Rogue Sunflowers in the early morning with bees: three moments in time

Sunflowers in the early morning with bees by Wayne Stratz #1

 In the Garden of Nutmeg Designs, what I call Rogue Sunflowers have been arriving in masses each year. A few live to feed the bees, most are culled. A new variety is arising here in Lansdale.

Sunflowers in the early morning with bees by Wayne Stratz #2

Sunflowers in the early morning with bees by Wayne Stratz #3

10 Groundhog Thoughts: Pondering in the Garden of Nutmeg Designs

Margaret Almon's mosaic bowling ball with sunshine streaming across the top and Black-Eyed Susans in the background. Photo by Wayne Stratz

Ten thoughts on Ground Hogs:

1. There is a groundhog, that has not shown itself to me, but Mosaic Woman has seen it dash about a few times. It seems to like being under our porch.
2. Groundhogs dig spending time in crawl spaces under porches; this I know.
3. Typically a groundhog gives birth to six young. That is plenty if you ask me.
4. Groundhogs enjoy eating plants; this is why I don't dig them very much.
5. A few times this growing season, I have filled in/blocked the entry way the groundhog has created to dash under our porch.
6. Groundhogs weigh in around 13 pounds. That is an excessive amount of plant matter being transformed into a critter. But a moose in my garden would be so much more critter.
7. As far as I can tell, our groundhog has caused no damage to our garden. This baffles me. Living harmoniously with a groundhog has me pondering my life as a gardener.
8. I do believe that a groundhog watching me pull weeds and deadhead flowers from under my porch would be baffled... "What is that two legged critter doing on all fours and why is he not eating anything?"
9. If the groundhog looked up as it it dashed into our yard, then it might have the view I had when I took the above photo.
10. Groundhogs are true hibernators as their body temperature plummets to the temperature of the air in the burrow. I respect animals that snooze instead of driving to work on icy roads.

being complementary ... Blue Tuesdays

Going Blue: Margaret's Hydrangea Blooms Again in 2015 by Wayne Stratz

Margaret has been posting Orange Tuesday blog posts for quite some time, so going Blue at Stratoz is a complementary new route.

When we moved into our Two Studio Row a decade or so ago, there was a hydrangea in the front yard, but it was under the porch roof and got very little water, so I moved it out into the rain. It didn't bloom. As we walked about Lansdale, Margaret expressed her love of their blooms.

We bought a Hydrangea and I placed it in the backyard, where it can be seen from her studio window. It bloomed. 

From 2008 in the garden of nutmeg designs: A violet Hydrangea (clearly showing the fickle nature of the bloom color......) by Wayne Stratz

The winter of 2013-14 was brutal with some extreme lows and I did wonder if the Hydrangeas had died when spring slowly emerged, but they arrived late and from down below the surface of the Earth and took their shape. But 2014 would feature no blooms for Margaret. This past winter had some cold moments, and though stunned, the Hydrangeas came through in better shape. One of the last things I did before leaving for my silent retreat, was to take out the garbage and bring in a Hydrangea.

Orange Vase. Blue Hydrangea. by Wayne Stratz

Our Hydrangeas do not compete well with many that we see as we walk about. I don't feel like a success when I think of Hydrangeas. But I persevere and they persevere. And that is all we can do on these hot and muggy summer days.

Something New: Celebrating our Boxwood by poem and photo

everything depends upon
sunlight

streaming through dead
leaves

with the blue
sky

behind the orange
glow

I love celebrating our garden, but the Boxwood that divides our front yard from our neighbor to the east never has been the highlight, however did something special today. And after it called out to me for the second time, I said, "OK" and got the camera.

Bee Balming ~ making the circuit in the garden of Nutmeg Designs