Saturday in the Garden

Today is kinda of a hazy, lazy day.  I did get a decent night's sleep last night so I didn't sleep too late this morning....I don't like sleeping late, it seems to eat into the day.  By the time I get around to having breakfast, enjoying my morning cup of coffee and perusing the newspaper the day is half gone, well, not really half gone, but a lot gone and if I sleep late it really is half gone.  Some may envy this schedule, but remember I raised children, worked really hard for many years, took care of both my Mother and my Husband so I guess it is time I feel I can sleep a little later in the day if I need to.  OK enough of that talk. 

Camera in hand, I strolled thru the backyard garden to see what needs attention, what is still blooming and how many new weeds have appeared.  The kitchen windowbox is full of red impatience, but looking at those yellow leaves it's telling me it needs some fertilizer. 

It sprinkled this morning and as I looked down under the windowbox I spotted the spider webs covered with the raindrops making them appear as diamonds (I only wish). 

The Endless Summer hydrangeas are beginning to turn that lovely shade of pink with tinges of tan, giving them that worn vintage look.

The Limelight Hydrangeas are turning white, I added a Kim Klassen texture (canvasback) to these lovelies.

I call this "phlox with bokeh butterfly".  Almost everytime I walk thru the garden I spot beautiful butterflies, they have been lovin' the monarda and phlox this year.

Isn't she just eye poppin' stunning?!  She appears as tho she is just laying her head on the petals to rest.  I would think she would need a rest watching her flit from flower to flower, her wings in constant movement.

I am currently taking a class over at Big Picture Classes entitled Picture Inspiration (see button on my blog).  Each week the lovely and talented Tracey Clark sends us a prompt via email to base our images on for the week.  This week our prompt was "shoot for the stars"...find star shaped images in our daily lives.  The remains of my roses make a perfect star.

 
I have an extremely difficult time trying to get this little flower in focus on camera.  It is so bright that it always comes our rather blurry.  I added a texture to this to try and cover up the blurriness, but I love this little candy lily so much I just keep trying. 

My "Friday Foto Fun" friend, Catherine gave me this flower early in the season.  She couldn't remember the name of it, but said it would bloom later in the summer.  It has begun to bloom and the name of it is Heliopsis.  I like saying that name...heliopsis, sounds like a happy name and yellow is definitely a happy color. 

As I walked thru the garden, I snipped off one of the phlox and added it to this new little bottle I picked up on my travels.  I know it is rather hard to see, but trust me, it's cute. 

Oops the day is almost gone and evening is moving in quickly.  Need to stop and decide what to eat for dinner.  Bought some tomatoes yesterday at a farmstand, nothing better than fresh sliced tomatoes to please the palette. 

"For all of us, the key is to pay close attention to which activities make us feel most alive and in love with life - and then try to spend as much time as possible engaged in those activities."  -  Nathaniel Branden, PhD

Until next time........,