Delusions of... Everything

Waterlilies

Our pond has been an endless place of enjoyment.  The plant life around the area is growing in beautifully.  I've seen red, black and white striped and brown dragonflies and all kinds of birds bathing the flat area right before the waterfall.  I'm still axiously awaiting a frog or two to join in.

In early spring we purchased two dwarf waterlilies, dwarf because our pond is small.  It seemed like they would never grow, but once it warmed up they took off.  The pink one, pictured below has already bloomed, we are still waiting on the yellow one.  Hopefully I'll have pictures of that one in bloom soon.

We had two flowers blooming at the same time, one was a little faster to bloom than the other!

The bud:

The next day, just starting to open!

Two days later all the way open and so very pretty!

Fuchsia

Each year I try wintering over my Fuchsias and each year I fail.  This means each year I have to buy new Fuchsia plants to hang.  Any advice anyone has on wintering over would be appreciated!  I sure think they're pretty!

The first four shots I took with the zoom lens.  I had seen a hummingbird, ran for my camera, changed lenses and sat down to wait for it to come back... It never did, but I took some pictures anyway.

These next three were taken on a different day using the love of my life macro lens.

It's bordering on obnoxious how much I enjoy using that macro lens!

Drops of Water

We've had some much needed rain the past couple of days.  I was outside taking pictures of a waterlily bud in a partially open stage to post in a few days when it's all the way bloomed and I noticed drops of water on everything and took some shots.

I took this one, because who doesn't like bubbles?!

Happy Monday!

Sarracenia

When we put the pond in Handy Man had all kinds of ideas for interesting plants, pond/bog type plants.  One of them was the Pitcher Plant, which I had never seen before.  It's proven to be a very interesting plant.  I took the following pictures about a month ago.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a post, with pictures, of a insect that spent a few hours sitting on top of one of the plants dying flowers.

• Sarracenia, from the Latin
• purpurea, from the Latin, "purple"
• Common Name, from the unusual shape of the leaf and its capacity for holding water.  Common Pitcher Plant, Purple Pitcher-Plant, Flytrap, Sidesaddle Plant, Huntsman's Cup, Frog's Britches

• Leaves evergreen, modified into pitchers and arranged in a rosette. Pitchers curved and decumbent, to 17" and widening prominently toward the mouth. Hood on the pitcher positioned vertically; the pitcher usually being full or partly full of rainwater. Leaf color from bright yellow-green to dark purple and most commonly a middle variation with strong red venation. The leaves, or pitchers, are produced each year from stems arising from the rhizomes and remain evergreen unless unduly exposed.
• The leaf edges have curled around and fused to form a liquid-holding vessel, similar in shape to a cornucopia. The leaves grow from a basal rosette and a "keel" provides structural reinforcement to each leaf so that the opening is always upright. The modified leaves perform the task of taking in nutrients required for photosynthesis.

• Insects are attracted to the colorful leaf rosettes that resemble flowers; the red lip of the "pitcher" is particularly attractive as a landing zone. Red veins that lead downward are baited with nectar. Following this lure, prey reach the curve of the tube, which is lined with fine hairs, all pointing downward. The animal falls into the pitcher, which contains rain, dew, and a digestive enzyme that soon dissolves the victim.
• Classified as carnivorous rather than insectivorous because consumption includes not only insects but also isopods, mites, spiders, and the occasional small frog. While a diet of meat helps the plants remain vigorous, grow larger, and produce more flowers, it does not appear essential for the survival of individual plants. This unusual life style has evolved as a means of obtaining nutrients in places otherwise deficient in them. In addition to phosphorus and nitrogen, pitcher plants obtain vitamins and other trace minerals from their prey.

Flower petals, sepals, and bracts rose pink to dark red. Flowers solitary, on a leafless stem, 1'-2', arising from the rhizome.

The following pictures of the flowers were taken 10 days later.

All plant information used from this website.

White in the Garden

This plant came up in a very annoying spot, next to the stairs leading to the back yard from the parking area.  It's sticking out into the walking area.  For some reason neither Handy Man or I ever pulled it out.  Then it bloomed and I was very glad we didn't pull it out.  If anyone can identify it I would be most grateful. 

I took all these at around 5:45 am, so the light was a little low.  I played around with my settings setting the ISO to 800 and opening the aperture as wide as I could, which isn't too wide on the macro lens I have.

Here is more white in the garden...

Can you see the little bugs?!

Wait!  How did that ant get in the picture?  And what's all the black spots all over the flowers?!

Purple

The Rhododendron

Coast Rhododendron
Rhododendron macrophyllum

"In 1892, before they had the right to vote, Washington women selected the coast rhododendron as the state flower. They wanted an official flower to enter in a floral exhibit at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Six flowers were considered, but the final decision was narrowed to clover and the "rhodie," and voting booths were set up for ladies throughout the state. When the ballots were counted, the rhododendron had been chosen as the Washington state flower." (info from here)

Venus Fly Trap

When Handy Man was shopping for fish at the pond store last summer he brought home a little Venus Fly Trap.

He recently transplanted it to a larger pot and it started thriving, even sprouting a flower bud.

I had no idea these plants flowered or could even stay alive.  I had one when I was a kid and it didn't live very long, Handy Man must be doing something right.