May Beauties, i.e., Backyard Flowers

I couldn’t help myself…had to go out in the backyard this morning to photograph some of the beautiful new May flowers. The daffodils and tulips are all gone, but some new beauties have sprouted up instead.

An azalea bursting forth

Some blooming lilacs

A single violet next to the shed

Pink azaleas facing the morning sun

These azaleas are white with speckles of pink.

Pretty Lily Pads

The lily pads (water lilies) in our backyard pond have been so pretty lately. They seem to change their appearance constantly, depending on the angle and intensity of the sun. I thought I’d share a few photos.

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Blooming Along the Fence

Flowers and fences just naturally seem to go together. These pink blooms are from a rose of sharon bush that grows alongside the neighbor’s picket fence. In the few days since I took this photo, the bush has exploded with even more blossoms. A rose of sharon bush with white flowers grows right next to this one.

Visit Life According to Jan and Jer to see more Friday’s Fences photos.

Friday’s Fences – Purple Coneflowers

I spotted these purple coneflowers (echinacea) growing alongside a split rail fence in a nearby park. Since these are one of my favorite wildflowers I had to take a photo. Visit Life According to Jan and Jer to see more Friday’s Fences photos.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Close

Not only have these two tree trunks grown closely together, side-by-side, but they have mimicked the curves and bends of each other. It almost looks like they are doing some kind of arboreal dance! This photo was taken along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in New Jersey. See other photo interpretations of the “Close” theme at: Weekly Photo Challenge.

Flowers are Blooming All Around the Yard

Everything seems to be blooming at once. Thought I’d share a few photos of flowers that have bloomed this week in our yard.

Gorgeous daylily. A friend had given us a few to transplant and this is the result.

The snowball bush is just starting to flower. (Or is it hydrangea? But I thought they had smoother-edged leaves.)

The butterfly bush is stretching out in the late afternoon sun. Looking forward to seeing what creatures it attracts.

Hope to see some hummingbirds on the trumpet flowers.

Man-Made Objects Masquerading As Trees and Flowers

You can't miss this "tree" that towers above all the other trees.

It looks fake!

Have you ever seen a super-sized tree of unnatural height that looks completely out of place? It towers high above all the other trees near it. Although it’s trying to fit in, it sticks out like a sore thumb and calls attention to itself. You won’t find this tree in a field guide. I’m referring to cell phone towers that are masquerading as trees.

The first time I saw one of these tree towers, I was dumbfounded. The shape was unnatural and completely disproportionate. The branches were awkwardly positioned. These “trees” are reminiscent of a worn-out, artificial Christmas decoration that should be kept unopened in the corner of someone’s attic. I admire the attempt to blend in a man-made object with the natural surroundings, but I think these pseudo-trees don’t look very real. Who knows though? Maybe the birds like the extra-high vantage point.

A flowering utility box.

Nice pattern, but very distracting.

Decorated utility boxes are another man-made object demanding our attention. They don’t blend in with the natural environment because they are painted with loud, brightly-colored flowers or other abstract art. When I’m negotiating a busy intersection, I find it unnerving to see a large, psychedelic-colored ‘tissue box’ out of the corner of my eye. Your brain is forced to try to decipher the meaning of the artwork, instead of observing the traffic signal and watching out for pedestrians. Although they can be pretty, these elaborately painted utility boxes distract me and scream for my attention in Technicolor. If kept their normal shade of silver-gray, they wouldn’t really be noticeable. To be fair, the use of bright colors is probably a deterrent to graffiti and the boxes do give local artists a canvas for expression.

So, what do you think about cell phone towers masquerading as “trees” and larger than life “flowers” on utility boxes? Do these decorated man-made objects do a good job blending into the environment or do they look fake and unnatural to you?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast

Everything was very brown and muddy as I was walking along the bank of a little stream. All around there were only dead leaves, sticks and muddy debris, except for this little spot of color.  The bright green leaf of the skunk cabbage vividly stood out; it was such contrast from everything else surrounding it.

The Amazing Butterfly Bush That I Didn’t Want

First snow of the year covers the butterfly bush

I am amazed by the amount of little visitors our butterfly bush has attracted to our backyard this past summer and autumn. Even though we are having our first snow today, our backyard butterfly bush, or formally  buddleja, still has a few purple flowers on it. It’s definitely aptly named because monarchs, swallowtails, cabbage, and morning cloak butterflies have frequented the purple flowers this season; even an occasional hummingbird has gotten a snack at the bush. I’ve been enjoying it so much it’s hard to believe I was not happy when my husband first planted the bush about two years ago. It’s not that I have anything against butterfly bushes. It’s just that when he first planted the bush it was not only small and scrawny, but it was also planted in a horrible spot! In my opinion, the best location for a new bush in the backyard was not immediately off our deck stairs, in the middle of a path. The position forces you to squeeze around the sides of the butterfly bush in order to go near the bird feeders or access the shed. I do not like having to squeeze around the butterfly bush because this instantly puts me on spider alert! Now that the bush has grown much larger, you have to squeeze around it even more. Thankfully, my wonderful husband (he added that, although I agree) has trimmed it in such a way that passing by isn’t too bad. Despite its location, I have to admit that I now have a new opinion about our butterfly bush. Even though I still have to squeeze around it somewhat, I really enjoy it. Our butterfly bush has grown so beautifully and attracts so many amazing butterflies, I’ve forgotten that at first I didn’t want it.  Comments?

I Like Daisies

My father-in-law left the patches of wild daisies uncut.

Some people consider them weeds, but I’ve always liked daisies. Compared to other backyard flowers like pansies or tulips, they seem plain — which is probably why they appeal to me. One of my favorite gardens was adjacent to the garage of our old house. It contained white daisies with purple coneflowers and black-eyed susans. That area became our literal butterfly magnet. I’m not the only one in the family who likes daisies. My father-in-law would mow his grass, intentionally leaving the patches of wild daisies uncut. Once, on the way to “Nana’s” home in northeastern Pennsylvania, my husband and I stopped to pick daisies that were growing alongside the road past Ricketts Glen State Park. We presented Nana with the bouquet and she was thrilled. Years before, when planning our wedding, I wanted daisies as part of my bridal bouquet. The florist attempted to talk me out of it. She suggested I consider something more regal (i.e., more expensive or more accepted) like roses. Can flowers be politically correct? After realizing I wasn’t changing my mind, she strongly recommended only using daisies in the bridesmaids’ arrangements. That did not happen; on the day of the wedding bride and bridesmaids alike carried bouquets containing daisies. Comments?