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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Bees in the garden, and other garden happenings!

Time for another update of my garden and it's blooms!

Here is a bee "doing its thing" on what I call Bee Balm, but Catherine, the gardener says is a variety of a Bachelor Button:

I had a terrifc crop of yellow and purple iris this year!:







A pale, pink Columbine:




Another one of my majestic Iris:






And a hybrid Columbine:





And of course, my lemon lilly:






And, of course: more bees at work!:


It has been quite cold and rainy over the last few days, so it has pushed my poppies flat and has made it miserable to get out to take more photos.
If it is too hot to go outside where you are, or if it is too rainy (like us), I hope these cheerful flowers helped make your day brighter!

38 comments:

Wanda..... said...

We are experiencing very cool weather here in Ohio...My poppies and iris finished over a month ago...your's are beautiful.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Your photos are just amazing! The bees on the Bachelor Buttons are beautiful.

blushing rose said...

Actually, we are drying out from 2 1/2 mns. of unusual rains/moisture. Love the pics. TY for sharing. TTFN ~Marydon

rainfield61 said...

You are having more and more interesting pictures. They really cheer my morning.

Maniacal Mommy said...

It is rainy here too. I have flower envy! But my vegetable garden is loving the rain, even if the kids and I are not.....

Shelley said...

It's rainy and dreary in southeastern Michigan today- so your beautiful flowers certainly brightened MY day!! Gorgeous!!

grannyann said...

they did help. at least it dropped from 105,107 down to 96. beautiful pics

J.J. in L.A. said...

Great pics!

I can't believe it's July 1st and only 83 degrees...it should be 103 degrees.

Uh oh...I think I just jinxed myself.

The Retired One said...

Wanda: you were ahead of us in Ohio with your flowers by almost a month!
Supposedly, we are going to get in the 70's by Friday. We hope so!

Gardener: Thanks, Catherine! If I had your garden with all the butterflies, I would be taking thousands of pictures. ha

Blushing: You are welcome! I would die with 2 1/2 months of rain, I can't take it more than a week here!

Rainfield: Thanks, my friend! Back atcha...I love your pix of the tropics!

Maniacal: I love all the flowers! We planted a small veggie garden this year too...the potato plants are growing an inch a day with this rain!

Shellmo: Thanks! I needed to go out today in the rain just to look at the soggy flowers to cheer ME up too. ha

The Retired One said...

Wanda: you were ahead of us in Ohio with your flowers by almost a month!
Supposedly, we are going to get in the 70's by Friday. We hope so!

Gardener: Thanks, Catherine! If I had your garden with all the butterflies, I would be taking thousands of pictures. ha

Blushing: You are welcome! I would die with 2 1/2 months of rain, I can't take it more than a week here!

Rainfield: Thanks, my friend! Back atcha...I love your pix of the tropics!

Maniacal: I love all the flowers! We planted a small veggie garden this year too...the potato plants are growing an inch a day with this rain!

Shellmo: Thanks! I needed to go out today in the rain just to look at the soggy flowers to cheer ME up too. ha

SquirrelQueen said...

Your flowers are beautiful and the bees are great. I have one batch of lilies that hasn't bloomed yet. So far SE WA is cooler than normal for this time of the year. If it doesn't get as hot as normal that would be ok with me.

Have a great day,
Judy

DJan said...

As usual, wonderful pictures. What amazes me is how connected my olfactory sense is to the visual. I can smell those flowers when I look at the pictures, and they are just luscious. The iris are just thrilling.

Joanna Jenkins said...

The colors and flowers are fabulous. You have an amazing garden!

Insanitykim said...

My internet is working!!

I am getting GREAT pix with my new camera! I can't wait to show you and also take pix of the hummingbirds when we get back to Kentucky!!! Beautiful as always, like the little sig at the bottom, I think you should watermark them too...be back in touch more next week!

Sue said...

Oh, what a ray of sunshine. The photos were wonderful, and come at just the right time. Three days of gloom is starting to wear on me....

Bernie said...

Joan, so breathtaking....your flowers are so colorful, your pictures so clear I could actually sense that bee close by....beautiful my friend, ....:-) Hugs

Rick (Ratty) said...

The flowers have brightened my day. It's been raining here too. I've still been able to get outside for most of this time though. I wait until the rain stops for a short time, and then I sneak to a nature park until it starts up again.

Loree said...

Those irises are just sublime.

Lynn Kellan said...

I'm with you...Too Much Rain!! As usual, your photos cheered me up. I guess rain does have a purpose!

a mouthy irish woman? ridiculous! said...

oh my! beautiful!!!!! the iris are my favorite :)

Unknown said...

OMG, that is the most fantastic photo I've seen as yet! All are fabulous, but that first one is spectacular. Going to see David now...tee hee!

The Retired One said...

SquirrelQueen: Thanks! Some of my lillies haven't bloomed yet either...only my yellow lemon lillies have bloomed. I love all of them.

DJan: I felt the same way when I saw someone else's post with lilacs. Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers, and I bury my face in them an inhale whenever I see some, so when I saw her photos, I swear I could smell them. ha

Joanna: thanks! I love our gardens...I have a few small ones scattered all over our yard. ha

Insanity: Do you know how to watermark them? I don't know if my software program has a way?

Sue: Flower photos always cheer me up too! Glad I could help.

Bernie: Thanks! I hope the bee didn't scare you then. ha

Ratty: You have more determination than me..when it rains I just sulk and stay inside..no hiking for me! ha

Loree: Thanks....bearded iris are some of the most amazing looking flowers to me, too...they look so tropical for the north!

Lynn: Glad they made you smile! Flowers always do that to me, too!~

Mouthy: Thanks so much...I like them ALL..but Irises are special!

Gaston: You are so funny! Yes, let the begging begin...he will for SURE buy you the same camera. (Then you can take closeups of his nose hair to prove how good the zoom is) ha

Anonymous said...

You are getting better and better!!! These are awesome shots! You should make a collage and frame them!

Roshni said...

LOVE the first pic of that furry burry bee!

The Retired One said...

Cathy: Thanks so much! The bees were so busy, I was able to get at least 6 shots of them, but these were the best two.

Roshni: He was furry wasn't he!? It is amazing that the camera can catch the fine detail of the hair on his back...it catches so much that you can't see with your naked eye. Makes me want to photograph the whole world with my zoom and then look again at it for the details. ha

L. D. said...

I really admire your photographs. I would trade you a raspberry pie for that camera of yours. Even, Steven. Oh well. Your flowers look fantastic. I am really a fan of iris. Your's look great

The Retired One said...

L.D.: Thanks so much! I would love a raspberry pie...it is my FAVORITE kind of pie!...but my camera is pretty special to me, too. ha
I love Iris...they have a wonderful fragrance, too!
But there is hardly a flower that I don't like. :-)

david mcmahon said...

Great series of shots.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

These pictures are perfect: nothing to add, nothing to take away!

Merisi said...

You created a true feast for the eyes out of what survived the misery of the heavy rains!

Congratulations on David's POTD award! :-)

Sandi McBride said...

Congrats on Post of the Day mention!
My iris are all gone, a pleasure to share yours!
Sandi

Jientje said...

Beautiful pictures!!

I came over through David McMahon's post of the day. Congratulations! Much deserved!

Cheffie-Mom said...

Your photos are beautiful! Congrats on the Post of the Day mention!

The Retired One said...

David: Thanks so much! I just learned through other folks that you listed my blog as a blog of the day. I am honored and flattered. Thank you SO much!

Tatyana: thanks!

Merisi: Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! Please join on as a Follower, I would love that. I stopped by your blog this morning and have added it on as a Favorite daily read on my blog now too.

Sandi: You are also new to my blog, no? I also stopped by your blog...loved the cat story! I added you on as a Favorite..hope you will do the same and add on to my blog?

Jientje: I stopped by your blog, too...loved the little bird pictures! I added you on as a Favorite to read everyday....hope you joined onto my blog as a Follower, too! It will be such fun commenting on each other's photos!

Brian Miller said...

your photos are pretty amazing. the one with the bee is way cool. the mix of colors and the playfulness. primo. congrats on the POTD mention!

have a great weekend!

♥ Boomer ♥ said...

Just GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!

The Retired One said...

CheffieMom: Thanks so much...it is so nice of you to stop by my blog! If you like it, please join on as a regular Follower, I would love that!

Brian: Thanks so much for popping over to my blog to check out the photos. Hope you stop by again and join on as a Follower. I liked your extra-oridinary last post...I put myself as a Follower on your blog.

The Retired One said...

Boomer: Thanks so much! I hope you join on my blog as a Follower...I will visit your blog soon , too!

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REMINDER: All photographs on this blog are COPYRIGHTED.
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I retired in June 2008 and started my blog in November 2008. I worked at several jobs as a Registered Nurse prior to retirement. I LOVE being retired! Blogging has offered me a whole new venue to start writing again and to share new hobbies such as gardening, birdwatching and sharing my nature photography. If you like my blog, PLEASE click on "follow this blog". Having a lot of followers reading my blog gives me incentive to continue to do photography and to continue to write. I also LOVE comments, so I encourage you to leave me a comment after you read my posts. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read me!!

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