milkweed

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Beautiful, fragrant flowers abound on the common milkweed plant!  This plant is most associated with being nectar food for the larvae of monarch butterflies, but is also enjoyed by a host of pollinators.
The numbers of monarchs have drastically fallen in the last 10+ years.  Its caterpillars depend solely on milkweed for food.  And milkweed is being destroyed due to herbicide spraying both by homeowners as well as farmers on genetically engineered crops.
Deforestation due to illegal logging and environmental factors has reduced the acres of available over-wintering sites for the butterflies that make it to Mexico.

LINKS:
Washington Post article about the destruction of monarchs
Monarch Watch.org
monarch population chart (scientific study)
Center for Biological Diversity
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center explore

milkweeds (Asclepias--There are >140 species):
common milkweed
swamp milkweed
butterfly weed

Consider planting one or more of the beautiful milkweed plant varieties in your yard!

Wordless Wednesday/Wordy Wednesday--where I linked up:

Create With Joy (Those Irresistible Eyes)

A Southern Daydreamer (Lantana)





photo by me ©2016   all rights reserved 
(This photo was taken at the Cincinnati Nature Center where there is a small "milkweed forest" at the Herb Wall.)

beautiful orchids

Cincinnati has a wonderful plant conservatory.  Recently, I enjoyed the butterfly exhibit.  While there, of course, I had to visit all the amazing plants!  These lovely orchids covered in water droplets caught my eye.  If anyone knows the variety, please share.

LINKS:
Krohn Conservatory
orchids Sierra Flower Finder  

Where I linked up:

Floral Friday Fotos 

  



Friday-Flowerday

Photo Friday



photo by me © 2016 all rights reserved

dahlias

a few beautiful flowers from the dahlia garden at Finn Meadows Farm

Last Thursday, I walked around the dahlia garden at my friends' farm and was amazed at all the variations of stunning colors and designs of these flowers.  Some are only a couple inches across; some are as large as a dinner plate.

photos by me ©2015 (iPhone)  all rights reserved

Autumn colors

photo by me © 2014 (iPhone)  all rights reserved

mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia (KAL-mee-uh   lat-ee-FOH-lee-uh)

Wordless Wednesday/Wordy Wednesday--where I linked up:


Create With Joy (Cats Can Sleep Anywhere!)

photo by me © 2014  all rights reserved

magnolias

photos by me ©2014  all rights reserved

Spring!

Wordless Wednesday/Wordy Wednesday--where I linked up:

The Art and Tree Chatter of Aquariann

Create With Joy



photo by me © 2014    all rights reserved

Botanical Yellow

The glorious splendor of Fall is captured in sunny Chrysanthemums.

What fun flowers Celosias are!  In the Victorian language of flowers, celosia symbolizes warmth, humor, and silliness.  I think of them as Dr. Seuss flowers.  My neighbor grew plants from seeds and gave me some, most of which were bright pink.  The crazy shapes they grew in, made me smile.

a crazy discovery:  conjoined black eyed susans growing in my garden.  The stem was thick and flat.  The center seedhead is almost a continuous oval.

(continuing the "yellow" theme from last week's xanthophyll--you know, the stuff that makes plants yellow.)

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "Y."  Come visit others' submissions HERE  and join in the fun!  

iPhone photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved 

photographs

random photographs from this summer... 

Because my hubby and I were attending our niece's wedding in July in San Diego, we decided to visit Death Valley on the way--yep--in the middle of Summer! Here we are having fun with shadows on the western edge of the park looking out to the Panamint Mountains. 

The wedding was so wonderful!  The ceremony and the reception were held outside.  Banners and lights were strung in several courtyard areas.  

The day after the wedding, the bride and groom escorted 13 of us into Baja California, Mexico for wine tastings.  First up--tacos and paletas.  Then we had all the energy necessary to visit 4 wineries!  At one of them, there was a grape tasting garden.  I wish I remembered what variety these are.

back home again to a waiting kitty!

and a mini garden harvest

My 9 year old twin goddaughters came over to play for an evening.  We had lots of fun!  Oliver (kitty) enjoyed man little girl-handling, we made fun food, and played flashlight tag.  This ice cream lady was inspired by Samantha Lee's amazing food art.  ("Lola" was made of 2 kinds of ice cream, strawberry lips and cheeks, chocolate sauce eyebrows, hair of oreo-type cookie surrounded by chocolate sauce.  A tree was made of cantaloupe branches and pieces of fruit for leaves and blossoms.) 

2 trips to Asheville, NC to visit my daughter and SIL.  We always work on a house project.  Sometimes we explore the town or the mountains.  We always have awesome food --and wine.  (My daughter's a wine rep!)  Recently, we were working on converting a carport into a greenhouse.  Alas, we didn't finish.

Yesterday, I was playing around with my iPhone taking photos of my flowers.  The asters have just begun to bloom.  It must be Fall.  See the beetle?

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "P."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  


 
photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved     

feasting

on the nectar of hosta flowers

Wordless Wednesday/ Wordy Wednesday--where I linked up: 

  The Art and Tree Chatter of Aquariann

  (yellow lilies at Wagamons Pond)

Create with Joy

(Majestic Magellan) 

 
photo by me © 2014  all rights reserved

Garden

Yesterday, I took a spin around the yard, camera in hand.  I love to see what's blooming, who's visiting the flowers, and what edibles are ripening.

Orange double-flowered day lilies have begun blooming.

Pink lemonade blueberries are getting riper.

I love the combination of blue nigella next to yellow moonbean coreopsis.

Purple "green beans" are becoming larger, nearly ready to pick.  When cooked, the purple beans turn green.

Bees were delighting in the deliciousness of flower nectar.

Black raspberries have been ripening and must be picked before the birds find them.

an experiment this year--growing cucumbers in a pot on my deck.  Already baby fruits are forming!  This one is about the size of a little finger.

I love this color combination--so vibrant and summery!  chartreuse potato vine and bright pink brachyscome

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "G." Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  


Thank you, Ms Jenny, for hostessing another round!

  
photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved

signs of Spring

Someone is feasting on this alium unifolium.

The irises are beginning to unfurl.

Snap peas are blooming profusely.

Nigella (Love-in-a Mist) is about to bloom.

The prolific blooms of soapwort are so cheerful.

(all from my garden)

Wordless Wednesday/ Wordy Wednesday--where I linked up: 

  The Art and Tree Chatter of Aquariann

(WWII observation tower at Fort Miles)

Create With Joy

(Magellan and cat TV)

 

photos by me © 2014  all rights reserved