-
This Afternoon
This afternoon a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) caught my attention as it alighted on a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurpea). Looking well-worn, as if it had spent its few weeks taking great chances, perhaps escaping a predator or two. I appreciate Great Spangled Fritillaries in part because their host plants are various species of native…
-
Correction To Common Yarrow
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). A native plant with wispy, fernlike, delicate leaves. A herbaceous perennial plant that grows to 3 feet tall that generally produces just one stem, but sometimes up to 3 stems. Those delicate leaves are alternate 3 to 5 inches long with leaflets on each side of the central stem, and those…
-
Common Eastern Bumblebee
Common Eastern Bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). This one at Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens). And this one, also a Common Eastern Bumblebee, on Peppermint (Mentha piperita). These Bumblebees are gentle creatures. They don’t form swarms. Only the females have stingers and if you are stung by a Common Eastern Bumblebee, perhaps you deserve it. It takes much…
-
Orange Sulphur
Ah, what a beautiful summer day. Lots of rain the past few days along with loads of humidity. Now, today, a tiny bit cooler and the humidity is down. A good day for being outside seeing the world of nature. Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurpea) with a pollinator visitor, an Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme). As butterflies,…
-
Dessert Tonight
Oh such beautiful berries. Wineberries (Rubus phoenicolasius). Unfortunately they are native to China, Japan, and Korea. Introduced to North America as an ornamental plant, and for its use in breeding hybrid raspberries. A vigorous plant that now grows in many parts of the United States, primarily in the Appalachian Mountains where they can form dense…
-
Frogs At The Pond
There are several species frogs that visit the pond that I have just above the vegetable garden. The one that I see most often, and frequently in large numbers, is the Green Frog (Rana clamitans). They’re the first ones to become active in February, when it is mating time. The top two images are Green…
-
Flowering Spurge
Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata). A plant that’s in the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Flowering Spurge has a milky sap that is caustic, so be careful. Those flowers are really small at just 1/4 inch. The plant grows to 2 or 3 feet tall and has a taproot which makes it difficult to transplant. It can be…
-
Deptford Pink And . . .
Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria) is an annual or biennial plant that pops up in just a few places here, in one of my gardens, in a corner of the lane, or a spot in the woods, every summer. It is native to Europe and though I am dedicated to native plants, it makes me happy…
-
THIS Is Why I Love To Fly
This indeed is why I love to fly. I just have to be sure I’ve got one of my many camera with me, the perfect lens, AND a window seat, and I’m a happy camper. Just so long as there are not tons of flight cancellations happening. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my…
-
Happy 4th Of Banana!
Yes, Happy 4th of Banana! And speaking of the 4th, here are some flowers, native to eastern North America, that make me think of fire works. These flowers, Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma). They attract all sorts of pollinators, like the Bumblebee in the picture above. A Bumblebee is part of the bee family, Apidae. There…