Butterfly kisses

Yesterday I was extremely lucky to come home and notice quite a few Monarch Butterflies flitting about my Buddleias (butterfly bushes). I ran inside and grabbed my camera to try to take a few shots.

When I first came up to the bush, the butterflies flew away but almost instantly they got used to my standing there and as long as I moved slowly, I was able to photograph them.

One butterfly caught my eye right away. The interior section of the pattern on it's wings was a blur. I just couldn't get my eyes to focus on this spot. How cool is that?

Even in this shot where you can clearly see the antennae, you can't get a clear image of the spot where the body meets the wings.

I do so love taking photos of butterflies. They are just so ethereal and graceful.

Today is nicely overcast so I will head out there and try for more photos.

Melanie

Bumblee Magnets

Bzzzzz, this is a two part post. First of all, there are bees all over the garden! This is good news to me (and to all the rest of you too). Tonight I could have counted over 100 bees in just a few minutes by visiting some of the Sedum blooms.

Now here's a question. I'm quite familiar with the big fat bumble bee, is the smaller (less fuzzy) bee here a honey bee?

Another plant that has been a total bee magnet is Agastache (anise hyssop). There's actually two varieties in my front border. This one is 'Black Adder'. It has a darker bloom and the most delicious peppermint scented foliage you could imagine.

What's most interesting is how very long these Agastache bloom. I took this photo on July 11th.


This photo was taken on July 30th. This is a clump of Agastache 'Blue Fortune' which has been more floriforous in my garden but the foliage isn't as scented as the 'Black Adder'.


Here's another view point, looking up the garden bed. I planted these hyssops last year, for some reason I don't think they are long lived. I have been reading that they self seed and I do hope that it the case. If not, I will be buying them again and again because I really do love them.

Here's 'Blue Fortune again'. What's the difference? I took this photo today, September 3rd. Now that's what I call "bloomability'. Best of all, not one single stalk on either of these plants has flopped.

Still weeding like a lunatic out there, starting to finally see some results. I will be open for business on Saturday so tomorrow I will really be going insane. Hope my hands hold out! They are pinched, sore, cracked, dirty and now I've got mosquito bites to take my mind off my wasp sting. Don't-cha just love this gardening? I do!!!

Who's that sleeping in my bed?

Out early with camera in hand on an overcast morning, this is what I found...

Sedum 'Matrona' has been growing in this upside down birdbath base for three years now. It's just beginning to bloom.

Thought I would take a photo of the bloom from the top when my eye spied something through the view finder (yes, I use the view finder, not the screen on the back of the camera).

Look who I found fast asleep in my bed of 'Matrona'! Bzzzzzz, dreaming of pollen, bzzzzzzzz.

Melanie