Oh How My June Garden Blooms!

I gasped when I noticed these flowers blooming!  I’ve tried growing Jack in the Pulpit (also called Cobra Lily) for close to ten years and now I have three blooming!

I’ve had Arisaema candidissimum and Arisaema sikokianum bloom then disappear.  These Jacks have leafed out each year but never bloomed.  I’m not sure which variety they are because I’ve tried so many, but I think they’re Arisaema heterophyllum.

Each is blooming in a different part of my garden – my test to see which is the best spot for them before I buy more.

I have yellow Pouch Flowers blooming!  Love these sweet pockets of color.  I still need to find the red variety.

My geum is at the tail end of its blooming cycle.  Another plant with a red variety I want!

My yellow tree peonie has two blooms this year, but the lavender variety hasn’t developed blooms yet.  I think I have it in the wrong place with not enough sun.  I’ve heard they don’t like being moved, so maybe I can limb up surrounding trees for it.

I love this red peony – blooms are covering the foliage this year.  My pink peonies are about to burst open.

As I wander my way through the garden I am serenaded by this sweet Sparrow and a plethera of other song birds.  By planting natural habitat for birds I’ve created a safe zone for them and a sanctuary for me.

I try to not disturb the chickadee bringing treats for her babes.

And I try to capture her in flight to no avail.  So far.

Our hummingbirds must be nesting because they’re no longer fighting over the feeders.

Ravens are back in full force, attacking my compost pile with gusto.

Alas, the cowbirds are also back!

Other critters I love to capture are butterflies.  I stopped using toxic poisons (weed and bug killers) in my garden more than a decade ago and love how these flying flowers have increased over the years.

I especially love when I can capture them in flight!  I grow a lot of plants that encourage them to stay in my Columbia River Gorge garden.

Read this link from Organic Gardening for more information about attracting butterflies to your garden.

Swallowtails are probably the largest butterfly I welcome back each year.

I am noticing many different types of bees pollinating my flowers, fruits and veggie plants.

As I pulled weeds and excess plants I gently moved ladybugs to new homes.

My Gas Plant is one I look forward to each year.

As is this Columbine.  I haven’t posted in so long, I fear I’ll bore you with too many photos, so will end here.

If you’d like an alternative to commercial weed killers, try this recipe, it works:  1 gallon apple cider vinegar, 1 cup salt, 1 teaspoon detergent.  Mix and spray on weeds.

Thanks for stopping by!

Backyard Bird Watching

My ‘Triple Splash’ birdbath is a focal point in this garden section where I love to sit and watch a ballet of birds.  When I turn the sprinklers on, the baths fill and our birds have a party.  Their songs fill our neighborhood.

As I was photographing my current garden project in progress, hummingbirds began buzzing by.  Maybe it was my pink shirt, but I changed my focus to them!  This little guy was enjoying nectar from a digitalis.

He then landed in my flowering cherry tree and posed for me for about two seconds….

….then buzzed back to another foxglove.  He almost blends in with the stem!

This sweet little chickadee was feeding babies…..

…..is there anything so sweet as the sound of baby birds when food arrives?

Sparrows are abundant now.  They chirp at me during my morning walk all the way down our road.

A Yulan Lily tree, right outside my kitchen window is a magnet for birds because it’s next to the feeders.

I love how sunlight can make a Pine siskin look so colorful.

Grouse are such funny birds.  They think if they don’t move I won’t see them.  I’m happy I could get so close.

Mama turkey clucks her chicks into being still and sitting low in the grass as I walk by.

She must have thought I was too close, all of a sudden they exploded up into nearby trees.

A family of Ravens has been quite vocal and staying close lately, drinking at our birdbaths.

I was thrilled to catch this one in flight!

My biggest thrill this month was a Western Tanager showing up at our birdbath.  I barely had time to grab my camera and shoot through the kitchen window.

He only stayed for these two shots…not the best, but I was happy to get them just the same!

Thanks for stopping by.  Oh, that project I’m working on?  I’m re-terracing my ‘Left Bank’ and will tell you about it soon!

What? It’s June?

I think the highlight of my month so far, was finding this Metallic Green Bee on my allium.  Maybe they’re common in other parts of the country, but I’d not seen one before!

Another highlight – my foxtail lilies are starting to bloom!

My Gas Plant (Dictamnus purpurea) isn’t as robust as it usually is, but I love it nonetheless.

On the other hand, this penstemon patch is crowding out into my path.

I have Siberian iris blooming….

…and my tall bearded iris will soon be in peak bloom.  See my new Tall Bearded Iris page under my plant list!

I have a colony of wild orchids in my upper shady garden.

And the yellow pouch flowers are well underway.

Here they are up close.  Calceolaria ‘John Innes’.

I love this little geranium, but love it’s textured foliage even more.

Speaking of texture!

Texture with color:  Heuchera, Georgia Peach!

Last for today’s entry:  Pink Fluffy Flower.  I know that deep in the recesses of my brain, I know it’s name!

Thanks for stopping by.  I’m working on a major renovation that I hope to post about soon!

Where did Summer Go?

Peak Iris Bloom

My poor garden is only half as neglected as my garden blog.  I’ve managed to get out and pull a weed or two here and there.   Work has been so busy this year that it actually took over my life.  That’s a good thing, mind you.  As a self-employed artist, I’m  overjoyed at the abundance of work I’ve received this year.  You can see some of my projects here. Unfortunately that means deer and weeds have had their way with my garden.

In June, garden highlights were iris.  I’ll start catching you up there.

Epicenter

Naples

Pink Bubbles

Bold Vision

Orbiter

Bewilderbeast

You can read about my iris collection here on my July ’09 post.

There were other flowers blooming in June….

Rhododendron

Pink Verbascom

I love verbascom.

Purple Verbascom

We love watching birds in the garden and had a mourning dove arrive for her annual visit…

Mourning Dove Arrives

….and stay awhile!

mourning dove nesting!

Fun Time at the Feeders

This shot of  goldfinches and pine siskins won an honorable mention from BackYard Bird Shop’s photo contest!

A Pair of Quail

But the highlight of June was this pair of quail showing up for the first time!

Lazuli Bunting

That is, until I noticed this Lazuli Bunting!  I grabbed my camera and shot through the window, fearing it would be gone if I went outside to get a clear photo.  I think this might have been our bird thrill of the year, as we’ve never seen one before.  Sure hope whatever it found attractive enough to land brings it back again next year!

Thanks for stopping by after such a long drought, next time I’ll post July highlights!