Busy Bumblebee

It's not so much how busy you are,

but WHY you are busy.

The bee is praised.

The mosquito is swatted.

~ Mary Flannery O'Connor ~

Brief Season of Liatris Spicata

For a few weeks the lavender colored blooms of Liatris spicata attracted all sorts of insects to my back yard garden.  Butterflies and bees particularly enjoyed it.  I grew these plants from corms then transplanted them to my garden during early spring.  They grew rapidly and required little care. Little did I know that the field across the road would be full of Liatris spicata blooms!  I may just dig some of those plants up and bring them to my garden next year.  

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope your summer is going well. 

It's been a busy, busy one for me- I need some time off to catch my breath!

Porch Critters

Good afternoon everyone!  It's a great Saturday for me- I'm off work! Yipeeee! I did do some sweaty yard work this morning- pulling and digging up weeds from my flower beds, but after a nice shower, I'm taking it easy for a little while.  My oldest grandsons are visiting this weekend and my husband cooked a fantastic meal, so I'm a clean, fat and happy grandma right now ;)

I hope your weekend is going well.  Today I'm sharing a few critters that hang around my back porch- 

Southeastern Five-lined Skink- I used to think these were called Salamanders, but I'm not sure why

Cute little frog- not sure of his biological name, just a green frog to me

I love tiny frogs!

This lizard surely appears to be at peace in his surroundings- zzzzzzzzzzzz

An itsy-bitsy spider dangling from the tin roof

Closer view of the itsy-bitsy spider- can anyone identify it? 

A carpenter bee bore a perfect round hole in one of my porch beams.  

I knew nothing about carpenter bees until I saw them drilling holes in my porch beams. During some research, I learned the difference between bumble bees and carpenter bees- most importantly, one will destroy your home while the other one watches.  We plan to seal the holes and put a finish on the porch wood soon (we just built the porch about 6 to 7 months ago).  

Thank you for visiting!

Linking with our friendly hostess Eileen at Saturday's Critters

My Flower Garden in May

May has seen more than her share of stormy weather.  My flower gardens were often a muddy mess, but most of the flowers fared well from the inclement weather.

An Eastern Black Swallowtail checks out the Lantana

Can you see the tiny Skipper on this bloom?
(Wish I could remember the name of this plant- my amnesia is kicking in)

Lovely Red Pentas

A busy Bumble Bee buzzed from flower to flower

He is particularly fond of the Foxgloves (I am too!)

Buzzzzzzz

My Asiatic Lily is now blooming and the size of it has quadrupled since last year!
 Time to transplant this one.

My first Hibiscus plant.  The huge, gorgeous blooms convinced me to bring it home.

I planted a few Double Tiger Lily bulbs back in February.
They're now gorgeous!  Wish their blooms would last longer!

I love this shade of pink.  Pink Verbena.

The first of the Liatris Spicata plants has bloomed.  
Several stalks are coming up and will soon bloom as well.

Several of these tiny insects (some sort of small bee?) are creeping about on the Gaillardia blooms

The young and the old, side by side

April Blooms in My Garden

Despite all the rain, our newly planted flowers and shrubs did well during April.  Daytime temperatures have been comfortable enough, so I've spent a good portion of my spare time outdoors. Our flower gardens are fresh and lively.  I wish they would stay as colorful and fresh as they are now, but the summer heat will soon set in and destroy some of their beauty.  Some of my favorites from the month of April...

Blue Salvia is a favorite for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds

The St. Joseph's Lily bud attracted a tiny visitor- anyone happen to know what kind of spider this is?

One of three varieties of Hosta planted in my gardens

I love the color combinations of this Lantana- "Luscious Berry" from Proven Winners 

I did a mass planting of them a few feet from the back porch- they're so pretty!

Gaillardias aka Fire Wheels or Blanket Flowers are always a hit with their bright orange & yellow petals 

The Scarlet Milkweed is already growing like crazy!

A beautiful "weed"

The Scarlet Milkweed attracts butterflies, in particular the Monarch.  It also attracts Milkweed bugs.

The Kleim's Hardy Gardenia shrubs have bloomed beautifully

I love Gardenias!

It's About the Small Things

Thank You to those who kindly commented on my blog post yesterday,

and all days...

your thoughtfulness and encouraging words are deeply appreciated :)

Have a Wonderful Sunday!!!

Azaleas, Bees & Butterflies

There are beautiful living things that are here for us to enjoy only a little while.  They grow into beauty and perfection, summon our attention and heighten our love for spring. then...they gently fade away.  Why is that? What lesson have we to gain from such temporary joy? It seems some of the most beautiful of His creations are destined to oblivion all too soon.

On the other hand, would we appreciate such beauty if it lived forever?

There are many wonderful memories that surround early spring with its Azaleas in full bloom.  Old photos remind me of long ago Easter Sundays, when our daughters were dressed in pinks, purples and whites with their lacy socks and hats.  They posed for photos, standing near or in front of the colorful Azaleas, usually with their Easter baskets near.  Photos of our daughters standing close to each other, or all three of our children together, or the three of them with their PawPaw before going to church, or with Me in my Sunday dress.  Sweet memories....

Not only are Azaleas beautiful while they last, but they serve an important purpose- their pollen provides nourishment to bees, butterflies and other insects.  Although Azaleas bloom only for a short while, the adult trees usually bloom profusely, depending on weather conditions.  They produce a significant amount of pollen, therefore, they provide a huge boost to growing insects.  

Butterflies are destined to short lives too.  Most butterflies live from about 2 weeks to one month.  However, there are a few species of butterflies that live from 6 months to a year, max.  It's sad, but a part of the scheme of life and nature.  We must enjoy beauty while we can...here today, gone tomorrow. 

Love the beautiful things that are free.  Appreciate the harmony of nature.  

Look. Listen. Feel.