Rainy Day Garden Stroll

My Garden stroll started early this morning when there was a break from the rain. I let my dogs outside and turned to look at my garden but instead was attracted to the glittering spider web below . The web was covered in little water droplets. I just had to run inside for my camera to capture this moment.

The spider web sparked my interest this morning to walk through my gardens futher and see what other beautiful things the rain created.
Above are two late blooming Hemerocallis (Daylilies). The first is Autumn Blaze and the second is Autumn Prince. Both are putting on a great September show now that the rest of my daylilies have died down.
Here is a great looking plant called Guara. This plant is so pretty because it resembles a fountain even after a heavy rain. It has been blooming all summer and never took a break. It looked so beautiful this morning.

Here are some beautiful coneflowers putting on a late show this rainy fall morning.

This lavender is a newer plant so it has only a few blooms but what beautiful blooms they are.

This rudbeckia is still holding on with a few blooms.

This is a late blooming plant with the common name turtle head. This part shade loving plant adds some much needed color to my hosta garden in the fall.

Mums, an all time great plant to add a splash of color to those colorless daylily beds in the fall. This hardy mum was planted last year and came back much larger this year.

I can't take credit for this sedum. My grandfather planted it in this pot many years ago. It adds some beauty and style to the end of my driveway this time of year.

Fruits of my labor

This is the first time I attempted to grow more than just cherry tomatoes. I have quite a good crop for just a small vegetable garden. Above is what I picked today. Pickling cucumbers, beef steak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, hot banana peppers, cayenne pepper, thumbelina carrots and okra.

Beef Steak Tomatoes

Key lime

Spineless Okra

Cayenne pepper

Some frequent guests in my garden.

Now that all my Buddleia are in full bloom I have some very frequent guests.

My dwarf pink being their top choice. Although they sample a bit of everything else as they visit.

Monarch Butterfly on a Buddleia.

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on a Buddleia.

I think this may be a honey bee, if it is, then they are alive and well in my garden this year. This picture is a bit blurry because this little bee wouldn't stop moving.

A little Skipper butterfly loving my hydrangea. I don't know how I got this shot. They are such quick little butterflies.

I'm not sure what type of bee this is but he was happy going from flower to flower on my Rudbeckia.

A little lady bug hanging out on my hibiscus plant and hopefully keeping away intruders.

A Black Swallowtail Caterpillar having a snack on some parsley. I'm hoping it stays and makes a chrysalis in my herb garden.

A cool dragon fly has been visiting a lot. This was my first chance to get a snapshot.

To see their closeups just click on the picture. I learned this from Nichole's blog. :)

Something New...

I never thought I could put together an arrangement but I tried this sunday for my local flower clubs daylily show.

The theme was 'Through the Looking Glass'.

Flowers I used: Two different Hemerocallis (Unregistered Seedling ' Bob's Summer Blaze' R. Kann and a small unknown red), Campanula rotundifolia, Hosta and Hydrangea.

Here is a close up of the most predominant flower in the arrangement. Garden name, 'Bob's Summer Blaze'.

What I learned:

1. Keep it simple.

2. Make sure you have all the stems in the floral foam. ( I had a couple wilters)

All in all, I had fun and will probably take what I learned and enter again next year.

These are a few of my favorite things.

Echinacea 'Green Envy'

Pink Buddleia and a Monarch Butterfly

Hemerocallis 'Spider Miracle' and a Bee.

What a Beautiful Garden.

The Ramsden Garden

I am a big fan of frogs and daylilies, what a great combination.

Blueberry Breakfast

Nivia Guest
This garden seemed to just go on and on.
Just a cool gun slinger by some topguns daylilies. How clever.


Here are a few of their neighbors.

It was a very hot day but there were plenty of refreshments and a few cool shady spots in the yard. It was well worth the trip. This has to be my all time favorite garden. I almost forgot we were still on LI.

Day two of the LIDS Daylily tours.

On Sunday July 13th we visited gardens in Nassau County.

The first stop was in Bethpage. Here were two of my favorites.

Fancy Face

Raspberries in Cream

The second stop was in Roslyn and there were so many beautiful varieties.

Here were just a few of my favorites.

Christmas In Oz

Dances with Giraffes

Princess Diana

Sandra's Smile (Limmer)

The last stop was in Syosset and just like the others there were so many beautiful daylilies. I took a photo of one of the many flower beds.

Very giant Hosta.

Another shot of one of the flower beds with some beautiful hosta, ornamental grass, a hydrangea, a daylily and a pot filled with annuals. It just looked so pretty.

By sunday night I was exhausted but looking at so many gardens was just so much fun.

Day one of the 2008 LIDS Garden tours

On Saturday July 12. Nichole and I went out East for the first half of the LIDS daylily garden tours. We got an early start, about 7am and made a stop on the way at a nursery called Eastland. I ended up with Spider Miracle. A very cool yellow daylily.

Meeting up with my Mom, Bob and some friends, we then all started our very first LIDS Daylily tour.

Our first stop - The Bucklin Garden

Gary's Big Blue

Paris OverturesTrahlyta
A stop at a nearby pond.

Second on the tour - The Schwarz Garden

Very cool art.

Long Tall Sally

Very pretty Schwarz Seedling

Another beautiful Schwarz Seedling

Last Stop - The Neumann Garden

What a beautiful view, if this was my back yard I would never leave home.

This one had quite a few of us drooling.

Rosy Outlook

Mynelle's Starfish

Jeanne Fitton (Rasmussen)

King George ( Rasmussen)

Group Shot

One last picture.

A final bloom of Pat Neumann

The kind of duck that won't scare Nichole, but almost caused me to drive off the road. She was very excited to see the giant duck in person.

The day was exhausting but well worth it.