Trying to Wake up Photos

I've been going out and looking at the first page of each section of the newspaper on the porch in the mornings.  It takes me longer to wake up than it used to.  Yesterday morning, as soon as I went out, I spotted a goldfinch on a Narrow-leaf coneflower, and went in for my camera.  I sat back on the porch to take pictures, but still, the second one I took was of it flying away, so I'm glad the first one turned out OK.

After the bird flew away, I stayed sitting on the porch, and had fun taking photos from there, at times, using the zoom.

I decided to get up and take some other photos from the area where the tree used to be, on the west side of the yard.  I was tickled to see the Cup flower blooms showing color.

I've never noticed the little flap like things on the sides of the head of a wasp before.  The two Swamp milkweed plants that I got as nice sized plants this year are blooming and looking quite lovely.

This is not the best picture of the Culver's root, but this is the one that showed the bee the best.  The Culver's root blooms have been very popular with groups of bees of different sizes.

The Wild quinine blooms are a little larger this year.  They had lots of bees and wasps last year, but I'm not seeing as many on them this year.  I'm not sure what these little critters are.

I hadn't decided yet that I was going to do a post on the area where the tree used to be, so we are skipping around rather than going in order like we usually do. I was excited to see a bee enjoying the newly blooming Wild senna.

I deadheaded the Lanceleaf coreopsis a week or so ago, and am pleased to see a new flush of blooms.  I believe this is a hoverfly on one of the blooms.

This is the other Swamp milkweed.  I bought this at a different nursery than the other one, and was concerned when I saw the leaves on one were narrower than the other, and wondered if one was really 'Cinderella'.  There could be a different reason for the difference, though.

Whorled milkweed only gets to be about 15 inches tall here.  It's another of my favorites.  It seeds itself around, and is a nice space filler.

I don't think I realized this was Tall poppymallow when I got it, but I don't remember for sure.  It is native to some places farther south.  I sure enjoy seeing it with the Gray-head coneflower and Liatris getting ready to bloom.

The Gray-head coneflowers were not blooming the last time I did a post in this area.  I sure love them!

I trimmed back the Joe Pye weed, but it is blooming early anyway.

This second clump of Culver's root was planted after the first one, and the blooms opened later and are smaller.  I don't know why they are turning brown as the blooms fade.  I deadheaded some of the first clump, though, and they look like they will bloom again.  I'll get to this one soon.  (Can you see the bee on this one?)

I can't remember which Clematis pitheri this is, but I sure love it!

The Rigid goldenrod looks like it will be blooming soon.  I need to look back to see when some of these plants boomed last year.  Even though spring was late in coming, and the spring bloomers were late in blooming, it seems like the normally later summer bloomers are opening earlier than normal.

I am pleased at the growth of the Illinois bundleflowers that I was given early this spring.

They are even blooming!

Oh, look, here's the view from the sidewalk, right next to the porch.

I guess we are walking toward the street now.

Last year, I deadheaded the Golden Alexanders, hoping they would bloom again, but they didn't, so this year, I am leaving any seedheads that don't flop over into the paths or sidewalk.

I am in awe of the Cup plant's size and shape.

I am also tickled that the rabbits have not eaten the Purple prairie clover so far, and they are all blooming.

I even got a photo of a fly on a bloom!

The Monarda fistulosa is just opening its blooms.

Just a couple kinds of Liatris are blooming so far.  I think this may be squarrosa.

Yes, the area is starting to fill out, but there are still some gaps, especially in the area next to where a sidewalk would be.

We are turning around and going back toward the house.

There's that tall Meadow rue, taller than the Cup plant!

Later in the day, I took a photo of these plants that I've shown as tiny seedlings to see if anyone can identify them for me now that they've grown to this size.  A couple gals from my Facebook group, Gardening with Nature in Mind came over to see the flower beds a few days ago, and we got to wondering if these may be Gray-headed coneflowers.  The leaves aren't exactly the same, but that may yet change as they grow.

While out, I took a photo of a Cup plant bloom, which had opened since the morning.

Well, we made it to the end of a bit of a hodge podge post. I am continuing to have trouble making good use of my time, but am getting some gardening done.  I hope all is well with you.