aberrant birds

Here are some photos of the female Red-breasted Nuthatch that has the rumpled gray breast feathers.  She has had this same plumage appearance since winter, so it is definitely not a molt thing going on.

 

And here's the Downy Woodpecker with the crossed bill 

 

A Grackle that seems to have an elongated bill tip

 

And a bald House Finch. His mate seems to still think he's handsome, though.

All photos courtesy of John Warner.

 

 

early to mid-July

 

Some early-to-mid July photos.
I don't seem to have any from the second half of June.  I spent those weeks on jury duty  and  didn't have much time for the garden - had to try to squeeze in the rest of my life in the evenings.

This lobelia appeared on its own.  I think it is Lobelia inflata, also known as Indian Tobacco.  The flowers are tiny. 

This is the fairly inconspicuous flower of Thimbleweed.  I bought it because it is supposed to produce a fluff that is used in hummingbird nests.  I guess the fluff will emerge from the oval body that appears after the flower drops -  you can see that just behind the flower.  Unless the fluff remains inside it until  next spring, I don't see how hummers will use it, though - they are already done nesting for this year.  Or maybe it disperses and they gather it in the spring.

Here you can see the fading flower starting to develop its thimble.

White Obedient Plant - a clump-forming variety.  Doesn't spread all over like the pink.

This is the best Pickerel Weed bloom I've ever had.  I had one plant originally but now it's divided into several pots and each one is blooming.

The amazing bold blue flower of Stoke's Aster.

The Virgin's Bower has really taken hold.

In fact, it's extremely vigorous.  It wants to eat all the shrubs and trees within reach.  I have to cut it back.  In June, it seemed to grow a foot a day.

Coreopsis glowing in evening sun.

A House Wren sitting in the Red Oak, about to feed a fledgling chattering deeper in the tree.

Red-breasted Nuthatch juvenile. This is the first time I've seen the young, although I assume that the pair that is here year-round has bred before.  The peanut feeder brings them right in.

First half of June

June 14 - I'm posting pretty close to the real date of these pictures.  They were all taken between June 1 and June 12.

So much rain - everything is growing like crazy.

The Blue-eyed Grass has finally settled in after 5 years or so and looks great.  It works well against the bronze of the Heuchera and the Lyre-leaved Sage.

I put in some Coreopsis 'Nana' last year.  I keep trying Coreopsis but most of them fade out after a couple years.  This one came back well.  The tag said it could take part-shade, so maybe it will last better.

The Coreopsis with Christmas Fern and another Heuchera variety.

After many years (8-10) the native Campanula has finally also really settled in and filled out. This year, it grew really tall.  Here with Eastern Columbine and Beardtongue (Penstamon).

Penstamons.  They re-seed a lot and have filled up some space.

May catch-up

Another new one this year, Birds' Foot Violet. It's one of the ones I got at the Boston Flower Show in March.

Somehow, I'm always surprised that the Jack in the Pulpit keeps coming back.  It's such a woodland plant and my yard is not exactly a woodland. But it seems happy in the shaded corner by the shed.

Chrysoganum (Green and Gold) doing well this year.

Wild Blue Phlox - another one of my spring favorites.

A small forest of Eastern Columbine.  They grow so tall in my garden.  In the woods, they are much smaller.

Blue Flag Iris starting up, along with Amsonia and Wild Geranium

Crested Iris and the creeping form of Foam Flower

The Creeping Foam Flower up close.  It has done really well.  True to its name, it has spread well.

Earlier in May - the Moss Phlox provides early color

A new one this year - Bishop's Cap. 

April catch-up

The odd little spikes of Allegheny Spurge.  It took a few years for these to get going but now they are doing well.

Spring Beauty

Hooray - Trout Lily!!  I planted some years ago and this is the first time I've seen a flower.

Wood Poppy - I threw fallen branches in a pile over the winter but the Wood Poppy behaved like a good woodland plant and emerged right through them.

Dutchman's Breeches.  This was such a great find a couple years ago.  I didn't plant it; it just showed up. I think there must have been seed or a bit of root in a plant I bought.  It's in a perfect spot.

Variegated Solomon's Seal emerging.

Trout Lily open in the sun. 

A small set back for spring.

My first year for Bloodroot - someone gave me it last fall.  When closed up, the flowers look like tiny tulips.

Bloodroot open.  When open, they're a bit like eggs.

The emerging spikes of Crested Iris.

early May bloomers

I love those Virginia bluebells.  Can't beat that vibrant blue.

I put in some Trillium the fall before last.  The leaves came up last spring but there wasn't any flower.  This year it looks like I'll get some flowers.

I'm still behind.  I've got some April pictures that belong between the last post and this one.  I'll have to add them later. The problem with a blog is that you can't fake it.  When I posted on a web page, I could put the pictures in chronological order regardless of the current date.

watching spring arrive

I love watching plants come up in the early spring.  Something new shows signs of life every day. 

(I'm already behind on my garden blog.  These pictures were taken April 12.)

Bloodroot showing its furled leaves and little tulip-like buds.  This is the first year I've had bloodroot, and at first I couldn't remember what it was.

Eastern Columbine with drops of dew.

Hepatica emerges with these fuzzy silver leaves.