M E L A N I E
I think you really like the Owl in Flight picture the most from the Raptor show?
[I do! - IDV]
I've attached it here, but if you prefer another one feel free to take it from the Wordpress post for this event as part of the "Unofficial Official Animals in the Garden" portion. I do get a lot of owls here at Fernmire. One of the Douglas Fir trees in particular is a popular spot for them to cough up the fur and bones of their diminutive prey.
I grew these! I grew these! My first time growing actual fancy flowers, flowers that required full sun! Gladiolus Spp. (because there's always more than one variety of plants)
If its not too late, you could also throw this in for the Terrible Triffids, though I know Halloween is tomorrow.
[Funnily enough - and you couldn't have known at the time - Gladioli served as the Terrifying Triffidery poster plant anyway. - IDV]
Also, this Lily was in the sun-loving plant mix I bought, and Dahlias. The deer think Dahlia heads are yummy.
After SEVEN years my Italian Plum tree finally produce one plum! It was stolen by man or beast, I do not know, but I didn't get to eat it. :(
I don't know if you want to include this or not, but I thought the clouds were cool on this particular morning while walking the dog. I always forget which cloud name goes with which cloud formation. I'm more concerned with whether they involve rain or not.
[Altocumulus undulatus, perhaps? - IDV]
So, probably my weakest offering to the event, but like my solo plum, it was low hanging fruit to offer. I was modestly successful at growing some veg this year, but I don't have time to import the few pics I got. They were mostly edible. I learned that Kale grows very well here. That was my most bountiful harvest, of course, the one thing I "kind of like" that no one else wants to eat in the house. I even tried giving some away, to no avail. The cucumbers were plentiful, but full of seeds. If I can't grow English cucumbers next year then I rather not grow any. The English or Peruvian cucumbers are my favorite, wash and eat with no peeling, nice flavor and small seeds. Whatever I got had a hard peel and gigantic seeds, and tasteless.
[Because of Melanie's concern about her lack of photos (not that she need have worried as the Gladdie and lily more than make up for it), I asked if I could use some topical ones that she'd published at her Nature-led Life blog. This was her reply: - IDV]
Use whatever photos you like to craft one of your delightful narratives, dear!
[This February-flowering Bergenia came from Melanie's For the Birds post (Nature-Led blog) - IDV]
[I nabbed this photo from the same post because that looks suspiciously like a budding Camelia on the other side of your window, Melanie - IDV]
[And this squirrel is cooling their belly in front of a Hibiscus syriacus as seen here - IDV]
[Another adorable squirrel, but what's that in the pot? French Marigolds? - IDV]
[I like this moth-on-window photo from this post which is why I've featured it - IDV]
☙❧
Thank you, Melanie, for your flora and fauna! I'm glad you took part again - maybe next year will be the Year of the Bear?
Congrats on growing the Gladdie!! And I'd really like to have a go at growing Lilies.
ReplyDeleteThe owl is a fantastic photo - always very difficult to capture birds in flight. We have clouds of starlings here at the moment, but I'm never quite ready for them.
Also, I love the cheeky squirrel!
Wonderful, Melanie!
Sx
Ah yes, the Douglas squirrels are quite cheeky! So much so I practically trip over the little bastards sometimes and I don't even feed them! At least the Eastern Gray squirrels have a healthy respect for personal space. Mamma EG did not know she was being spied upon.
DeleteI'm soooo glad my friend suggested we do the Raptor show! I could have not had such a great time or great pictures without her suggestion. The Mister and young lad enjoyed it too.
I hope their murmurations don't cause you too much distress, Scarlet.
DeleteThe only distress the starlings cause me is neck strain from looking up at them - oh, and the occasional splat in the eye.
DeleteSx
That owl picture couldn't be more perfect. You're lucky to see them. It's one bird I don't see much of here. Every once in a while, at night I hear one, but I wish there were more.
ReplyDeleteMelanie never disappoints with florals either. My favorite is the Bergenia. I like Glad's too, but only in the garden. Once clipped and brought in they get all bendy and sloppy looking. Which is why it would be nice to have a vessel made just for Glads. Melanie and certainly shared her fair share of beauty on her blogs over the years.
I hear owls often and see the vomit bombs they leave behind, but it's much cooler to see the birds themselves!
DeleteThank you, I really do feel like I could have done better though on the floral front this year, but more ideas are brewing for next year!
"Vomit bombs." There's an image I'm not likely to forget.
DeleteGreat owl pic! And the yellow gladdy is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYes! If you ever have the opportunity to see a live Raptor show, I highly recommend doing it! The Gladdys remind me of a beloved Uncle and now that I know I can grow them, I should try to grow some white ones next year in his honor.
DeleteA lovely eclectic collection of photos, Melanie!
ReplyDeleteWe grew gladdies at a previous abode, but they definitely are not the sort of plant - like bearded iris - that would adapt easily to being grown in pots here. Bergenia is a plant that takes me back to childhood - we had loads of the bright pink variety in our garden where I was brought up in Wales, and it was the very first plant I ever propagated (so it is the reason I got into gardening in the first place)! Jx
I do want to try bearded irises next! I've always thought if Mister Proxima were a plant he would be a Bearded Iris. Other people around here have enough success growing them that they occasionally have to divide some up and give them away!
DeleteI love the mental image of a little Jon growing up in Wales among the Bergenia!
Who doesn't love a Gladdy.
ReplyDeleteYou need patience with plumbs, less this year might mean more next year.
if you are not pruning perhaps you should but if you are pruning check online that you are doing it when and how it needs it.
Perhaps I am too frugal with the pruning. I had to put a lot of effort into amending the soil in the previous years. I was too eager to get one in the ground and while the spot had the best sun the soil was practically all clay.
DeleteI am a sucker for a splooting squirrel photo.
ReplyDeleteIt is adorable, too bad it was on the side with the screen and not a sharper image, but who am I to harass an overheated squirrel?
DeleteI'm quite taken with the Gladdies, they're giving off Dame Edna vibes. I read something about grey squirrels being fed contraceptive pills to suppress their population to fuel rise in our native red squirrels.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Red squirrels are adorable too! I hope I get to see ne in the wild in their own native region someday! I'd heard there was a product that was supposed to be a contraceptive for rats and mice, but I haven't been able to find it. I'd much prefer to just give the rodent family some family planning than poison or kill them outright. The coyotes and barred owls are the primary predators of the field mice and a little contraceptive being passed onto them wouldn't be a bad thing either. The problem is that humans as group are terrible about maintaining balance within themselves and the wider world!
Delete