Thursday, July 15, 2010

Summer Color

I took a ride to the nursery this morning to get a big bag of sunflower seeds for the birdfeeders. Even though food should be plentiful this time of year, the gold finches and chickadees are still cleaning out the tube feeder every couple days. It's worth it, I suppose, because my husband and I get so much enjoyment from watching them.

We discovered other creatures are enjoying the birdfeeders as well. Last week we came home from someplace and scared a skunk away from the feeder. Two nights ago there was a huge racoon rooting around under the feeder. I suppose I'm okay with that so long as they don't get into trouble (like trying to get into the trash or something).

I also bought a couple of coneflowers for the garden. I love these flowers, and I've wanted one in the yard since we moved to Maine. What I didn't know was that they come in other colors besides purple. I bought a peachy colored one and an orange one because my husband complained that everything in the garden is either purple or yellow. They were also available in a creamy pale yellow, which was so pretty. Maybe I'll get that one next year. I'm not very handy in the garden, but coneflowers are perennials, so I expect they'll take care of themselves.







Everything seemed to be in bloom all at once at the nursery, so I took a few more photos just because everything was so beautiful. I don't know what most of these plants are called, but I labeled the few I knew.
Begonia




This was some kind of fancy violet.


Kalanchoe, I think.


Orchids
Oh, if only I could grow these magnificent plants.

Pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant.

6 comments:

Judy S. said...

Nice photos, Sue. I love your baby gift. Someone is going to be very happy!

Stephanie D said...

The orange and yellowish ones above the violets are celosia, or cockscomb. I love them and have tried to grow them in pots and now in my flower bed, but am not having much luck. They're so pretty, though!

And the ones above them--aren't they black-eyed susans?

I didn't know coneflowers came in orange! I want some of those, too. Your husband wouldn't care for my flowerbed, either--it's mostly purple and yellow, with some pink thrown in. But orange would look great in the mix.

Margo in Maine said...

Thank you for this wonderful show..loved it...I have gone to Longfellows here in town to take pics of their flowers and need to do it again....gorgeous...

Beth French said...

Pretty pictures! I tried to buy a hanging plant like the third one from the bottom in Richmond, but could not find anyone tending the store! The coneflowers are beautiful.

Purple Pam said...

Great photos of all those beautiful flowers. It makes me want Smellovision on the computer! Nice little layette and great quilt for the new little one.

Kim Brackett said...

That was such a fun stroll through the nursery. So many pretty things to see. It got hot here so fast this year that I missed my window of opportunity to plant a lot of things I wanted to plant. Maybe next year!