the mating butterflies.....rarely captured.....they are extremely beautiful....do you grow their host plant??

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  23. Sue, some gorgeous blooms still in your gardens. I love the lemony daylily with the crimped edges. Your butteflies are so grogeous. We are just beginning to see them here in any numbers. Wonderful Bloomday post!

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  24. Great butterfly shots. The monarch behavior you describe here sounds like patrolling. Some male butterflies will fly out to investigate movement looking for a female.

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