Garden Monarch Butterfly Echinacea Daisy

It was a busy day here with all the Butterflies and Bees buzzing around. Photos of my first Monarch Butterfly this year. It finally flew away as I followed it around trying to get a better photo of the wing spread

They are so beautiful and bright you can hardly miss them, which is a good thing. I love to watch them.

They are sure loving the Echinacea this year. This was a bonus shot with the bee on another flower.

The Daisies are blooming away. The height of the Daisies and Echinacea are huge this year. My Echinacea are atleast 5 foot tall. My Weigela shrubs have all but disappeared in there. I'm assuming this is from all the rain and hoping that I don't get quite this much height every year or that my Weigela starts growing some. Hope you all have a nice July 4th weekend.

Garden Hydrangea Echinacea Daisy Views

The gardens are growing and doing well with all the rain we've had. So far I've only needed to water a few times thankfully. Of course usually I don't  need to water until on into July, but with the heat spells we've had between the rain, I had to since the plants were so tender yet. Here's some of the long views of my gardens.

The left side of my yard.

The beginning of this side of the gardens.

The Echinacea and Daisy garden really opening up now. That yellow flower towards the left is my new Coreopsis Sunray blooming already. Just had to have it with that name.

One of my Hydrangea Quickfire has buds opening now. Happy gardening to all of you.

Garden Hostas Echinacea Daylily Lilies Morarda

It's hot enough out that I am watering the flowers today. Even got the grass mowed as they are saying rain for some days to come. Figured I would do a few photos while out there.

The left side of my yard half way down. Shows mostly some of my Hostas here.

Monarda Petite Wonder starting to bloom. This may be petite but it smells as wonderful as it's larger cousins.

Atleast the Peach Daylilies look peach today.

Stella de oro Daylily with Red Lillies on each side just starting to open. Love the combination of the colors together.

Echinacea are really opening up now with hundreds of buds interspersed in there as well as with the Daisies. Have a great weekend.

Garden Coreopsis Daylily Yarrow Coneflowers

Some shots of a few of the blooms going on here. Weather has been a little better this week. Doesn't look like it's here for long and back to the heatwave. 

Coreopsis Moonbeam, always does well here and once it starts blooming it doesn't stop until after the snows. I keep this in several places in the yard. Can't believe the height it got this year but most people are saying their plants grew taller than usual with the amount of rain we've had.

A peach daylily. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot of how pretty this is with the deeper colored centers with the sun where it was.

A closer shot of the Yarrow. Have this several places also, but I noticed this one is so dense it will need split up next Spring.

Numerous blooms opening up in the Coneflower and Daisy bed. This should be a riot of color soon since I have numerous types of Coneflowers here. Just added a Coreopsis Sunray to the center front there and notice it's leaning some. Will go out and stake it up for now. Have a nice day.

Garden Hostas Butterfly Weed Astilbe

The stifling heat has continued but we are to cool off some this week. What a welcome relief.

The Butterfly Weed is in full bloom and the Daisys to the left are ready to burst into bloom.

 Hosta Inniswood is blooming.

Hosta Frances Williams blooming.

Atilbe blooming away.

Hydrangea Forever and Ever. Bloom starting. I've never been happy with the two of these I have. They die back in winter here and start over at the root in Spring. Believe these are going to be dug up this fall and let my brother put them out on his farm. The few flowers they get are pretty but there is so many good things out there for me to waste room on something with so little return.

Gardens Pine Sambucus Coneflower Daylily

This weather has sure been different. I did a lot of transplanting of my Lavender last week and went into the 90's the following day so it's burning up. Will plant a few others to take their place if they don't recover soon. Here is what is going on now.

Pinus S. Glauca Nana in full flush of new growth with some Hosta, Mums and Heuchera.

Daylily Stella de Oro in first bloom for the year.

Coneflower Ruby Star had it's first bloom June 1st. This was a first for me here this early.

Orange Butterfly Weed opening up a lot now.

Red Scabiosa blooming. I love the flowers but don't really care for the long stems.

Yarrow really lightening up to white now.

I had to show my Sambucus Black Lace again to show how white these flower heads have gotten in just this last week. I love this shrub and for those that can't have Japanese Maple or maybe don't want a tree because of height, this is a fabulous alternative to one. Once established they grow really fast. 2 winters ago something had gotten in my yard and ate it down to 2 little sticks. Had to be rabbits but can't figure out how they got in with my privacy fence. Well it's made up for it now. Pruned it back this year to let it fill out and it is definitely doing that. Expect it will be up to the height of the fence shortly. Enjoy your day.

Garden Sambucus Black Lace Ninebark Center Glow

My flowering shrubs have been putting on quite the show this year. Even with the damages of the recent storms, they keep putting out their blooms.

This beauty is Sambucus Black Lace. The flower heads are beautiful. The recent storms I lost a branch on the left or there would be more blooms there.

This is Ninebark Center Glow. Very similar to my Diablo, but the new leaves start out with a little gold in the center and the interesting thing is the blooms are almost red they are so deep in color.

This is as good a shot as I could get of this tiny Columbine. I am just not thrilled with this black selection and if it doesn't perform better next year it will have to go. Let's hope this 90 degree weather in May is not what we can expect all the time this summer.