Summer's End

The earth is rich for summer is full and ripe awaiting harvest.

New life is encapsulated in seeds of perpituity as signs of autumn begin. 

A minute entity of itself is encoded, compacted, and archived 

for a journey through time.

Caterpillar J's  attached and spun into chrysalis and cocoon

dangle in the wind.

Hurricanes come and hurricanes blow

as sunlight creeps on the floor farther inside the window.

Shall we bemoan its passing or glory in its wonder.

Baby, Baby, Baby

Mama!

Lots of fluttering around the nest feeding the cheeping birdies makes them so vulnerable to the ever alert squirrels. I am amazed any survive. Good luck little birdies.

Andromeda

or Pieris

The new foliage looks like flowers because it is red. They are budding presently. There will be clusters of lily of the valley like flowers in the spring. Sometime they have the white flowers and the new red foliage together making them even more decorative. They are a nice shrub for a container. I'm moving this one up to a larger container soon.

Bloomin' Tuesday

  Join Bloomin' Tuesday here.Father Time, in a moment of inspiration, ran around the garden photographing every little flower he could find making this post possible.

Goldfinches

love the coneflower seeds.

A few coneflowers have reseeded in the garden this year for the first time. 

Bird photos by Father Time

Others that reseed readily in my garden are:

cleome,

common mallow, 

four o'clocks, and 

Madagascar periwinkle/Catharanthus roseus.

Need more color? 

The New Guinea impatiens I bought never did much until recently. I had them in a large mixed container. I took them out, planted them in homemade compost, fertilized, and kept them watered.

Perhaps they will look good for fall.

He's So Nice

In addition to the pictured goodies from the local farmer's market, there are fresh purple hull peas, okra, butternut squash, and one of those miniature watermelons. I know it sounds too good to be true but, Chef Roger shops, prepares and cooks these wonderful delicacies. Am I lucky or what? He's so nice.

My daughter, after returning from a convention, called my attention to The Power of Nice written by AD executives responsible for you knowing who Aflac is. Quack, quack! :o)

This green June beetle never knew he would be an internet star.

Hemerocallis Pardon Me 

Bright cranberry-red 2-3/4 inch blooms with yellow-green throats are produced beginning mid-July, often continuing into fall. Voted best miniature in 1985. 18 inches tall. Diploid.

I have been looking for just the right place to put the lovely Hemerocallis 'Pardon Me' given to each of us Tennessee bloggers by Frances of Faire Garden. Frances, my hubby said to thank you for him. He collects miniatures and loves red.

Tennessee Bloggers Meet

Here are the Tennessee bloggers:

Square Foot Gardening in Nashville/DP

Clay and Limestone/Gail 

Mother Nature's Garden/Donna

In The Garden/Tina

The Home Garden/Dave

 Faire Garden/Frances

Pictured also is Tina's friend, Geri, and Dave's little blogger in training, Olivia. 

Adventures In My Garden/Rhonda is another TN garden blogger we hope to meet. 

Tina made and gave each of us our own garden marker. How nice is that? And since it is Thankful Thursday, I must say I'm thankful for my new friends.

More little birdies have arrived in Mother Nature's Garden. Maybe, I'll get a better shot later.

Callaway Gardens Chapel

 Callaway Gardens Chapel

To celebrate the joys of life or for the most poignant moments, there is the garden.

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

I'd stay in the garden with Him
'Tho the night around me be falling
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Wondrously Strange

August is the month when insects proliferate. They are everywhere. They are everywhere. Can you imagine if they were bigger? Talk about your monsters.

Part of this caterpillar's body is translucent green. 

photos by Father Time

I've already started removing some of the spent plants. Call it a pre-fall clean-up. I have to get a head start on these things. The hummingbirds continue to empty the feeders almost daily now. Fall is looming large.

Gratitude, It's Good For You

Photo by Roger Black

I don't know about you, but not everybody around me gets excited like I do when a bud opens. I'm the only one here, who early in the morning with no people as subjects, is strolling around in their own yard taking photographs. You can't tell just anybody you have been out running around the garden catching Japanese beetles, pinching their heads off, and feeding them to the goldfish. Sometimes it seems it is only God and I who care if the birds have food and drink.  People look at me funny when they know I find the sun rising and setting to be major events that should not be missed. How many do you know who find seed catalogs great reading material? How many of your friends consider nurseries tourist attractions? Consequently, I am very thankful to have found Blotanical where there are plenty of passionate gardeners who are also grateful for things like dripping rain,  a leaf twirling in the wind, or cicadas vibrating their summer song. They marvel over spider webs glistening with dew, seeds bursting from a pod, and robin's egg blue. They are amazed by the colors of rainbow, snowflakes, starry skies and fireflies.  I am grateful for those whose merry hearts sing and know the world is full of beautiful things like gossamer wings.

Happy Birthday

To my darling daughter,

who is generous beyond measure,

and made 13 my lucky number.

Happy Birthday, Rachel.

Hemerocallis 'Gentle Presence'

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

photo by Roger Black

They are here. They are there.  I can count five or six visible at once, but when they are sparring it looks like 25. Our three feeders (in total a quart of nectar) must be refilled every other day. The female in the photo is nectaring on Calibrachoa 'Superbells Scarlet' which has been going strong here since early April. You can see she is feeding before they completely open for the day.

Nymphoides geminata/Yellow Fringed Water Snowflake

Nymphoides geminata

This may be the plant for you if you have a small water garden or a container water garden.  Like tiny water lilies these diminutive plants produce a yellow fimbriated flower which blooms in the morning then closes with the summer heat.

Yellow Water Snowflake

Goldfish

A glint of gold beneath lily pad reflections,

 She gracefully glides.

Investigating my tiny disturbance of the surface

 In expectation, she hesitates;

Then, momentarily slips away 

Into shimmering shadows of protection. 

With waving finage riding 

The liquid depths of long languid laps, 

She nonchalantly browses the greens,

Returning repeatedly mid sunlight and shade,

 Cautiously seeking the prize.

Donna Black

Butterfly Days

The pictured spicebush swallowtail is a female feasting on Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona' blossoms. The caterpillers look like cartoon characters. They stay rolled up in the leaves during the day and feed at night. As symbols of transformation, they remind me of our change to retired life. The butterfly's days are short but the most beautiful phase of its life. I'm thankful for the butterfly days.

Thankful Thursday's origin is
Rose Colored Glasses.

Some Like It Hot

Lake Martin

Getting together with friends and the family for summer fun is what makes the world go around.

A little shopping on the way home to add to dinnerware collection is a must. These will be perfect for serving seafood.

Ligularia
Although it was very hot, our temporary irrigation system nurtured all the pot plants while we were absent.  

I don't know how this happened with the heat, but a Gerbera Daisy popped out while we were gone.

Orchids Slideshow

Orchids Slideshow by Somorjai