In My Garden

This is why they call it butterfly weed...

The yellow hostas have a strange pale flower that I like very much.

Coreopsis verticillata blooms all summer, if you deadhead it... I need to do that about a week ago...

Bee balm, also known as monarda and bergamot, is what gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive flavor.

 I love all these perennials...

Hostas, coleus, and ferns in my shade garden.

The echinachea seems especially vibrant this year...

The bees seem to think so, too.

One of the orange turk's cap lilies is dying, but has produced these humongous seeds, unlike the lily's usual seeds. Anyone know why?

Here you can see the regular seeds that appear on the stem.

I chased this tiger swallowtail butterfly around for probably half an hour,

trying to get a decent shot...

                                                                It was pretty camera-shy...

...but I finally managed to get a few good ones.

I hope you enjoyed my little garden stroll. Have a great week, everyone!

Drawing Challenge: Pollinators

The drawing challenge for this week, hosted by Tammie is 'pollinators'...

... and I just couldn't pass this one up, since my husband keeps bees... Don't forget to go to Tammie's beautiful blog to see what everyone else did for the challenge!

The Same Thing, Only Different (Azaleas)

While I'm working on more mixed media art to share with you, I thought it would be nice to share some more photos.  In the past six weeks we've had maybe five sunny days, and I was lucky enough to be out at Shabo- Mekaw on one of them.  Even better, I was there while the azaleas were in bloom, and the butterflies came out to sip some nectar...

 
Now, I've got to get back to work!  Enjoy!

Random Thoughts...

The apples are almost ripe...

There are still some blooms left in the garden, so I'm enjoying them while I can... 

Lots of butterflies, too, but the dang things won't hold still!

I'm sure I've probably mentioned this at least four or five hundred times, but it bears repeating: I hate framing.  I mean, I hate it to the extent that I would rather go to the dentist (no lie) than frame artwork.  Isn't that pathetic?

But that's what I've done for the past two days, so I'm a bit cranky.


This has been a horribly hot summer, and the most humid on record for this part of the country.  My dogs did not enjoy the heat at all.  Is that why they call the end of summer the "dog days"?- because the dogs are sick of it, already!

We saw their tongues a lot this summer...  Scout and Sunny seemed to take it in stride a little better than Arlo did...

He looked miserable when we were out in the country...

But that could have been a ploy to get the choice spot on the couch!


Well, I told you they were random...

I hope your summer is ending well, and that you're enjoying every last minute!

Flutterbyes, Dragonflies, and a Give-Away

In my last post I mentioned that I'm doing a give-away when and if I get to 50 followers.  I don't really know why 50; I guess it's a round number (I like round things!), and seems like a good excuse to celebrate!  I will be giving away, among other things...

... some of my cool collage materials, including Asian book pages, joss papers, and hell notes;

... several pieces of various beautiful handmade papers (not all are pictured);

and something made by me, to be disclosed at a later time, like when I decide what it is!

I won't be posting for the next week or so, because I'm going to be on vacation, visiting my son in the Washington, DC area.  I'm sure I'll be seeing all kinds of interesting sights, and I'll post photos when I get back.  In the meantime, I'll leave you with some flutterbyes, who were having a huge party in back of the log house, while the dragonflies hung out by the pond.  Enjoy!