Buzzing, Flitting and Fluttering

Buzzing....

Spotted Horsemint has gotten way out of hand over by the veggie bed.  It really brings in the bees and other buzzing insects though.

Flitting...

A busy female ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummer I've ever seen.   Always just one at a time.  Could she be the same one?  Last year I saw her from March until October.  This year it sure looks like the same bird.  She has been flitting through the garden several times a day since February this year.  I would love for her to bring along some friends. The red firespike is her favorite flower.  I'm glad I have spread it around in several places.

Fluttering...

Crimson pentas are one of the best butterfly attractors planted in my garden.  I can always count on finding butterflies where they are blooming.

Now that summer is at its end and the temperature is at its highest, more of the buzzing, flitting and fluttering creatures are visiting the garden.  I enjoy seeing this flurry of  activity as much as I enjoy seeing the flowers.

A Monday Morning Meander

After a Thanksgiving holiday weekend full of family and food, this Monday morning brings a feeling of contentment.  A quiet peace flows through the shady gardens in the front yard and a meandering walk through them satisfies the heart.

There are plenty of blooms but they are not the exuberant blossoms of spring and summer with their hot colors.  These flowers are soft pinks and purples giving rest to the eyes.

The hallmark of any shade garden is the variety of textures, shapes and hues of green.  There is no sense of hurry here.

An unknown nidularium bloom reflects the pinky purple of the baby Queen Emma crinum which was recently gifted to this garden by a gardening friend.

In the springtime the light pink blooms of these azaleas will blend perfectly in the new front entry-way bed.  Until then, their green leaves make a perfect backdrop for my favorite cranberry pentas. 

A lazy bumble bee reflects the mood of the morning as he drifts from flower to flower.

The white bench at the top of the driveway provides a perfect spot for enjoying another cup of morning coffee.  It is situated between pots of  rabbit foot fern and  angel wing begonia.  While sitting here and observing the front planting beds it is easy to dream of changes and additions for the future. 

The pathway between mature formosa azaleas could use a focal point to draw the eye to the the base of the oaks at the other end.  Perhaps a colorful bromeliad grouping or a variegated cast-iron plant would be the perfect thing.  No hurry, plenty of time to let this idea develop.

Thanks for meandering with me through My Garden Path this Monday morning. 

Hummingbird Approved Blooms

Sighting a hummingbird is cause for great excitement here at My Garden Path.  Fall and Winter seem to be the seasons for these speedy jewels to visit this garden.  Actually, there seems to be only one speedy jewel this year.



Senecio confusus, Mexican Flame Vine

Perhaps it is that this female Ruby-Throated hummingbird only sees enough of her favorite flowers blooming along the Path during the Fall season. 



Justicia brandegeana 'Fruit Cocktail'

December 21, 1990, is the first time I spotted a hummingbird here.  It was feeding on the bright red Tropical Hibiscus blooms which were just outside the guest bedroom window.  What a God-sent moment that was.  


Justicia brandegeana

I was helping my Mom into the bed for the first of many times.  She had rather suddenly been released from the re-hab center following a major stroke.  My Dad was in another hospital across town recovering from surgery.  There were three children living at home.  I needed to see that hummingbird.

Salvia elegans, Pineapple Sage

That little bird visited the Hibiscus bush every afternoon as I helped Mom get into bed for a nap.  Just like clockwork that iridescent jewel would appear. 

Salvia coccinea 'Coral Nymph'

Now, in an effort to encourage the return of hummingbirds each year,  a smorgasbord of hummingbird attracting blooms has been planted. 



Salvia purpurea

The bright reds and oranges of the firespike and flame vine may be the initial attraction for the hummingbird, but once in the garden other blooms seem to be just as enticing.  Purples, pinks and even whites are nectared from time and again.



Barleria cristata,Philippine Violet & Pentas lanceolata

Everytime I see the tiny hummingbird flitting among the flowers, I am reminded of God's care.

Odontonema strictum, Red Firespike


"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?" Matthew 6:26

Early September Color

This time of year there is plenty of color in the garden.  The Pentas lanceolata provide dots of color in red, pink, purple and white. 

The view from the backporch is always filled with butterflies sipping from the clusters of blossoms.

Pinecone ginger,  Zingiber zerumbet, blooms are turning red now and soon will be incorporated in arrangements for Thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers.

Lots of color greets anyone coming through the entryway garden.   The Caladiums are still growing well and the Impatiens have just exploded with growth.

The cranberry colored Pentas that are part of the new front flower bed are butterfly magnets.  The grandkids and I watch dancing butterflies from the front windows.  I enjoy the Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' which has been producing purple plumes since Spring but the butterflies don't pay any attention to them.   

While the red shrimp plants,  Justicia brandegeana, are making me wait for blooms, the Justicia brandegeana 'Fruit Cocktail' are bursting with buds.  They are another butterfly favorite especially of the Giant Swallowtail.

When the light is just right, green can be bright and beautiful.  The normally shady back corner glows in the sunlight of early morning.

Without a doubt, the showiest flower of the season is the Red Firespike, Odontonema strictum.  This cold sensitive shrub is killed to the ground every winter but grows back by summer to a height of six feet.  The many large spikes of tiny trumpet shaped flowers are very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. 

There is a lot of color in early September here at My Garden Path.  New buds are forming on many plants promising color will continue for months to come.

In The Pink

Pink is my favorite color.....

.....from a barely there baby pink like on Sunshine Mimosa, Mimosa strigillosa,

used as a groundcover in the butterfly garden.....

......to  a little deeper pink on these stems of Alocasia 'Aurora'.

Of course, I think Rosa, Belinda's Dream has the perfect shade of pink!

The fuzzy and soft blooms of the Dwarf Chenille plant, Acalypha reptans, are a dark pink. 

The grandkids love to "pet" these flowers. 

This Angel Wing Begonia, Begonia coccinea, is a very subtle shade of pink.

Labeled as cranberry, this Pentas lanceolata sure looks pink to me.

My favorite Caladium 'Carolyn Wharton' is covered in pink.

"In the pink," is an idiom meaning "at the peak of health." 

I sincerely hope that this day finds both you and your garden IN THE PINK!