Wednesday, September 17, 2008

September Bloom Day...two days late! First is cream gentian, like little party balloons to celebrate...
...calico aster with a backlit bee... ....monarch butterfly caterpillar. I was trying to figure out which end is the head until I realized-the head end has longer antennae!

Nice begonia blooming like crazy. I'd rescued this plant from my son's ex-girlfriend 2 years ago, and it just gets bigger and better each year. The strange thing is, it bloomed pink the first season she had it, then blooms red ever since...reversion maybe?
Check this out-my 'Ruby Giant' coneflower has morphed its' own new, trippy flower! I wonder if this is how some of the new cultivars started-by themselves?!




Phlox carrying on nicely...can't wait to see them next year after I amend the soil with cow manure, I bet they go nuts! More phlox...
...and a nice little fall composition courtesy of this mushroom and acorn...
...this phlox has an unusual flower, it's 'Natural Feelings'....


...this is my Yellow Bleeding Heart Vine (dicentra scandens) ....
....nice tall aster that was "relocated" here and growing well.
Not just pretty but yummy as well-my shiitake mushroom log produced this beauty. Our late summer has been fairly dry, so this is only the second mushroom I've harvested this year. Super-yummy, though! Clematis 'My Angel'...the blooms are small but very cute. Coneflower with bonus inchworm...
...cute pansy...

...'Little Lamb' hydrangea (the blooms have more pink tinge today)...
....
this wildflower is one of my favorites, White Lettuce. It's in the aster family, which helps explain the robust growth and bloom in my gardens. It likes to re-seed and wander around also, which is fine with me. (I don't notice many of these growing elsewhere, so I'm all too happy to be helping a less common wildflower establish a nice colony.) Now this was strange...a small group of fungi I'd never seen before...
...and they look like biscuits! After some research, I decided they're likely Bird's Nest Fungi in an immature state. I'll have to keep an eye on them and see if they change.

Tree frog, pretty as a flower, IMO...


This alligator/duck combo amuses me much more than it should. My mom got me the duck w/ducklings for my water garden tubs, but she floats crooked and looks dumb. But here, she fits right in!
Impatiens balfourii.......

....this butterfly was enjoying my boneset blooms...
...and was still long enough for me to get several pictures...
...even a close-up of his face! The ID eludes me though, I think it may be a Spicebush Swallowtail, or a Polydamas Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, or Indra Swallowtail, but I just can't tell from the searches I did. Oh well, he sure is pretty!
By the shoreline I found some Bottle Gentian, it makes me VERY happy to see wildflowers along my shore! I try to collect and scatter seeds down there, and it looks like it's working!
Another nice tree frog, napping between the screen door and doorjam...
....this Jewelweed is another impatiens...I like these a lot, and I want more colors, too!This blue beauty is a damselfly, I think it's Comanche Dancer, but I'm not certain. (The object it's sitting on is from an old vaccum cleaner, I got it at the dump.)I'm really in love with this brown sedge, and it's supposed to be perennial. This one is called "Bronco".
Katy-did sit on this daylily seed pod...
...awaiting the outcome of this "11th-hour, the-governor-called-just-in-time" resurrection of my clematis vine. See the dead lower foliage? The whole thing looked that way until I amended with worm castings and mulched. Hey, everybody needs a little help now and then! Cute little froggies are still hanging out everywhere....I'm gonna miss them when it gets colder!
This year my Snowberry is really loaded with berries....very cool.


Gaillardia with inchworm...I've seen a lot of these worms this year, and they don't seem to damage the plants so I leave them alone.
My yard is still full of
Leopard frogs, too. I love having them around, but they startle me when they come flying out of the grass in front of me. Sure, I could mow and then I wouldn't have them in the yard, but that would NOT be worth it! So I guess they can "help me stay alert".
I like the way these lined up, like the Three Bears or something... ...hummingbird taking a rest....
....pretty purple asters are blooming everywhere...
...and pretty spiders are preparing for winter. This is a Nursery Web Spider... ...this coneflower is supposed to be "Jade", but the center isn't really as green as it looked in the catalog. I guess this is my year for flowers that aren't as advertised...*sigh*...ah well, at least it's pretty.Volunteer sunflower being shy, too cloudy I guess.Finally, as summer spins into fall, check out this spider in my spinning decoration. I wonder how he likes living in a moving web like this?

And after all the trouble I've had with the html and pictures on this post, my head is spinning too! Happy Bloom Day, and check out the many posts linked to our founder, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

29 comments:

Carol Michel said...

So many blooms and frogs and other critters. Your garden is some kind of Wisconsin haven. Thanks for sharing it with us today!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

lisa said...

Thank you for hosting! (And taking the time to stop by, even though I'm late a lot. ;-)

troutbirder said...

I'm sorta stunned. For starters a question. Having never heard of yellow bleeding hearts... I assume a spring bloomer? Zone 7? Pretty though. Thanks
troutbirder

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

Lisa, that bleeding heart is awesome.

chuck b. said...

Looks like you've got plenty of frogs to eat up the spiders.

I have some gaillardia. Someone told me it would flower all through the winter. I sure hope so.

lisa said...

Troutbirder-Correct! The link over the scientific name is my source, Plant Delights, and they list it as z7b-10. I have it in a large ceramic pot with a pot trellis. It winters over looking scruffy, but rallies and blooms in mostly shade on the porch in summer. I've had it tolerate light frost/freeze, but lost one to hard freeze one year. I really like it though, so I bought another and do my best to be diligent in fall.

Deb-RIGHT?! Thank you!

lisa said...

Chuck-My yard is so full of frogs, I'm surprised I have any bugs at all! It's amazing how my place resembles that song about the woman who swallowed a fly: I grow the flowers that bring in the bugs, that bring in frogs to eat them, which bring in snakes to eat the frogs...and then birds factor in to eat the bugs, the frogs, and raptors even eat the snakes! It's like Wild freakin' Kingdom out here! (Yay me! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin'bought! Very nice! I'm in love with My Angel Clematis. Gotta have one. :) the yellow bleeding hearts - OMG!
I hope everyone clicked on the large version of the alligator/duck combo...hahahaha
You are sooo sick. :)
Love the color coordination of the butterfly on the boneset.
Frogs, frogs, frogs! It IS freakin' Wild Kingdom around there and you are the Queen. :)

lisa said...

Thank you! I'm proud of my sickness! :) Hey, I can send you seeds from My Angel if you like, she puts out PLENTY every year!

BTW Troutbirder-The yellow bleeding heart is blooming NOW, not spring. It actually starts about mid-August for me and blooms til' frost, then I take the plant in for winter.

Anonymous said...

What an awesome post! Good thing I don't live nearby or I'd be taking cutting of your clematis and catching your butterflies and frogs to take to my garden. ;0)

Unknown said...

I LOVE the duck and the alligator!!! I'm still giggling about that--that's just great. :)

I didn't get 'My Angel' to sprout this year, but I'm sure it was my own darn fault because of my spotty Winter Sowing efforts. If I send you a SASE (or something you want from my garden) can I try again? I so love that little clematis.

And the yellow bleeding heart vine is adorable. Thanks for the additional information on it via the comments.

lisa said...

Mr. Brownthumb-As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to most anything in my yard! As a matter of fact, email me your addy at mrimomma at gmail dot com, and I'll send you some seeds from the clematis! You too, Kim, no SASE required! :) And thank you both for the kudos! I think not mowing makes the biggest difference in providing habitat, especially for the frogs.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Lisa, you have really a fantasic collection of flowering plants. Some are very special; I have not seen anywhere else. Your garden must be super healthy as so many small garden lovers have taken up residence in your yard. The duck and the alligator..mmh..it is good to have something unexpected in the garden! You have got a very nice blog and it is a pleasure to visit.

lisa said...

Thank you and welcome Titania! Stop by any time! :)

EAL said...

Very jealous of the frogs! I am trying one of the more tubular clematis this year too. It should be better next year.

lisa said...

Thank you! You know what they say about perennials: 1st year sleep, 2nd year creep, third year leap! I should think you'd be getting at least a couple frogs with your new water feature...maybe leaving a grassy or thickly-planted area leading up to the water's edge will help.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Love the gentian and the caterpillar, but love love love the tree frog! Soooo cute!
~ Monica

lisa said...

Thank you! I must admit that I garden every bit as much for the bugs, frogs, birds and critters as I do for the plants themselves!

KC MO Garden Guy said...

What beautiful flowers and critters! I wish I had more frogs or toads in my garden. I see a couple once or twice a year but that is all. Have lots of lizards and salamanders. They run too fast to get any good pictures. Love the yellow bleeding heart. Too bad it isn't hardy for our zone and don't have enough room in the house to over winter it.
Thanks for sharing!!

lisa said...

Thank you! I'd say if you have plenty of lizards and salamanders, your yard is very creature-friendly like mine. You may have an abundance of snakes or raccoons that eat up your froggies and toads. I've heard it said that the loss of amphibians in particular is a bad sign ecologicaly speaking. Salamanders ARE a good sign...newts as well.

gintoino said...

Wow! I'm amazed by the amount of amphibians in your garden! Lovelly frogs. We don't have frogs in our garden, but lots of lizards, gekos, and a snake every now and then. I just love finding them, it means I must be doing something right with my garden ;-)

lisa said...

I read your blog often enough to say with confidence you ARE doing things right! I probably have more amphibians from the water available.

Anonymous said...

hey!! Thankyou for all the nice comments! I'm just always so amazed by how you seen to capture such wonderful images! I have to say, the little frog on the leaf is so cute, I love it!! The spider & dragonfly, all little details that often go missed, you always bring to us to enjoy & peek at. But the frogs got me hehe - so cute!!

If I have some extra time this fall making some wool projects, I will send you a hat!

xoxox

Joey :)

lisa said...

Thank you Joey! How sweet to offer me a hat! Don't worry if you don't get the time though, I was just jazzed for the inspiration from you for the project...but thank you! xoxo!!

SaraG said...

WOW, wonderful wonderful photo's!!

lisa said...

Thank you, Sara!

cconz said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
cconz said...

thanks for stopping by, i want to tell you have a great blog. i really enjoyed reading it. loved your frog photos. my worm bin post is in the month of june.

lisa said...

Thank you! I really like your blog too, you are very creative! Your dogs are adorable, I just love the cute pictures on your side bar!