Flower Power Friday!

Today's featured flower are Irises!

The first photo is the Yellow Siberian Iris.



I have been growing these Irises for a couple of years now.  I have the dark purple version too.  Right now it is budding and will be blooming in the next few days.  At which point I will be out with the camera photographing.  These are pretty hardy plant.  Mine grow in full sun.  These grow in what I would call a clump and it seems to get a little bigger every year.

The next several photos are all German Bearded Irises.

This photo was taken this year.

I just started growing these last year.  I did get a few blooms and that was great.  This year the plants had doubled in size.  They too grow in full sun.  They grow from rhizomes (type of bulb) and you can see the rhizome just on the ground surface which is okay, they like it that way.

You might have seen this abstract of the German Bearded Iris before.  It was the first photo I posted when I started "Flower Power Friday."




This German Bearded Iris was photographed this year too.

I also have a dark blue and a dark red German Bearded Irises.  The blue will be blooming in the next few days and the red looks like probably next week.





In a Daze!

The past few weeks have been really crazy!  Between 3 farmers markets, baking cookies, getting ready for photography shows, yard work, office work, social media, meetings, making travel plans for the end of this month and getting ready for a visit from my sister and my nieces (who I haven't seen in over 5 years) I am slightly overwhelmed!  And I don't even have kids, but I do have dogs and a cat.  I have been trying real hard to organize my time so I can do it all and still have me time.  I am trying to stay 1 step ahead, but it isn't working.  So what am I to do?  Stop....breathe and start again.....slowly.  It can all be done, I just have to figure out how.

 



Okay so I grab the camera and go shooting!  That will help clear my head.  I have been practicing my landscapes.  I took this photo Saturday and I love it!  What do you think of it?

 I also wanted to update you on my backyard birds.  Bird activity has been kinda quiet.  Yesterday I did notice the Eastern Bluebird is back checking out the other birdhouse.  As I had mentioned previously the Tree Swallows have moved into one of the houses (eastern exposure) and they for a long time would chase away any birds that might be interested in the other birdhouse, but yesterday the Eastern Bluebird was back hanging around the house all day and part of today.  The Tree Swallows just watch the Eastern Bluebird as he/she became comfortable in the house.  So the possibility of having a Tree Swallow and Eastern Bluebird fledglings are good.  But as always time will tell.  Hopefully I can get better shots of both birds. 




Well please hang with me as I try to get organized and get back on track.

Have a great day!

Flower Power Friday!

This weeks flower is the beautiful Peony.

 

The Peony is one of my favorite all time flowers.  They have big blooms (3-5 inches) and are beautiful in bouquets or arrangements and some smell fabulous!  These flowers are often used in bridal bouquets.

They come in a variety of colors and blossom types.  I have mostly pinks and whites, but there are also corals, bright pinks, yellows and even a lime green.  Their blossom types a varied too, from double blooms, singles, semi-doubles and one they call the bomb, it is a single bloom with a mini double in the center.  If you are a Peony lover check out Klehm's Song Sparrow Perennials.  They have a huge selection of Peonies and a ton of information.



Peonies are relatively easy to grow.  The best time to plant or transplant Peonies are in the Fall.  They well reseed themselves if you don't deadhead the flowers.  Which was a surprise to me.  I didn't deadhead one year and the next year I had dozens of new peonies.  They won't flower for a year or two.  In fact this year out of those first dozen, the few that I transplanted are showing buds this year.  I am curious to see what color and blossom types I will get.  They like sunny to partial sunny areas.  They do better is cooler climates.  Peonies don't do will in heat and will diminish with too much rain.  Most Peonies will need support.  The flowers makes them very top heavy and will drop to the ground.  There are Peony hoops that can be bought at any garden center.  Peonies are also deer resistant!

 

Peonies look beautiful in almost any location in your garden, they also make a great border!

Have a great weekend!  Happy gardening!

The Catbird

This week is for the Catbird. 



This lovely bird is about the size of a Robin and it is gray with a black patch on its head and a reddish brown under its tail.  The Catbird sometimes sounds like a cat and I have often seen them dive bomb cats. 

 
 

I believe I have a nesting pair near by since they frequent the bird feeder.  I think they are in the Barberry shrubs which are quite large and very safe from predators since the shrub is loaded with thorns.



Well as far as the Tree Swallows goes they have taken up residence in the birdhouse that has the eastern exposure.  They have been in and out of that house often.  Apparently they are quite tolerant of people, I have been able to get quite close to the house with the female watching my every move while I weed the garden.  I also talk to her so she will get used to my voice.  I don't know it that will do any good, but why not.  Watch for new photos coming soon.

I added another birder feeder post.  I am using it for the Hummingbirds.  I hope to get another Hummingbird feeder soon.  I still don't know why they don't share.  Anybody out there know?

It seems that the birds are not visiting the feeders as much right now.  Which is probably because there is plenty of their natural food out there.

See more of my backyard birds on my website.

Flower Power Friday!

Today I am featuring 2 flowers.  The first ones are the Lilac.  This is a wonderful shrub to have if you love the color purple and the wonderful fragrance it has.  Actually Lilacs come in an array of colors.  White, yellow, pink, purple and then combination colors like purple with white.  As most of you may know, this is quite a hardy shrub to have around.  With time they will grow quite tall about 8-10 feet tall and will send up shoots which in turn will spread out.  This is a shrub that if you want to let it go it will get huge, but with yearly maintenance it can be contained and look beautiful. 



 The first photo is of a Double Bloom pale pink Lilac.  I have been growing this in my yard for the past 4-5 years and it has grown about 3 feet, but the blooms are not as abundant as the original Lilac.  It does smell and look equally as beautiful as the original Lilac.




The last photo is Apple Blossoms which are also in bloom now.  Along our property we have several apple trees growing.  I really don't eat the apples being I don't know what kind they are and also it is said that some folks here in Maine planted apples trees on the border of their property to keep the deer out.  Another words while the deer enjoy the tasty apples the flower and or vegetable gardens stay safe from hungry deer.  Honestly I don't believe that to be true, but that is what I have heard around here.  You know people have there tales and stories to tell.