Kousa Dogwood Blooms and My Pirate

It only took the life of the blooms on the cornus kousa dogwood tree for My Pirate to heal from his concussion.  He's back to work after over two months at home recuperating.  I am grateful.

During our two months together at home, we played in the garden and bantered like a retired couple.  I was worried sick about him for the first month, but my worry eased as I saw him improve.  I gave up my early mornings photographing the garden and switched to the breezy evenings.  My Pirate and Barnaby kept posing and 'helping' me take pictures.  Until finally, I  told My Pirate to grab his phone and take his own damn pictures.  He has a good eye and I'm going to add some of his shots to future posts.

So, we've become that disgusting couple that has two hobbies in common.  What's next?  Matching outfits?  Oh wait, we already have that one covered. 

Thank you for all of the encouragement and kind words while My Pirate was healing!  We really appreciated it.

Wednesday Vignette: Lucifer

I do not like orange flowers in my garden.  Orange in the garden reminds me of orange traffic cones.  Orange says pay attention and be cautious.

Yet, somehow my neighbors' Crocosmia 'Lucifer' that is on our property, says, "Pay attention to this fabulous white grass and be cautious with the hummingbirds."  

Hummingbirds may be tiny but they are fierce.  Last week, a hummer bitch slapped me for getting too close to the feeder.   I'm developing a complex.  But, I will continue to try and photograph them.

So, who do you think is the star of this photo?  The Lucifer or the grass? 

And don't forget to stop by my friend, Anna, at Flutter and Hum to see her latest Wednesday Vignette!

Photobomb

Aphids live in my garden. I accept that they are part of the food chain. And they almost look pretty glowing in the evening light.  But, they keep photobombing my macro shots.

Brown chicken brown cow! I hope that these ladybugs snacked on that aphid under the leaf following their afternoon delight.

Look at those water droplets on the aphid's feet.  I didn't see it when I took the shot.  Oh, my bleeding heart. 

This one posed for his shot.  Argh!  Have you no shame, aphid?  I'll just keep reminding myself that you are fast food for all the birds and ladybugs in my garden.  

Vignette Wednesday: Last Poppy Bloom

The last poppy bloomed in my front garden this week and a heat wave in the 100's is forecasted for the weekend.  I'm busy preparing for the garden for the heat.  Hoses are strewn throughout the garden and the soaker hoses are on high!  But, I wanted to take a moment to say farewell to my spring garden.  Poppies are simply luscious as they unfold in the morning.  I treasure them. And if you receive a poppy in a bouquet from me, just know that you are loved. 

Princess Victoria Louise Oriental Poppy

As a young girl, I looked forward to my Mom's orange poppies blooming.  And I loved the poppy seed heads that sounded like maracas once they dried.  I leave the seed heads to dry in my garden too.  And kids walking by, take them and listen to their newfound maracas.  It makes me happy.  I'll always have a clump of poppies in my garden.

My friend, Anna at Flutter & Hum, started the weekly Wednesday Vignette meme because she has an eye for color and design.  She's a garden designer, architect, color expert, and she has taught me to see my garden in new ways. Thanks, Anna!

Wednesday Vignette: Stumped

Last summer, when I toured Greg Shepherd's garden for the first time, I fell in love with the stumps in his back garden.  He uses the stumps to punctuate the end of the gravel paths.

At the time, I'd been holding onto stumps cut into squares and old freeway light fixtures that friends had generously given me.  Yay!  Inspired by Greg's stumps, I went home and flipped the freeway light fixture up onto the stump and voila a new garden container was born. 

My new containers.  photo taken October 2014

I borrowed my friend Anna's favorite purple to give them a much needed splash of color.  I love them.  They are unique and fun.  Plus, they are above a certain male Great Dane's pee level, so the plants are safe. Barnaby 'helped' me plant the containers, but hasn't shown them any other interest. 

This spring, I added two more to the garden.  So, now I have four of them punctuating our sitting spaces in the garden.  I'll share more shots of them in an upcoming post on our back garden.  Don't forget to visit our hostess, Anna at Flutter and Hum, to see more Wednesday Vignettes.