Pond Cleaning

What in the world happened to the pond!!! What an algae bloom ... and why this time of the year. One of the reason is too many fish. I have about 75 ... way too many for this size pond. So, I called the "pond doctor" and he showed up this morning at 7:00 a.m. After 5 hours of work and removing all except two large koi and 9 goldfish, I have a clean pond. MUCH BETTER! Before and after ....

Take time to smell the flowers ...

This squirrel was getting sunflower seeds that fell into the cardinal climber from the feeder but it looks like he is smelling the flowers.

Hosta

This is my favorite hosta and the only one that I don't remove the blooms. The blooms have a fragrance similar to honeysuckle. I think it is a "Royal Standard".

Hummingbirds

These photos were taken at my daughter's home. Her hummingbirds are larger than the ones at my feeder and their "hum" is louder. I believe my birds are young ones.

Flowers Blooming Aug. 15, 2009

Flowers Blooming on August 15, 2009 Alliums, Angels Trumpet, Annual Asters, Black Eyed Susans, Blanket Flowers, Bunnytail Grass, Butterbly Bush (white and purple), Cardinal Climber, Celosia, Diamont Frost, Purple Coneflowers, Cosmos, Crepe Myrtle (pink and purple), Forget-me-nots, Four O'Clocks, Gaura (pink and white), Geranium, Gooseneck Loosestrife, Hens and Chicks, Honeysuckle "Goldflame", Hostas, Lantana, Marigolds, Moonflower, Mums, Obedient Plant, Petunias, Phlox, Pink Oxalis, Perennial Plumbago, Ponytail Grass, Portulaca, Purple Foundain Grass, Rose "Flower Carpet", Rose "Knockout", Rudbeckia (False Sunflowers), Sage “Blue Hill”, Salvia "Maraschino", Salvia "Victoria Blue", Salvia (purple), Strawflowers, Sunflowers, Sweetshrub, Verbena, Zinnias

Saving the hummingbird

While browsing through the local Lowes Garden Center today, I noticed the sales clerk was watching this little hummingbird on the floor. The bird could only fly about 5'. I don't know if she was hurt or had just fledged and hadn't mastered flying. We kept putting her in a safe place but she kept flying into harms way. Eventually we got her to stay in a safe place, but not before asking another customer to take her picture in my hands. What an experience seeing a hummingbird up close for the second time this summer.

Honeybee

Honeybee - Click on the picture to see a larger view and see all the pollen on the bee. This is why I enjoy the photos so much. You don't notice things like this by looking at the bees on the flowers.

Asters

This is the first time I have planted annual asters. They are just beginning to bloom. There are lots of buds so I am anxious to see more blooms.

Cosmos

I planted white cosmo seeds and so far only one is blooming. All the others are either pink or gold.

Tiger Swallowtail

The swallowtails have been few and far between. This one was not interested in the butterfly bush. She only had eyes for the zinnias. I was experimenting with different settings on the camera. Now if I only knew which setting went with which picture??

Honeybees on Sunflowers

There have been very few bees in my yard this year, especially honeybees. I was excited when I saw one or two honeybees on almost every one of these sunflowers.

Thunder Clouds

This thunder cloud was beautiful with the sun shining on it. Shortly after this picture was taken, it was overtaken by the black cloud below it that brought lots of rain and some thunder and lightning. No way am I going outside to get photos of the lightning!

Obedient Plant (Physostegia)

These obedient plants (Physostegia) were getting so tall, I thought about pulling them up .... but then they bloomed.

Praying Mantis Photo Session

This praying mantis was very shy. Everytime I tried to take his picture, he would turn his back on me.

Grasshoppers

While deadheading the marigolds, I ran across this yellow grasshopper. I tried to identify it on the internet but there are LOTS of types, way too many to spend the time to properly identify it. This little green grasshopper was enjoying the day on a coleus. I love the contrast in colors.

Flying Flowers

Where are all the butterflys? This is only the third time I have seen a butterfly...a monarch once and a tiger swallowtail twice...each for a very brief time. Last year I had lots of butterflys all summer. I am also not seeing many bees compared to last year. I wonder what the problem is? Tiger Swallowtail

Crepe Myrtles

The crepe myrtles are beautiful. I was so relieved that I had very few japanese beetles this year. They usually play havoc on the pink crepe myrtle and the rose bushes.

Salvia of many colors

I really enjoy the salvias because they attract hummingbirds, especially the "Maraschino" and "Lady in Red" salvia. Purple salvia (perennial) "Maraschino" salvia (perennial) I cut this back in the spring and it grows to about 4-5'. This one is a favorite of the hummingbirds.

"Lady in Red" Salvia (reseeds)

Pink salvia (I collect and replant seeds in spring)

Gathering Pollen

As I was browsing around the yard, I noticed a bumblebee that had some very bright yellow on it. I wondered if it was a type of bee that I not seen before. After uploading the photo and enlarging it, I realized the yellow was pollen. What a happy bee!!

Triplets in the garden

Oh no - the deer have found my garden, and triplets no less! Deer have always raised in the woods behin our house but I have never seen them in the yard Let's hope they don't like flowers or I'm out of luck. There's an apple tree nearby. Hopefully they wil prefer apples over flowers.