Bleeding Hearts

Sorry I have been away for so long. 

I have been busy on Etsy.  Still learning the in's and out's and it's alot of fun.  I've been watching my stats and they are looking good.  I have more fans on Facebook and follower on Twitter.  Since I have joined Etsy.  I have had sales already too which I am very pleased with.

Trying to keep up with the garden, but with all the rain we have been having here in Maine, it has been difficult to keep up.  I will be heading out this weekend and I will spray down with bug spray as the blackflies are out and biting viciously.

I love seeing all the flowers that are coming back.  Can't wait to start photographing them. 

The beautiful birds are coming back too.  As a matter of fact, I have now 3 bird houses and as of now 2 will be occupied by the Tree Swallows and the third is the Eastern Bluebird.  I'm still not sure who is going to end up at which house.  The American Goldfinches are back and sounding beautiful as are the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and the Cowbirds.  The Hummingbirds are back as of a few days ago and of course the Sparrow family whose beautiful songs I love to hear in the morning and all day long.

For those who have been following, update on my dog Ben.  So far he is doing well.  I thank God for him every night.

I'll try harder to post more.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Happy Mother's Day! 

And a Happy Mother's Day to the Moms who have animal for kids.

Flower Power Friday!

Beautiful, bright, happy Sunflowers are this weeks flower!

Sunflowers are a wonderful flower to have in any garden.  You sow them once and they will return for years, though not as abundant as the first year.

They attract birds and bees from all around.

I make sure I have sunflowers in my garden every year.  Next year I will plant a new crop of sunflowers and try some new varieties.

I generally let the sunflowers die off in the garden as they will provide a constant food source for the birds.

This weekend I will be heading to Connecticut for the The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival.  This is my first year doing this festival.  I am also going to The Buttonwood Sunflower Farm to photograph some sunflowers.  They also sell ice cream which I am looking forward to trying.  I love ice cream any time of year!  So photographing fields of sunflowers and eating ice cream what could be better!

Until next time

Have a great weekend!
Coming Soon.  My adventures to Gillette's Castle.

Flower Power Friday! This week is the Bee Balm

This week's flower is the Bee Balm also known as Bergamot.  I have been growing this plant for a few years.  I really enjoy having it in my gardens.  It is an invasive plant if not controlled.  The Bee Balm does well in sunny locations and is a hardy plant to grow here in Maine.  It grows between 24 to 36 inches tall and blooms July through August.  I have the red and bright pink varieties, but it also comes in white and other variations of pinks.







 

























It is a favorite flower for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

The Bee Balm is an herb which can be use as an aromatic or used for cosmetics, culinary, decorative and medicinal purposes.  You can use the dried leaves and flower for potpourris.  The leaves are used for tea and the flowers for salad or with fruit.




On another note, I have started the Newport Farmers Market and the Rockland Farmers Market this past week and both markets I did well despite the rainy weather.  I also spent a morning photographing with a new friend.  Despite the icky weather it was great fun!  Thanks Barbara!  Hopefully we will have some sunshine soon.  It has been a bit dreary around here.

Flower Power Friday, Featuring the Lupines




 Lupines are very common here in Maine.  They grow in gardens, meadows and on the sides of the roads.  They are quite hardy here.  I have seen them in full and partial sun.  They bloom in June.  The most popular colors are the blue/purples, but there are white, pink, red and yellow.  They will reseed and can easily take over if not watched.  I planted mine near the back field where I do want them to take over.  This is the second year for my Lupines.  I have a blue/purple, yellow and red I think.  I see that they are doing well right now, and can't wait til they bloom!

It's March!!!!!

The sun is out, I hear the constant dripping of melting snow coming off the roof and the temperatures may get into the lower 40's.  Yeah Spring is on the way and my day is getting better and better all the time!  A couple of photos that remind me of Spring and what I can look forward to.



Fledgling Sparrow

I have a pair of Sparrows who have been nesting in my barberry shrubs for the past several years and this photo is one of their fledglings.  There has been a group of Sparrows hanging around the bird feeder all winter and I wonder if it's the whole family.

Siberian Iris

These are some Siberian Irises that I grow in my garden I also have them in purple.  Looking forward to seeing them in the spring.

I almost feel like singing , but I don't want to spoil the mood.

The past few days I have been going through my photos and inventory getting ready for shows which will be here before I know it!  I have an aweful bad habit of waiting until the last minute.  But I always get the job done and ready to go!

This weekend if I get my paper in time I am going to be having me a hand coloring party.  I like the textured black and white hand colored, but I think I am going to hand color them without the textures to see how I like it.

Well the Cookie business will be kicking off as soon as May 1st.  Yicks!  Still waiting to hear from the Brewer Farmers Market.  Hopefully soon.

I am getting so anxious and excited about getting this season under way!