Bicolor Butterfly Bush (Buddleia x weyeriana)

This bicolor butterfly bush was planted last year and didn't do very much blooming. It grew and must have gotten settled because this year it has the most beautiful, fragrant flowers! It might be my favorite plant this year. It could so easily be passed by in the yard and I never would have seen the details in the small petals. Plus it's so fragrant up close! The bush is pretty big now, about 4-5' tall and 3' wide after only getting to be 2-3' tall last year.

Flowers Blooming (July '09)

Liatris (white gayfeather) are beautiful and attract bees like crazy. Then I've got Echinacea (pink and yellow coneflowers), also very popular with the bees but more so with butterflies. Lastly, Achillea (yarrow) which has pretty flowers but the plant is not as attractive. Just some of the new plants I've added to my garden recently.

Why aren't garden centers inspected?

Why aren't garden centers inspected when greenhouses and farms are (by law)? Late blight could have been caught and the devastating Northeast late blight outbreak could have been totally avoided. Instead of tomatoes costing $15/bushel, they'll now cost about $40-50/bushel. Not to mention all the home gardens that have been ruined. So a big THANK YOU to Bonnie Plants, Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot for selling infected plants!

NY Times article/Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop/June 2009

Mimosa

For a short couple weeks in July it snows in our yard. We have two beautiful Mimosa trees who shed their flowers like snow all over the garden. Not only are they beautiful but they smell just as wonderful. I wish I could wear it. It's close to a honeydew melon but magnified. There are very few Mimosa trees in the Northeast. We already lost one a few winters ago.

On a Thursday afternoon, before a huge rainstorm comes in and shakes most of these flowers free, I've parked a chair under this tree in my backyard. I only get this chance once a year.

(Be sure to click on the image to see the detail in the flowers and leaves.)

Coolest Video on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBlUQguvyw

Vacation, Maine

   

I just got back from vacationing with my family in Maine. Here are a few shots from Camden and Acadia National Park. We haven't been to Maine in so long. Don't know why. It is absolutely beautiful all along the coast!

Pear Tree

I love our old pear tree. She's barely standing but produces the most delicious fruit. We actually get to eat some if I put our dog under the tree to scare off the squirrels. He's a greyhound and the squirrels aren't stupid.

Website

The deal with the new site: my flash guy is practically done with it. We're working out the little bugs this week. Then I need to plop my photos into the four portfolios (books) and the four series (nurture/namaste/pura vida/petal&leaf) and by "plop" I mean spending hours and hours critiquing and changing the placement of each and every photo at least ten times. After that's done, I'll work on the archive section which will be separated into ten categories (babies/children/families etc.). The archive section will be full of outtakes and older work available for stock/purchasing.

The site has taken a lot longer than expected. I may not miss the four walls and endless meetings when I was an Art Director but I sorely miss my traffic managers. I appreciate them more now than then. Sorry guys!

Dog Towel

I've got a list of things to shoot. One thing I'd love to get is a shot of my son wrapped up in his dog towel which he loves. He starts barking and panting when he's in it. I got these shots over the weekend but they aren't nearly good enough so I'll need to set up something better -- better light, better facial expression etc.

Ferns

I dug up, I don't know, 25 ferns this morning and transplanted them to another space in the garden. They were being "wasted" under mock orange and spirea where I couldn't see them or enjoy them. Ferns, especially up close, are beautiful and easily overlooked. Most people are interested in plants that bloom or have a fragrance. Two interesting tidbits about ferns: the earliest fern fossils date back 370 million years ago; and there are between 10,000-12,000 types of ferns in the world.