06/27/16

Gardens and Friends

Gardens and Friends: A Day in Corrales with Friends and Family and Friends of Friends

Gardens and friends – gardens are such a wonderful gathering spot for family and friends in the summer. Regular readers here know how much I love to visit with the Price family in their Corrales garden, as well as our “photographic expeditions” to various places. We frequently end those travels back at their home and garden. I have rarely shown all the socializing that goes on in that garden and on the deck. Yesterday was a day for being in the garden and visiting with friends and with friends and family of friends. It ended, as it always does, with wonderful food, drink, and conversation in the outdoor garden kitchen.

I always love driving down the little lane to Tim and Laurie’s home – it is so Corrales!

Trumpet Vine on the Lane to Tim and Laurie’s

Once there, it was a time for friendships in the garden and at the table. Nothing more needs be said.

06/23/16

2016 Pollinator Week

2016 Pollinator Week, June 20-26

2016 Pollinator Week is recognized around the world. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators to all living things, whether directly or indirectly, and to encourage planting beneficial to a wide range of pollinators.

Some Native Bees

More information on each of the bees in this image can be found here. More information on pollinators in general and 2016 Pollinator Week can be found at Pollinator Partnership.

Here are just a few of the images I have taken of pollinators over the years. The blue osmia is a little over-represented here, because I only see one day a year, late March or early April. But they are so different and so beautiful, I want you to see them. I stopped spraying my roses and using systemics some years ago, and have seen a marked increase in the pollinators in my yard. I love sunflowers and cosmos for their beauty, ease of care, and the way they attract pollinators ranging from bees through butterflies to hummingbirds. My next-door neighbors are evolutionary biologists who do totally organic gardening, so we have a tiny oasis for pollinators.

: Green bee with pollen, on cosmos

: Bee and Cosmos

: Bee and Cosmos

: Pollen laden bee

06/15/16

Dwarf Peach Bonanza 2016

Dwarf Peach Bonanza, my first one that I had for many years and loved for its early spring blooms, peaches, the beauty of the little tree itself in the growing season, the interesting bare branches in the winter, died in the extreme, brutal cold of February 2011. It had produced and been a joy for many years.

In the fall of 2014, my wonderful neighbors not only gave me a new one, but planted it for me. It bloomed in the spring of 2015, but didn’t produce (late cold). This year the bloom was gorgeous, to no one’s surprise, but it once again got cold late and I was doubting production of any peaches.
I am happy to say the little tree is producing some peaches this year, beautiful little blush covered peaches! I could have thinned them a bit to produce larger peaches, but I really wasn’t looking for peaches after the cold snap. These were something of a delightful surprise.

Dwarf Peach Bonanza 2016

The peaches will be ready to eat before too long. I’ll want to harvest them before the birds get them, but in the brief time before that, the tree and the peaches make wonderful photographic subjects.

Thank you, Rosemary and Burton!

06/9/16

Rose Gold Medal with Butterfly

Rose Gold Medal with Hair Streak Butterfly

The rose ‘Gold Medal’ has long been one of my mother’s favorites. I photographed the rose in her garden near sunset. The hair streak butterfly is from a macro shot taken in friends’ garden on a wonderful day. This image is a composite that brings together people important in my life and two gardens I love.

This image was chosen as the winner in the Judges Class of the 2015 American Rose Society Digital Photography Contest. I thank the special selection committee for that honor of an image that was already important to me for so many reasons.