Flower Fly

I learned this week about hoverflies or flower flies. I thought a photo I took was of a bee and when I posted it to facebook I learned of it's true name. Now everywhere I look in the garden I see all sorts of hoverflies (over 6000 species in the world). They mimic a bee's coloring to ward off predators and they like to eat aphids. Plus they don't sting me so it's all good.

Two examples of hoverflies, one on a poppy, the other on the coreopsis.

Bee on the sage.

Bee on lavender.

Charlie Chaplin tomatoes growing in the garden.

I tried some interesting heirloom varieties this year.

I also am using Tomato Tone and fish emulsion to feed them (man that stuff stinks).

Black raspberries are ripening.

My husband's favorite fruit and for once the groundhogs have not eaten the plants down to the ground.

Blueberries are starting to ripen as well.

An unusual black hollyhock.

Coneflowers are starting to bloom.

I have 4 different types and I want more!

Another tiny hoverfly.

Guara is so delicate and ladylike.

Another favorite starting to bloom.

I love all the different colors the hydrangea turns.

In Zoe's wildflower garden, a poppy greets us this morning.

I'm so happy I bought this beautiful peachy pink yarrow last year.

One of my customers, now friend, bought me this gorgeous daylilies for my birthday last year. It was such a wonderful surprise. The variety is Jen Ojay from Oakes Daylilies. I could get addicted to collecting daylilies but they can be so expensive.

Lovely larkspur I grew from seed! I love the pink/orange snapdragons in the background.

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran

Garden Friends and Flowers

Are you sick of my garden photos yet?

Good because it's only just begun.

I walk the garden several times a day and always manage to find something new.

This morning I found this baby bunny in my veggie garden.



Got this awesome gnome over the weekend at the new Home Goods store.

He fits right in!

Love this false indigo. I bought it half dead last year so this was the first time I got to see it looking so beautiful. There were a ton of little bugs on it.

Another blue flower on the Jacob's ladder.

After lunch I saw this damsel fly on the scotch broom.

Or maybe it's a baby dragonfly?

It was really small.

My first coreopsis to bloom.

Spiderwort with a bee hiding behind it.

You can see his leg full of pollen.

Bee collecting pollen from my meadow rue.

Red Valerian just starting to bloom.

Also called Jupiter's beard (I like that name better).

Silly Pumpkin Pie likes to be carried through the garden when it's rainy.

Hard to hold a camera and a cat.

I guess he has me well trained!

Sedum and Sunflowers

The plants with the most activity in my garen this time of year would definately be the sedum and maximilian sunflower. So many bees and butterflies, just had to share!

Teeny tiny skipper butterfly.

Great Spangle Fritillary

I even made a friend while tearing down some tomato plants.