They are back!

Moving to a new house after being settled in the previous one for 15 plus years isn't exactly easy. My most challenging part was leaving behind an established garden. The backyard had evolved over the years as an inviting place for lots of birds, butterflies and other critters. A few birds even nested in the yard and I would see them feeding their fledglings year after year. A large maple graced one corner of the garden and provided a great niche for shade loving plants, not to mention a nice refuge for birds and squirrels. It broke my heart to leave it all behind. 

However, human nature is unbeatable! My garden buddies reminded me that it is a clean slate now and I could start over. This yard is smaller than my previous one, but planning it has been interesting. Initially, I just got with me the ton of plants that I had meticulously collected over the years, and planted them without too much thought. They needed to be in the ground. They had an advantage that this was  happening at the peak of spring, when the elements cooperate with everything that is trying to grow. 

Soon, I began hearing stories of hummingbirds in the area. I waited for one to show up, and then realized that there was almost nothing yet in the garden to attract them. I do not believe in putting out feeders with sugar water, I like having plants that attract them. I have never had a feeder in my garden. I just have a variety of plants, and a few bird baths. However, this spring, I actually got a feeder in the hope of getting one of those little guys to show up. Nada! No such luck! 

I continued to work in the garden. A mockingbird would often sing nearby and visit the birdbath, and a couple of doves sometimes paid a visit. The plants were growing, and the native self spreading salvias seemed to be everywhere. The cypress vine was growing like crazy and kept trying to smother nearby plants. I worked to keep everything in check. In my mind, these were the best bets to see a hummer in the yard in the fall. A lot of plants that were new this year and had started out as 6 inch babies were growing nicely. 

Somewhere around mid August, I saw a familiar fluttering of wings in one of the bushes. The feeder I had put out in April wasn't there anymore. It was the red flowers! Tube like red flowers are magnets that bring these little fellas. Sure enough, I saw it again, and again! I realized I had a lot of stuff that it liked. Not just the little red salvias and cypress vines. 

Red Salvias are a huge favorite! 

Cape Honeysuckle had been putting out new branches all summer. It was a patch of green. I was wondering if I would see blooms after the small show in spring. As if on cue, bright orange blooms began to appear late August. My little friend had a blast!

I had not realized that Duranta would be an attraction. It sure was! Note the orange pollen on the head from the Cape Honeysuckle flowers. 

By now, I had an inkling that it was turning into a resident of the garden. There are two of them. They have three favorite perches. One is this red mahogany hibiscus bush.

The branch of the rose bush is another place it likes to hang out. Lots of preening and other drama goes on here.

The Okra plant is the other spot it often goes to for the shade it offers, I think. It also snacks on little bugs on all these plants.

It's gotten used to having us around, and lets me sit there on the patio chair with my camera. Sometimes, it hovers in the air five feet from me as if to tease, before it takes off for another meal. This one below is a female. 

What I had completely not imagined was how much it loved this Celosia! It is a favorite haunt. Such a pleasant surprise! I was wondering if I should have it next year, but this tells me that I totally should.

Another surprise was seeing it feed on the Mexican sunflower. It had competition with a Gulf fritillary once, and they solved it amicably.

This one is a male I think. Salvia Amistad is another favorite plant. 

I saw it take a sip from the Indian Basil once. 

The Hibiscus bloom was also tried a couple of times.

It is not easy to get pictures of these fast movers. Some of these pictures are not the best. However, I am trying to document the different plants it has fed on. 

They were also observed on the Turk's Cap bush, the butterfly pea bush, Althea and the blooms of Coleus. I did not have the camera on me at the time.

Meanwhile, other business went on elsewhere in the yard. There were different kinds of dragonflies,  and they love interacting with us when we water plants.

Love is in the air for these two!

A skipper butterfly on the zinnia.

Gulf fritillary butterflies love the passion vine and the Tithonias. They sure get the gold medal for synchronized feeding!

Swallowtails, both Giant and Black, visit often. 

I have identified this pretty yellow one as Southern dogface. Do correct me if I am wrong. 

My friend has rewarded me by making this a place to hang out all day. I love watching it dance around by itself or with buddies. 

Thank you, dear guy! 

Digging up nuggets from the past- A visit to some beautiful gardens

The surreal year 2020 went by, I can't say I was sad seeing it go. Sometime in the first quarter of the year, something that no one saw coming suddenly took centerstage and changed the world forever. COVID- the dreaded word took the world by storm. Everyone's life was disrupted in a strange sort of way. 

2021 rolled in and five months have passed already, and yet some uncertainty remains. People are feeling hopeful that the worst is behind us and may that be true. Things that we always took for granted like meeting friends, eating out, and travel were all severely curtailed or paused until now. Everything is starting back up, and hope the trend continues towards the better. I miss the travel part now, especially after catching up with friends, and dining at our favorite restaurants. I still do not feel like getting into a plane with a mask on, and sitting there for 3-4 hours waiting to get to wherever the destination is. 

So I decided to go through pictures of my vacations from past years. Since gardening has been on my mind for the past couple of months... spring is always such a hopeful season... one of the first albums I visited was of our trip to Vancouver and Victoria, BC. The year was 2012, and two of the many highlights of our trip,  Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver and Butchart Gardens in Victoria made me look at gardens differently! Such delightful places to visit!

Here are a few pictures. The first set are from Queen Elizabeth Park, and the second set from the enchanting Butchart Gardens. 

Fuchsias seemed to love the weather up there! Little bells hanging from the canopy! 

Colorful blooms and foliage lining well manicured lawns..

A clock tower in the park..

 

Close up of Fuchsias.. 

A bronze sculpture in the park, I did not quite get the information on this one. Interesting piece!

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An absolutely breathtaking ferry ride took us from Vancouver to Victoria BC. 

As soon as we got off the ferry, we made our way to The Butchart Gardens. I had heard so much about it and it sure did not disappoint. 

A snail fountain with lilypads lay on one side as we began our much anticipated tour of the gardens. 

We were then greeted by a covered walkway adorned with flowers from hanging baskets. Different kinds of blooms that left one mesmerized. Fuchsias galore, and so many kinds of blooms! 

A big patch of Hydrangeas was next, and those mauve/lavender tones looked very appealing.

We walked along and followed the curving path, never expecting to see this stunningly landscaped garden lying below with stairs leading down to it. 

More Hydrangeas.. 

There is a lot to this garden, many different areas that highlight one thing or another, but I will not share pictures from all those places. That is something to be experienced in person.

Then came an area that were replete with Dahlias! Gorgeous colors and hues of classic blooms and the cactus variety enthralled visitors. Pictures do not do justice to the what one sees actually!

This one is a favorite!

And so is this one! What a perfect creation!

The concentric symmetry is amazing!

Cactus Dahlias.. another hue that is captivating!

These colors, above and below... aren't they just stunning!

We then visited the Japanese Garden... 'Zen' is the only way to describe it!

Something very calming about this garden.... 

The peaceful vibe is so soothing!

As we walked back towards the entrance, a breathtaking English garden lay on one side. 

Some more beautiful vistas made our day!

A charming waterwheel added a prefect element to the garden. An absolute must visit attraction if you visit Victoria BC. 

I hope the world opens up soon!