07/8/15

Sunflowers and Birds

Sunflowers and birds of all kinds go together naturally and beautifully. Several years ago some “volunteers” came up from the seeds I had been feeding. The birds loved the fresh seeds that formed when those flowers finished blooming! The goldfinches preferred them over the expensive nyger seed. The house finches love them, and the doves hang around under the flowers waiting for the other birds to drop an occasional seed. Since that first year of volunteers, I plant sunflowers each year. Although I always intend to plant them right after average frost-free date, some years I don’t get them planted until mid-summer, giving me and the birds flowers and seeds in the autumn. This year I got them planted early, and the flowers have peaked and the birds are enjoying the seeds. Within the next couple of weeks I’ll be removing the spent ones, and resowing seeds for a second bloom in fall. While this past Fourth of July weekend was an extremely busy one, I did make time to relax one afternoon and photograph some of the birds enjoying the sunflower seeds.

sunflowers and goldfinch

Male Goldfinch

Sunflowers and Birds

Male Goldfinch

sunflowers and birds

Male Goldfinch Taking Flight

Sunflowers and Birds

Male Goldfinch

Sunflowers and Birds

Male and Female Goldfinches

sunflowers and birds

Male and Female Goldfinches

02/14/15
cosmos summer flower

Summer Flowers

It Is Not Too Early to Dream of Summer Flowers

Summer Flowers – such a wide range of vivid colors with which to paint a landscape – or a container or two. These flowers are a reminder of summer. Here in the Southwest, we have had an exceptionally mild winter. This collection is especially for my friends in the Northeast, caught in the seemingly Winter of Endless Snow! Although the winter here has been mild, I’m ready for some summer flowers, too! 🙂

The flowers of summer shown here are easy to grow, and most attract butterflies and bees. Some are annuals, some are perennials, but all bring beauty. I always grow some of these, even though I grow more roses than anything else. Variety is good! Some of these are from my yard, some are from the home of friends Tim and Laurie, and some are from the Albuquerque BioPark.

summer flower cosmos

Cosmos, Fibonacci Sequence

summer flowers

Fibonacci Sequence, Dahlia

ranunculus spring flower

Ranunculus, Fibonacci Sequence

summer flower sunflower

Sunflower, Fibonacci Sequence

summer flowers

Mexican Sunflower

summer flowers brown-eyed Susan

Brown-eyed Susan

summer flowers echinacea

Echinacea