Shasta Daisies

Glistening from a Morning Rain

Glistening from a Morning Rain

Four years ago, we decided to dig up a corner area of our lawn and plant a sunny perennial garden.

We had no idea of the work involved–digging out the grass, making the heavy clay a bit more friendly towards growing plants by adding lots of black dirt and compost, designing the plants keeping in mind color, height, soil and watering requirements, and blooming times. And that was just the beginning. Then came the search for the selected plants, planting, watering weeding, mulching. Gardens are lovely and I love that I have a patch of bright color in view of the house, but they require a fair amount of dedication. And lots of hard work. Worth it, though. Well worth it.

We’ve added new plants each year. Each year a few don’t survive the perils of a prolonged winter, but more frequently they are nibbled to death in early spring by hungry and very determined rabbits. We’ve learned to spray a nasty smelling organic type of rabbit-keep-away on anything green whenever it rains, and that keeps the damage to a minimum, and I admit I’m happy whenever I see red foxes prowling the neighborhood.

This year we had a late spring, but we’ve had more than enough rain to keep the plants happy.

Many of the flowers are thick with blooms for most of July–Shasta daisies, purple coneflowers, balloon flowers, yellow coreopsis, lavendar, gigantic sunflowers–and they all merge together in masses of purples, whites, and yellows.

I took lots of photographs earlier this week, after the rains had nearly stopped for the day, so I’ll be sharing garden flowers for the next few days.

Barely Focused

Self-Portrait in Metaphor

Self-Portrait in Metaphor

Do other photographers take photographs like this?

Barely aware, do you find in your photograph downloads that there are a few photos that seem to be the sum of who you are at that moment? Not really self-portraits, no people in those photos, but self-portraits nonetheless.

Maybe I’m mixing my poetry writing years with my photography years. 

So, can photographs be metaphors? My answer is yes.

Floating Flowers

Flowering Shrub

‘Lace-Cap’ Hydrangea

I’ve been more than a little pre-occupied with an extended visit from family, but all my company is leaving tomorrow. Tonight, while they are busy packing, I’m finally getting back to my camera and my computer. I missed my photography, definitely a habit by now, so I don’t think it will take me long to get back in the groove.

This photo is from one of my favorite places, the Olbrich Botanical Garden in Madison. I love to visit this place in every season of the year, but I think summer is hard to beat. There are flowers blooming along every path, but green is still the predominate color. Lawns, bushes, and trees are all lusciously green, evidence of the more than adequate rainfall we have had this spring.

I needed an ID on this flowering shrub, though I only photographed a few white flowers, and those seemingly floating in space. The bush is only 3 to 4 feet in height, full of clusters of tiny flowers and these flat petaled flowers. Uphilldowndale came in with the identification  while I slept, dreaming of the ‘nameless’ flowers.

Thanks, UHDD!

BTW, she has an awesome story and photo of a dairy bull on her newest post–an animal I should be well familiar with living in Wisconsin, but am not. Dairy herds usually use artificial insemination. Seemingly an easier alternative? Yuk!

I will give a nod to the organic dairy farmers in the area who keep more to traditional methods!

Opening

Another photo from Olbrich Botanical Gardens. I can’t seem to stay away from those gardens. Though I must admit, the red-winged blackbirds were not very happy to see me. It appears they have nests throughout the rock garden, and when I ventured a bit too close I was rewarded with an angry swooshing at my head. Three swooshes to be exact. Blackbirds aren’t a bit cowardly, I will admit, when they feel their young may be at risk. Glad I was wearing a hat!

In the Pink

Pink Flowers

Pink Flowers

I’m in the pink, though after this week-end, I may be in the red! Taking a break from the computer while I take a trip to the East Coast and celebrate my oldest child’s graduation from law school. And that’s not even the best news. She has a great job lined up for after she sits for the bar.

I’m taking a blog break. Be back on June 5th or 6th, and hope to have a photographs from a part of the country I’ve never photographed – NYC!