The Beauty of the Rose

Bonica Rose Standard

               'I would rather have Roses
                   on my table than diamonds
                         on my neck'
                                              -Emma Goldman

Abraham Darby - David Austin Series

                                           

                                        

Climbing Rose

 I'm not sure what it is about the Rose but it's beauty has been the subject of many a poem and has been around for centuries.
  It is still one of the most popular flowers to give as a declaration of love. It is delicate and strong, romantic and so very beautiful.

Climbing Rose 

  Some people are intimidated by roses but they are not as difficult to grow as you might think. First find the right spot and make sure that it will get at least six hours of sunlight. Then make sure you water it every couple of days.
  As you know I am notorious for moving plants around so if you don't get it right the first time move it and try again. I also use a fertilizer twice during the growing season.

Morden Sunrise 

One of the things I was going to try this year was epsom salts around the base of the rose, about an inch under the soil. It is said that it stops the leaves from turning yellow. I didn't get the chance but will try it at the start of next year and let you know if it works. 

   There are many different types of roses to choose from so decide what style and color you want and go from there. One of the things to consider is if you want to cut them to bring inside. If that is what you're looking to do try to find a long stem rose, they make beautiful cut flowers. Also some blooms do not last long therefore they don't make a very good cut flower. I find some roses have a weak stem and tend to droop, again not a good choice for a cut flower. I do however have two climbing roses and even though the stems are short they are perfect for a tiny bud vase and both pack a punch in the scent department, perfect for a small space like a bathroom.

Red Hybrid Tea Rose - very fragrant

  For me one of the best things about a rose is it's scent. I love how one single bloom can scent a whole room and I always look for that when buying a new plant. If the rose you are buying dosen't have any flowers in bloom at the time, just check the tag, it should tell you if it is scented or not.
  I bought this wonderful red rose this year, the tag stated that it was highly scented and boy were they right. It is unbelievably intoxicating.

Climbing Rose

  So be it a climbing rose, a rose bush, a standard rose or a miniature rose find one that you love, find a spot that you think will work and start your love affair with the rose.

  Happy Gardening!

Climbing Rose - peppery fragrance

                                                                                                        

              
                         

To Bee or not to Bee

                    "When we pay attention to nature's music,
                                    we find that everything on the Earth
                                             contributes to it's HARMONY"

                                                                           -Hazel Inayat Khan

Bee covered with pollen on Anise Hyssop

  Besides the butterflies, the dragonflies and the moths there are the bees.
  Most people do not like bees and try hard to keep them out of their yards. But the thing we don't realize is that we need them, want them in our gardens. We depend on the Bee to pollinate our plants.





  One thing that I have learned over the years is that if you have the plants for them they will not bother with you. I have worked on plants that are covered in bees and they just go about their business.

The bees love this plant - the Dark Knight

  Now, I'm not saying they won't sting you but on the most part they will not bother you unless you bother them. This is also the time of year that bees tend to get a little 'dizzy' and come around people a little more than usual. Just give them a gentle swipe and they will be on their way.

Busy Bee on St.John's Wort

I am amazed by how many different bees there are and if you pay attention to your plants you will see that certain types of bees favour certain types of plants. Since I have been planting flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds I have also attracted bees, hence my fascination with them.

Check out the pollen on this bees legs.

   I'm not saying I love all bees, I have carpenter bees that have been making a mess of my pergola but I am not going to kill them, I will just try to deter them, steer them so to speak in a different direction.
  I once watched a leaf cutter bee at work, it was truly amazing to see such a small creature cut a leaf.

  I have seen many backyards with bee catchers and I understand why we think that it is necessary to have them. The only thing I don't understand is when I see them in the garden among the flowers. The sole purpose of the catchers is to keep the bees away from where we are sitting/eating, so unless you are sitting among your flowers, please don't put them in among your flowers.
  One of the things I use to keep the bees away when eating outside is incense, it smells nice and dosen't harm the bees but keeps them at bay. Remember we want the bees to pollinate the plants we don't want to kill them. The bee population is on the decline so it is up to us to help sustain them.

The bees wings take on the purple hue of the plant

One of the ways to help is the obvious, plant flowers, and local native plants are best. Check which plants are native to your area and start there. Another is please do not use pesticides, there are so many reasons why you shouldn't.
  Without bees there would be severe consequences for our food, our gardens and our wilderness.

Birdhouse? Beehouse? Yellow jackets.

 I have many birdhouses in my backyard and am lucky enough to have a few of them occupied each year with families of birds. The others seem to be a home for the bees which is okay with me. At least they are being occupied, they are not nesting near a sitting area and it provided me with a shot of these great red lips crawling with bees.

This bees legs are heavy with pollen

  So don't be afraid to attract the bees to your garden. Give them a place to live and they will do their job by providing us with all of natures bounty.

Happy Gardening!

Thread waisted bee

On a wing and a prayer

Everything has it's beauty,  

But not everyone

sees it.

_ The Wisdom of Confusious   

                 

Cicada

   I thought I would share with you some of the wonderful things I have spotted in my garden this year. You may wonder why I would think the Cicada as wonderful. Some would consider it ugly but if you look at its wings they are so intricate, like lace. Then there is the sound that they make. Sometimes it is almost deafening but also like music that we identify with hot summer days. I love the song of the cicada.

   The other day when I went to get the paper I noticed that my front light was still on. Frustrated because it is on a timer that I seem to be having trouble setting, I went in to put the paper down and then fix the light. I forgot momentarily, a habit of mine lately, but remembered and went back to see if indeed it was still on. That's when I noticed a beautiful moth, a White-lined Sphinx, perched on the light and all my frustration disappeared. I grabbed my camera and got a few great shots, this is one of them. I am always amazed by the symmetry and color of these amazing creatures. If you're lucky it will spread it's wings to reveal the loveliest shade of pink. Absolute perfection.

White-lined Sphinx

  Last year I found a Pandorus Spink Moth in my driveway. At first I thought it was a leaf and went to brush it away until I realized it was alive. It is one of the most amazing moths I have come across, like the White-lined Sphinx, it has a lovely shade of coral pink on it and beautiful shades of green.
 I actually saw another one the next day and thought it was the same one until I looked at my pictures and realized that the markings were a little different and one had a damaged wing. So don't overlook the beauty of the moth, there really are some amazing ones out there.

Pandorus Sphinx Moth

   As far as the butterfly goes I don't know about you but I was getting a little concerned. There really seems to be a lack of them this year, especially with the Monarch population dwindling. If you are a butterfly watcher you would have noticed how each year we are seeing fewer and fewer  Monarch's. I think I saw more when I was in the East Coast than I did here all summer, which may have been about five.

Monarch Butterfly

  If you are concerned and would like to help one of the things you can do is to plant flowers to attract butterflies and provide the nectar that they need. One plant that they need for their survival and is lacking the most is Milkweed. Considered just that, a weed, people are cutting it down and the Monarch's depends on it. Now I'm not suggesting that you go and plant Milkweed unless you have the room for it but plants such as Butterfly weed which is in the Milkweed family is a good alternative.
  There is also a website, ebutterfly.com where you can record and keep tract of the butterflies you see and share with other butterfly enthusiasts.

  Last year I was lucky enough to witness the migration of the Monarchs, it was amazing to watch. I was out having my morning coffee and was looking around when I noticed a constant stream of Monarchs flying over head. It was really something to see.

Eastern Black Swallowtail

    Speaking of migration, a few weeks ago I was sitting outside and noticed a lot of dragonflies overhead, they looked like small birds just gliding along with the breeze. Taking a better look I noticed lots and lots of dragonflies and it seemed like they were migrating.  I have never seen so many of them at once and had no idea that they migrated but it turns out they do. It was an amazing sight and the next day they were still at it.

Male Emperor Dragonfly

I have been seeing a lot of Dragonflies the past few weeks and have managed to capture a few of them on camera. They don't make it easy, they are always moving and seem to notice every little move you make, but with a lot of patience and a bit of luck, they eventually take a break and you have your shot. 

Ruddy Darter

Ruddy Darter

   I love watching for butterflies and dragonflies and am always happy to see a new one to add to my ever growing list. I am always on the lookout for new plants to attract them to my garden and just bought a Dwarf Butterfly Bush. It's the same great scented flower just a smaller version. 
  This is a great time of year to buy plants on sale. If you are thinking of trying to attract butterflies and dragonflies, it's a great time to get the plants.  I also bought a Butterfly House this year. I didn't have any visitors from what I can see but it looks nice and who knows, maybe next year.

Red Admiral

Cabbage White - notice there is two of them.

   Last year one of my sisters, who is also a butterfly watcher was telling me about the Giant Swallowtail and how it was being spotted in our areas so to keep a look out for it. Not long after didn't I spot one in my herb garden, I couldn't believe my luck.
  It was interesting trying to get a good shot because it never seemed to stop so I just kept on shooting and eventually got some great pictures.

Giant Swallowtail

  This year, as luck should have it I saw another Swallowtail on my Butterfly Bush. This one was a Black Swallowtail and was every bit as magnificent and every bit as busy. They do not seem to want to sit still unlike the Monarch which seems to be a lot calmer. So patience is key.

Black Swallowtail

  This year I have seen several Morning Cloak's.  When it's wings are closed it blends very well with nature, resembling wood,  then it opens it's wings and wow, you see the most beautiful colour.

Morning Cloak

                                                                                                                                                                                     And then there is the Question Mark. I was so excited to see this butterfly. I had no idea what it was, moth or butterfly so after taking many pictures I looked it up. You can identify it by the white dot and comma on its wing. It looked like a leaf and was very tattered and torn. Apparently they over winter which can lead to the tattered wings. There is also a Comma, which has no dot.

Question Mark

  So when you are out walking or just relaxing in the backyard, keep your eyes open, look up and you will be amazed by the beauty of these flying wonders.

Happy Gardening!

If your grow it, they will come.

"If you go out and watch nature closely,

you will find something so joyful that

it will completely fill you."

Magnificent Hummingbird

   This morning, as usual I went outside with my coffee, crossword puzzle and camera in tow, you know just in case.
  I was busy working on my crossword when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye.  I couldn't believe it, it was a  Hummingbird  which I had been hoping to see all summer. As I fumbled about to get my camera ready off it flew,  but I have to say I was happy just the same, finally a Hummingbird  had come to my backyard.

Magnificent Hummingbird

  Now they say that once a Hummingbird knows that a food supply is there they will come back year after year. In the past two years I've had one Hummingbird visit each year, is this the same one?

Magnificent Hummingbird and bee

  Anyhow, I sat back down only to be visited once again and once again missing my chance for a picture. So I thought, okay it came back once maybe it will come back again. I took up my position in one of my little nooks and sat waiting, camera ready and sure enough it came back one more time.

  You cannot imagine how excited I was, not only did it come back but I got some wonderful pictures. It was definitely worth the wait. I looked it up and from it's markings, think it is a female Magnificent Hummingbird, and magnificent she was.  Also,  I now know which plant it seems to really like and will make a point to plant a few more Hummingbird loving plants around the same area next year.

   She didn't bother with the Hummingbird Bush which is in full bloom or with the food I put out so you never know what will be the draw. The best thing is to keep trying an assortment of plants that they like and keep the faith.  It worked for me. Who knows maybe next year I'll get two.
  Oh and don't forget the camera when you're out in the yard, you never know what you may see.

  Happy Gardening!

Come sit for a while

My 'reading' room

Wrought iron chair

"Every garden needs a place where you can just sit and listen to the leaves" 

  I love summer mornings where I can take my coffee and sit outside. It's a great time to have a look at the garden, see what needs to be done that day and to just sit and enjoy the garden. I usually do this sitting on the deck in a swivel rocking chair, it has shade at that time of day and I can see most of the yard

Deck bench

  When planning my garden I wanted to make sure there were areas to sit, little nooks so to speak where I can sit and enjoy the view.
  Also seeing it from different vantage points gives you a better idea of how everything is working together. What looks good from one spot may not work from another. Certain plants or a small tree may be too tall or short, they may be blocking the view of something you wanted as a focal point.

  So walk around your yard,  have a good look around before deciding where you would like to sit and what you might be doing in that area. Is it a spot to just relax, is it going to be where you sit to have your coffee in the morning or an evening drink. When does the sun hit that spot, morning or the afternoon? Consider how private it is if you are looking to tuck yourself away.
  I have a great swinging 'egg' chair that I can curl up in and read or just while away the hours enjoying the birds, out of view surrounded by my garden.

'Egg' chair

'Zen' garden bench

 My 'Zen' garden has a bench that adds character to the garden as well as a place to sit and relax for a moment. Although this is not a bench built for comfort it provides you with a place to sit for a moment of peace and contemplation. It is a perfect spot first thing in the morning when it is quiet and peaceful or early evening when the air is getting cooler and the day is slowing down.

  When I was in Maine earlier this summer I came across a beautiful garden bench. It was in a lovely library garden in Camden. The bench was surrounded by garden on the outside and a small courtyard in the centre. This is a perfect spot to sit and enjoy their garden or flip through the pages of a book you just checked out of the library.
  I love, love this bench. Unfortunately I couldn't take it home.

Library bench in Camden

  So take a moment to plan so that all your moments spent relaxing, enjoying your surroundings are quiet, peaceful times. If for no other reason but to take a moment in the day and enjoy the beauty of nature, your efforts will be worth it.
 There are no rules, find your spot, take a break and listen to the leaves.

Happy Gardening!

Library bench in Camden