Summer Visitors

D I G I T A L   P H O T O S — Gardening is another of my longtime passions. Last summer I grew some thistles that attracted a whole new clientele of visitors to my gardens. Besides this Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, a pair of Hummingbirds flitted by a few afternoons as well.

And since it's snowing right now, the end of February, I thought it would be good to look at what's not only in our past, but in our future too—our near future—the next spring and the summer growing season! 

I try to shoot at least 25 digital photos every day, part of my discipline I guess. I file them away, and have thousands of ready-to-use images for my art. If not used in their entirety, or as a focal point, they're sampled into the collages to add depth. In the warmer months, my gardens give me plenty of objects to shoot to fill those 25 slots.

Hybrid bearded Iris. These have been in the ground for 6 seasons. They've naturalized quite well and I've divided them twice. The blooms are close to 6-8 inches tall.

A Tiger lily as seen from the ground, looking up at the canopy of full summer leaves above. I 'saved' these Tiger lilies a few years ago. The little private road this house is located on, is very deeply canopied in the summer. Hundreds of Tiger lilies would sprout up every spring, only to fail to thrive and never bloom. I dig up a dozen or so every spring and move them to the yard in the sun where they grow 4-5 feet tall.

Foxgloves as seen from a low vantage point. I love these biennials, although they haven't naturalized in this garden as easily as they did in my family's homes.

Close view of a hybrid Lily. This is from 2 years ago. The plant is about 8 years old, and now gives off at least 50 blooms a season. Last summer, just before the first bud popped open, the deer ate every single one of the burgeoning buds! I didn't enjoy a single bloom last year from this variety.

The front yard 3 years ago. I crave the green right now! Click each image to enlarge.