It's another SkyWatch Friday. This photo was taken in Byron, Illinois. The Rock River flows through the heart of this rural community creating a very picturesque setting. I was sitting in the city park eating a chicken dinner from a local restaurant when I took this photo.
Please click on this SkyWatch link to view hundreds of beautiful skies across the planet.
I wanted to add some garden related stuff to the post. I have been procrastinating about this 'shrub' since Mary Lu first showed it to us in 2005. Next spring I am definitely going to order it. It's called Lespedeza thunbergii , or bush clover. There are several cultivars but I've decided on Pink Fountains. Lespedeza is a member of the pea family. It dies back almost to the ground after a hard freeze and regrows quickly every spring. They are hardy to zone 5 and very drought tolerant. Because they die back, it is usually recommended that underplanting with early spring bulbs is a good option. The lespedeza will fill in the bare areas left when the bulbs die back.
Please be sure to visit the link below to see some eye popping photos. The GardenWeb thread talks a little about the shrub, but halfway down are Mary Lu's photos. I love that graceful fountain shape, lovely even before bloom. I especailly love the fact that it is drought tolerant and needs little or no care or fertilizing. Pink Fountain is also supposed to be attractive to butterflies. It reminds me a little of the old fashioned spirea 'Bridle Wreath'.
52 comments:
Beautiful photo and what a perfect setting for dinner in the park!
The Lespedeza is beautiful. It looks like it has nice manners and keeps itself in a nice tidy mound. It reminds me a lot of Mexican Heather that we have here.
I LOVED your pic of the sunset on the Rock River. I grew on the Rock and Mississippi River. I can't tell you all the fishing expeditions we had in Blackhawk Park on the bluffs overlooking the Rock. This is the time of year that I miss it most with the changing leaf color. Those that have never been up to the north country have no idea how vibrant it is. Thanks for letting me visit "home" for a moment.
Jenny
First time visiting here.
Very warm photos.
Hi Beadedtail, yes it was a beautiful spot. I had taken a scenic drive and was coming home. Nice day.
Marnie
Hi Jenny, Quad Cities? Cross your fingers for us, our legislature is trying to close several parks along the Rock. Too Expensive.
Marnie
Whatloknows, thank you for coming and for leaving a comment.
Marnie
Marnie,
I have just had a lovely visit here. The bird photos, oh, the Cat Bird singing his heart out was 'heart breaking' wonderful! Another beautiful sky shot. I do like the the Lespedeza and shall look for it . I am off to view the linkphotos! Thanks, Gail
BEAUTIFUL photo!!
Take care.
Your shrub is pretty. Your sky is pretty. But I LOVE the water in the sky photo. The movement and reflections are wonderful. Nice captures!
love that sun sneaking down behind the mountain!
Beautiful photo. Nice colors and sunset.
Nice flowers.
What a picturesque way to eat your dinner Marnie. Nice shot. The shape of the Lespedeza is gorgeous. I'm not familiar with this shrub so I'm going to click on your link and check it out.
Sunsets are so beautiful! And we get a new one every evening.
The first picture is not showing for me. You might want to check on it.
Stunning photo and taking at the perfect time, which is important for a sunset! Thanks for the visit
Wonderful SWF. Well composed and great color :-)
Gorgeous sunset!!!
That plant really sounds like a winner with the drought tolerance and the little or no care. The perfect plant for a lazy person (that would be me)
I could not open the 1st photo, but I sure like the 2nd one.
I also like the photographs you have placed on your right sidebar.
Thanks for the info on lespedeza. I've been seeing it on all the blogs. I do not have it. When my friend Debbie and I went to the Perennial Plant Society, she won a door prize. Would you guess what it was? Lespedeza 'Gibraltar'. A beautiful sub shrub and pink in bloom. She was hooked. I'll let her know about this post and send her a link. Thanks Marnie!
Lovely apot. I'll bet it's very pretty in winter too (hint hint)
What a beautiful spot for a bit of dinner and a peaceful moment.
A couple of the photos never came up for me...but I did see the photo of the sun going down over the river. What a great photo! Happy Sky Watch!
I can't see the first picture. I dont know why. Love the sunset shot. Perfect.
What a beautiful sunset view!
Also, I loved the Lespedeza shrub. I had never seen it before. Very pretty.
Beautiful sky photo! I love the Lespedeza shrub, beautiful pink blooms. The mounding habit & flush of flowers make it a great addition to the garden.
What a neat photo of the river. The first shot didn't load.
Not to publish / I join a Meme on Sunday afternoon called Today's Flowers out of Brazil. You should think of joining with your grat flower shots. You can find the link on my site.
Absolutely stunning!
Beautiful photos would be nice to sit there and watch the sun.
Marnie, I love the skyWatch photo-so serene looking. What ever your 1st picture is simply won't show up for me. I have tried several times. I went to your link about the Lespedeza and WOW! What a beautiful plant. Another one for my wish list. I can see it in a couple of places here. Just a glorious shape and size. Yhnaks for the info on it!
Beautiful sunset with light reflecting off the water. The first photo is not loading even though I refreshed the page 4 times. I see you love collies. I do too. I used to raise them years ago. Now we have a small dog but I still miss my collies. Thank you for visiting my blog.
I am glad you dined al fresco and got this shot! Beautiful.
With a view like that, I'm sure you enjoyed your chicken dinner!
you have a beautiful sunset photo! it's a very romantic place and love the color..
Cool Photos! Happy SWF
Your first picture isn't showing up for me. I followed your link to other pictures of the Lespedeza - I had no idea it could be so huge! I'm always looking for drought tolerant plants to put in areas that are out of reach of the hose and are hard to haul water to.
Hi everyone. Thanks for you kind comments on the sunset photo. I love photographing our lovely midwest skies and SkyWatch gives us a chance to share our pictues.
The empty box wasn't a photo. Some kind of Blogger apparition;) I don't know what caused it or how to get rid of it. Sorry for the trouble it might have caused you.
I got the second photo but not the first....beautiful sunset! That shrub is lovely.
Beautiful! The splendor of creation reflects the Creator.... thanks for sharing....
cielo
Hmmm...that river looks familiar. Love the photo.
Marnie .. I'm late getting here to see that gorgeous skywatch picture .. how amazing is that ? .. and to be having dinner while watching such a glorious sunset. Beautiful picture !
Joy : )
Your photos are beautiful and the helpful information that you have provided will be a great tool. I still need work on my photoshop type programs. I am limited in my abilities with these and learn through trial and error. I'll shall be adding you to my list of blogs that I follow.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the kind words that you left. My passion for photography is deep enough that all I need to get my BFA in Photography is to go back and take all of the beginning art classes. I am contemplating this but probably not for a couple of years when I can afford it.
That sunset is poster quality! It looks like you were in a remote area.
I tried that program you recommended on a recent post to see if it offered anything I'm not using now. Thanks for the suggestion.
I can't see the first photo. But the second one is just wonderful.
Have a nice weekend:)
You could have been eating a PB & J and it would have tasted divine with a view like that, Marnie!
I checked out the Lespedeza photos--it is a beautiful bush! I've never even heard of it before, but I am going to check it out now.
I have both the white and the purple lespedeza and they are carefree plants. Mine is a bit larger than I'd like but I've never researched pruning it.
Thanks for identifying my vine! :)
Your post is really nice, Marnie.
And good luck with your cat. I hope it all works out and you can weather this storm coming without too much agony. I know we still miss Autumn.
Finger-lickin' good pics, Marnie! That lespedeza looks and sounds like a wonderful plant. Even the name is intriguing. I'm for anything that requires limited watering. Hope you're having a great weekend!
Couldn't view the first capture..but the rest are gorgeous...beautiful sky, and love the shrub, I'm pretty sure we can grow a plant by the name thumbergia, but not to shrub form..
Happy sky~watching, & Happy gardening!:)
Cat
What a beautiful sky...
I love the simplicity and magnificence of this photo!
Thanks for your comment over at DriveBy Photos, sorry I was so late to drop by.
I see that you have been very busy publishing great pictures while I was absent, they are really beautiful. Now that I'm back I hope to publish regularly again.
The sun on the water is gorgeous!
Like others I can't see the first image.
Beautiful blog.
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