Three Garden Blogging Events In One Post...

This is one of those posts to cover all three garden blogging events going on because the overlap happens to be right on with timing:

Mosaic Monday

Garden Party Tuesday

Wildflowers in Bloom

So this morning on the way to drop Chloe off at school I took the Nikon digital SLR with me and my little Cannon Point and shoot. The iPhone is always in tow, but today was a special trip…

Fondness for Queen Anne's Lace…

Every day I drive by this area here in Hockessin that is lined with random spots of natural overgrowth…

So many natural plants, and the "invasive" purple loosestrife.

Areas that are only slightly maintained - meaning mowed at the edge coming up to the road or parking…

Prickly Flowers… They may look pretty, but...

Flowers in bloom that wash the area in color…

Purple Clover all over the place - and tons of insects feeding from them!

Flowers, Grasses, and Weeds that are usually pulled from my garden…

Some insects I happened upon while walking through this unkept meadow.

And after spending some time walking around taking photographs and watching all the natural movement...

Check out these butterflies in flight… I love this camera sometimes!

Why do I weed my garden so much? Really???

Just look at all the beautiful flowers, colors, textures, insect life, birds could be heard, and seen flying…

And yes, there are quite a few invasive plants in there - but it doesn't make them less pretty through the camera. 

There are areas that I would love to have the "weeds": purple clover, the goldenrod, the queen anne's lace and even the prickly ones… I went and bought myself some goldenrod from Gateway Garden Center the other day… I just had to get some for the garden!

I think that in wide open areas these plants can really create havoc. But in my garden, I keep at least one (my butterfly bush) that is listed on the "Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas". I will keep on weeding out invaders that do damage and are a nuisance - like the Garlic Mustard, Japanese Stilt Grass, the Wineberry...

Anyway - I thought it was important to get out of my garden and into some local areas to show some of the "Wildflowers" that are in abundance around here…

Thanks for stopping by!

Wildflower Wednesday July - Natives...

I just realized that I have more pictures of my kids than I do of flowers & plants on my phone camera... Must be doing extra cute stuff this week!



My focus for this Wildflower Wednesday is on my obsession flower of this summer: the Cone Flowers in my garden...



You know... I wonder which (if any) are native or considered a wildflower around here? Hmmm... Had better brush up and become a bit more educated about what I have in the garden… I'm only adding them to this post under the assumption that they are… and you know the saying about assuming - right? Oh well…



One thing is for sure - they are doing great & there are a lot of animals that depend in them for survival (this caterpillar hasn't traveled anywhere for days).



That little white rectangular speck...



A spider... Waiting to catch a meal...



Fungi growing in the mulch at the garden center from the other day... The trip before the last one with Riley...



The "leave money at home take pictures of what you think you want" trip… (ok really, I like to say it was that kind of trip, but I totally forgot my monies at home that morning, and made an impulse trip anyway - there, I admit it…)



That native dwarf joe pyeweed came home with me on the next trip (with Riley)... See it on the far right above? Next to some mountain mint…



This mountain mint must be the most heavenly mint of mints... I smelled it out from 10 feet away at the garden center and had to have it!



Along with some native Switchgrass... (Pink Muhly in the middle...).

If I could get my hands on some Dutchman's Pipe, I would plant that too… So many butterflies around this year! Counted eleven Yellow Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Monarchs, 5 Red Admirals, 4 Black Tiger Swallowtails, a number of Cabbage White butterflies, and skippers a plenty… all within a few minutes…

Did I ever mention I used to help run the local butterfly house when I was in college studying to become an Entomologist? I did… and loved it!
-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone