Friday, October 04, 2013

Flowers (and some bees!) for our friend Gary

Our friend Gary has been stuck in hospital for over two weeks, so I thought I would take some pics of my garden flowers for him, since he can't get outside, something he normally enjoys a lot. There isn't a whole lot left blooming right now. As warm as it's been lately, fall is definitely in the air.

A bumblebee and a honeybee were sharing a yellow coneflower this afternoon...







It wasn't all that warm when I took these, and both bees were a bit sluggish, but not too cold to fly!


Here's cosmos that self-seeded from last year's bounty...




A cold bumblebee on a big marigold...



And toad lilies. I LOVE toad lilies! They bloom in the fall when most of the other flowers have had it.



I have a couple of varieties.


They look tropical to me, but they survive our winters.


And here is some hummingbird sage (Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'), which will be toast as soon as we get a killer frost....




And calendula from seedlings my friend Pierre gave me.




I have dried a lot of calendula petals this summer and will use them in the soap I make.


Devil's trumpet or angel's trumpet or moonflower... it has many names!



Tristan enjoying a treat by the flowerbed.



I don't know what these are but I love them. Tammy the gardener took a clump from my mother-in-law's flower bed and brought them here.  They are still blooming away!

And on the phlox...


...life and death drama! Spider got a meal. :)


Stella d'oro lily.


Sedum and black-eyed Susans and hosta, oh my!


The morning glories are hanging on.




Geranium.


Slightly out-of-focus lavender!

Hope you all have a good weekend. More Louise-kitty pics to come.

12 comments:

  1. Well, for fall you certainly have a large number of flowers in bloom. Great shots of bees again.

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  2. That's nice of you to bring nature to someone who can't get out to it himself.

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  3. Do you have any yellow flowered Phlomis at the farm? When bees go inside the flowers in search of nectar, a stamen comes out from above and brushes pollen onto their backs. It's the most wonderful display of nature at work.

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  4. Your honey bees are very beautiful up close. Big sexy black eyes.... oh... what's happening to me?

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  5. I hope your friend soon improves. It is funny how at this time of the year you get the impression that there is not much in the garden and then, when you start taking pictures, you are surprised how much is in bloom.

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  6. I just happened to look at your blog this morning and found your beautiful post. It's the first grey day here in New York in a while, so those splashes of color are a welcome sight from my hospital room. And of course it's great to see Tristan enjoying.

    It's so great you're donating blood too. Something I am very grateful for, being on the receiving end lately of these generous acts by so many people.

    - Gary

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  7. I think I need to get some of those toad lilies!

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  8. Delightful bees and flowers :-)

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  9. Love those toad lilies. And the salvia.. could you lift the tuber and keep it frost free over winter? It's what I'm planning to do with mine.

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  10. I knew all of the flowers in your lovely pictures except the toad lilies. Those same flowers here are doing their last hurrah, Frost is predicted for Tuesday.

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  11. Anonymous11:33 pm

    I need to get me some of those toad lilies! Great shots.

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  12. I love these photos. The plant from your MIL's garden is physostegia (obedient plant). If you move a flower, it will stay in place! Gosh, you have so many of my favorites!

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!