mosaic Monday...scenes from the yard

For mosaic Monday I chose photos taken over the week since I last posted. It is so humid here that for 2 days I haven't been able to take my camera outside as it fogs up too badly and I don't want to get moisture inside of my lens.

We start out with photos of the backyard garden, it is really becoming colorful with lots of blooms.
Next up is Pine Hollow which has expanded and more fairies moved in...I even spied one riding a horse.
More color is showing around the house - the most asked question on the garden tour last week was "where do you get all your clematis?" They were all putting on a show for the guests.
The barnyard continues to be a fun little garden and more chickens and a piglet have moved in.
Some of my favorite blossoms...
I especially love the yellow tiger lily that I just added this spring.
I wish the next scene wasn't in the yard! We have two resident immature hawks and they constantly squawk, it is very loud and annoying when one is trying to relax outside.
Have a great week - I will be spending most of it indoors as we are in the upper 90s and the heat indexes are around 105 degrees.

Current blooms...

Every morning I take my coffee out and admire the garden and pick my favorite blossom of the day. With things all starting to bloom it is hard to pick on favorite so here are my choices for today...the pink poppies. Aren't they just gorgeous in the early sunshine?
The miniature hosta in the fairy garden - it's leaves are only 2" tall with the blossoms about 8" high.
The clematis, Mr. President, is really showing off right now.
I added lots of lilies this spring and these 4 varieties are currently blooming.



I'm hoping for lots of blooms next week when I am a stop on an area garden tour to raise money for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. If you live nearby stop by, Wednesday, July 13th from 4-7 p.m.

today's garden birds...

I haven't taken the time to take any bird photos lately so while watching all the activity in the serviceberry shrub, I decided I better do it today before the berries are gone. First up, is a male baltimore oriole...
followed by the female.
A goldfinch also stopped by for a drink but...
most of the activity is in the serviceberry. A immature robin stopped eating long enough to check me out...

and the brown thrasher could hear the "click" of my shutter.

The catbird is the most acrobatic plucking off berries in midflight but he is also the hardest to capture with the camera.



If you want to attract birds I highly recommend some kind of berry producing shrub. This serviceberry has been a behive of activity from the minute the first berry just barely started to ripen. Robins, catbirds, flickers, brown thrashers and even orioles have been plucking off the berries for a week and it is almost completely berry free.

mosaic Monday...Happy 4th of JULY!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful end to the holiday weekend. We took in the fireworks last night and it was a beautiful sight as usual.
There were red/white/blue ones, multi-colored ones, white ones and many that lit up into shapes.

I really enjoy a good fireworks display but not the mosquitoes that come out right before it gets dark!

The last mosaic is to show the difference a late, wet spring makes on the farm fields. While it is still over "knee high by the 4th of July" the corn is nowhere near where it was last year at this time.

early July garden...

Compared to last year my garden is really behind in showing color this year. The bed in front of the house only has one rose and the annuals are not blooming yet. The pillar pots are filled out as well as the two by the front door. I can't believe how big the snow princess alyssum gets in the pillar pots as this is my first year trying it.
Next up is the rose garden and they are really putting on a show right now. The white fuzz on the edges of all my beds is cotton from the cottonwood trees which comes down like snow every day. August will be spent pulling out seedlings.
The large clematis is rooguchi and she is really putting on a show right now.
The side of the garage is slowing coming to life except for the Betty Corning clematis. She's already outgrown one trellis.
Next up is the barn garden and on the way to barn we see some of my recent yard projects. I gave these benches a fresh coat of paint.
All the recent transplants around the barn have gotten off to a good start and I have lots of other little things to add over there soon.
Leaving the barn and heading to the backyard the first thing we see is Pine Hollow which has grown a little this year.
There are new spots for the fairies to sit and rest and the inside of the cottages are also furnished.
The hummingbird garden is starting to fill out...
and the patio pots are a welcome spots of color.
The garden has a few weeks to go before it will be filled with color as things are just starting to blossom.
The path to the cabin...
and the path to the back arbor.
The pot in the mid garden...
and the clematis arbor is really looking great.
Keeping it real by leaving my watering hose laying out in the west part of the garden. The red sweet william just makes me smile.
I hope this picture heavy tour made you smile and I look forward to showing it to you when more things are blooming. Have a wonderful holiday weekend all!