Strawflowers

I just love the color strawflowers add to the garden!  Maybe one of my favorite annuals.

What is new today in my beds

This is what is new in my beds this week.  My lilies are about to bloom.  I can't wait!

Today is Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt your Flower. Thanks to Tootsie Time. You can check out the others here.

Iris

The Irises are blooming like crazy in my beds right now.  I just love all the color they add.

The Iris was named after the Greek goddess who is considered to be the messenger of love and uses the rainbow to travel. Iris was probably named after the goddess because of the numerous colors it is available in.

The word Iris means rainbow. Irises come in many colors such as blue and purple, white and yellow, pink and orange, brown and red, and even black.

Since Iris is the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages. Therefore the flower iris in the language of flowers symbolizes eloquence.

Based on their color, irises convey varied messages. A purple iris is symbolic of wisdom and compliments. A blue iris symbolizes faith and hope. A yellow iris symbolizes passion while white iris symbolizes purity. A gift of iris can be used to convey many emotions.

I use the sword-like foliage in flower arrangements. It makes a great filler and lasts a long time in a fresh flower arrangement.

Today is Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt your Flower. Thanks to Tootsie Time. You can check out the others here.

I Love Lupine

 I love lupine and I have been trying for years to grow it. It just should not be that hard to grow because I see it growing wild in the road ditches.

This is my 3 year for this plant and the first year it bloomed. I have 2 other plants. One of the other ones is ready to bloom and the flower is a different color. I can’t wait to see what color it will be. The third plant looks like it is not going to bloom this year.

The name of the genus, Lupinus, comes from the Latin word for wolf, lupus. People used to believe the plant “wolfed up” soil nutrients. Turns out that it actually adds nitrogen to the soil through the work of bacteria on its root nodes. Farmers use it as a cover crop to increase field nitrogen levels.

Have you ever seen the Karner Blue Butterfly? It is a gorgeous butterfly. Karner Blues have been on the federal endangered species list since 1992. The only host plant for Karner Blue caterpillars, the wild blue lupine (Lupinus perennis), is declining in numbers, and the population of Karner Blues is declining with them.

Blue lupine leaves are a necessary food source for the caterpillars of the endangered Karner blue butterfly. Named by author Vladimir Nabokov, this insect hatches from eggs laid the previous year on the host plants. After their springtime emergence, they turn into short-lived butterflies that deposit eggs on blue lupines to produce the second generation of the season, according to The Nature Conservancy. These summertime butterflies are the ones that lay the overwintering eggs. To help the Karner blues recover, conservationists are restoring blue lupine habitats.

Here are two great articles about these Karner Blue Butterfly.  

Save the Karner Blue Butterfly

Facts About the Karner Blue Butterfly

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out these other great blogs at A Southern Daydreamer.

Making Dragonflies

My friend, Kathy, at http://glacialridgeknits.blogspot.com/ taught me how to make these cute dragonflies.

 Some of my friends and I got together to make some more.  They are so much fun to make. 

Kitchen Garden

Here are some photos of my kitchen garden.

I finally have my rain barrel up.  I hope we get some more rain to fill it.

Next year I think I will plant herbs on my table.

I received some cool kitchen items from my friend, Rose. I love this jug.

Front yard

 Front yard almost back to normal

 Some little fairy gardens.

Check out the cute gazing ball my friend Rose made me!

Check out the The Fairy Garden CONTEST - 2012 here. There are over 60 great wee wittle gardens!