First Day of Summer's Eve 2012

Below are some images captured the evening before the first day of summer.

The above daylily - Hemerocallis - is of unknown variety. It was purchased from a local hybridizer.

Red Hot Poker, Torch Lily, Tritoma - Kniphofia uvaria
This plant was started from seed some 15 years ago and never moved or divided.

Butterfly bush - Buddleia weyeriana "Honeycomb".
Purchased as a plant via mail order again some 15 years ago and never moved.

Honeysuckle - Lonicer sempervirens "Alabama Crimson".
Purchased as a plant via mail order again some 15 years ago and divided at least once from a self-rooted low hanging branch. Purchased to attract hummingbirds using natural red trumpet shaped flowers, it has worked well doing just that over the last four years.


The 2012 growing season continues in USDA zone 6b.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

First Hummingbird Seen 19403

I was sitting on my patio Fri 18May towards nightfall, around 19:00, when I saw a hummingbird flitting about the honeysuckle. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me.

Hummingbird from a previous year in my neighbor's Campsis

That is the first one seen in 2012. I have only ever seen one at a time in or around my yard for the last three years. I hope I will see more than one at a time this year. Having my camera with me will be good, too.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

May Blossoms

The tulips, crocus, muscari, snow drops, dwarf iris have finished blooming. Here are a few photographs taken within the last few days of currently blooming perennials.

allium

Same allium days later

Oriental Poppies planted by the road. Waiting for the DEA to swoop in

Rescued in NJ from the bulldozer at a Lowe's building site. Not sure, I think they are  Spiderwort

 Salvia officinalis ("common sage"). Wintered over to flower.

 Salvia officinalis ("common sage")

 Salvia officinalis ("common sage")

Hardy Geranium:Wargrave Pink

 Iris

Clematis

Clematis

Honeysuckle:Alabama Crimson. No hummingbirds seen, yet.

Sambucus Black Lace

Hummingbird Attracted by Honeysuckle

I have seen hummingbirds in my garden over the last three years.  The first year I caught site of one in late August.  One is the most I have ever seen at one time.  Last year I saw one earlier than late August and this year I saw a hummingbird in early June.  Every time, except once, the hummingbird was at the honeysuckle vine.  Early this week, I saw a hummingbird at my yellow butterfly bush.  I was wondering if the dry conditions, caused by lack of rain in the last month, had anything to do with that situation.

Today I saw a hummingbird on the side of the house near the honeysuckle trained on a trellis that hides my chimney.  It was darting about as hummingbirds usually do, then perched on the vine for a little while.  I didn't have my camera with me at the time.  The sky was densely overcast and it had been raining heavily for hours.  The sun was also nearing the end of its ride through the heavens and the light level was low for quality photography.  The hummingbird buzzed around a little, perched a little, repeating that activity a few times.  During one of those cycles it flew close to me, seemingly without seeing me.  It did finally notice me when I moved and flew over my neighbors roof around to the west of my backyard and into one of the several Silver Maples there.

I was in and out of the house while grilling some hamburgers for dinner and I checked twice to see if the hummingbird had returned to the honeysuckle.  I caught it out of the corner of my eye the first time I looked.  The second time I checked, it darted away and I didn't see it again for the evening.

photograph from  < http://museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Colibri/En/Hummingbird/The-Life-Of-The-Hummingbird/reproduction.html >

I am beginning to wonder if there is a hummingbird nest in the honeysuckle vine that I can't readily see.  This year when I pruned back the vine on the trellis, I found a robin nest that was built last year that I didn't realize was there.  Could there be a hummingbird nest in the vine.  Their nests are small and I may be looking at it and not recognize it.  I may not find out until I prune again.  

Birds in my Garden

I planted several flowers with the intention of attracting wildlife, specifically, birds and insects.  I have a red honeysuckle, hardy geraniums, lavender, purple coneflowers, verbena, zinnias, Thai basil, sweet basil, sage, buddleja, hydrangea Lacecap, lobelia, lots of daylillies and hostas.  Hummingbirds are attracted to the honeysuckle and the red to blue color petunias.  Gold finch are attracted to the seeds from the purple coneflower.  All the rest attract butterflies and bees/parasitic wasps.

The buddleja aka Butterfly Bush attracts the most butterflies by far with the zinnias running a close second.  The honeysuckle-Alabama Crimson attracts the hummingbirds.  I also have in the garden two bird baths and a hanging sack of black thistle seeds.  The bird baths attract all kinds of birds, some prefer the bath on the ground rather than the one standing 3ft tall.  The baths must be washed and scrubed once per week to remove the dirt.  I also placed a dripping watering device about four inches above the surface of the water on the tall bath to add water daily and to make a sound that the birds may hear the splash.  I placed the standing bath and hung the sack of thistle seeds within three feet of my breakfast room window and the show is almost nonstop.  The black thistle has two gold finch clinging to the sack almost constantly.  You just have to love the color of those birds.  There are house finches in the bird bath that look as though someone dipped them them head first into raspberry juice.

I have photographs of the currently flowering plants just below.  Tell me how you attract wildlife to your garden.

Day Lilly-Hemerocallis

Day Lilly Double-Hemerocallis

Hardy Geranium - Cranesbill

Honeysuckle- Lonicera sempervirens 'Alabama Crimson'

Hydrangea Lacecap

Verbena

Some kind of bee on Thai Basil

Swallowtail Butterfly on Zinnia

Swallowtail Butterfly on Verbena

My neighbor's aggressive Campsis Radicans-Orange

Petunia