A good friend gets up with you at 6am and follows you out to the garden just to keep you company.
Everything looks better with moonbeams.
One of my favorite garden plants is Moonbeam coreopsis. I like its short height and long blooming period to cover bare spots and hide the ugly ankles of taller plants. It blooms over such a long period that it can be counted on to keep the garden interesting while other plants come into and go out of bloom.
Don't know what's up with this aster. Last year it bloomed in September.
Thank goodness for telephoto lenses! Who would want to get down eye to eye with this fellow to get a good closeup.
Yesterday one of his tiny relatives jumped under my foot as I steped down onto the walkway and I almost lost my balance trying to avoid stepping on him. I won't claim to like toads but I'm trying hard to tolerate them because they're good little organic bug catchers.
This monarch butterfly's wings are showing her age. Hopefully she left some eggs on my butterfly weed.
36 comments:
I like the coreopsis funtionality. It goes on my To Get list for next year. I've already got lots of bug catching toads. Cute little buggers! :)
I need more coreopsis in my garden to fill in as you say. That aster is early! The big toad has a lot of 'character.' Hope he eats a lot of nasty bugs for you.
LOl, are you kidding? I would love a nose to nose with your bullfrog! (Seriously.) I also like the moonbeam coreopsis--I have it in an earea where it stretched to reach the sun so it's kind on ankle-y itself. But that's me fault. Happy Monday!
I love 'Moonbeam,' too, Marnie. Mine is growing like crazy this year. When the blooms die back, I just shear it with the garden shears, and it returns with even more. I love anything that keeps blooming all summer like this. Yours looks great with all the companion plants.
I like toads, and they are fun to watch--Sophie can sit and watch one for an hour:) But I don't appreciate it when they unexpectedly jump out of a pot I'm planting, which has happened on several occasions. I prefer them at a little distance, too:)
Thanks Marnie - I'll have to watch out for the Moonbeam coreopsis, it looks fantastic in your garden! Nice 'friend' you got there too!
I enjoy coreopsis, too. That's a great shot of the monarch with open wings. I have trouble getting photos of them with the wings open.
Your dog looks like a sweetie. I like the toads, too. I wish we had some around here.
It looks wonderful combined with the Geranium (Rozanne?) in the first photo. I've never had too much luck with any of the Coreopsis other than Jethro Tull. Yours is doing great! :)
Oh, what a sweet face on that dog. Is that Aggie? I couldn't quite tell from the picture.
That aster is early. Which reminds me, I have to get out there and cut mine back. I can't remember the name, but it grows to about six feet tall, even if I prune it back once. I'm scared to see how big it would get if I just let it go.
What lovely photos! You have me yearning for some of these moonbeams in my garden too. Oh and I love that photo of your 6 a.m. friend. I have one too. Well, 3 actually but only one of them is old and true enough to follow me everywhere.
Marnie, I had Moonbeam in my last garden. You have reminded me how much it is missed. I think I can fit some in for next year. Great photos!
Eileen
Hi Marnie, I planted Moonbean last year and it is so so here so far~But it's certainly charming in your garden....Your good friend is a beauty! gail
Marnie, You have the nicest photos. I want moonbeam for my bed, I love the height and the dainty blooms, it goes well with aster! Your bestest friend is cute!
Everything looks beautiful including the Toad!!! LOL Our butterflys are so beautiful this year... Have a great day...
Beautiful flowers, Marnie.... I like the Moonbeam coreopsis also. I tend to like plants/flowers which don't grow too tall... WELL---some our lilies are huge and I like them... SO--I take that back!!!! ha ha
I think our plants and trees think it's September here. It's been SO hot and dry... Some of our big trees are already getting yellow and dead looking leaves... Gads--and it's only July.
Great pictures of the frog.
Hugs,
Betsy
How old is your dog ? My girls are with me all the time when I'm home. They are nine and almost seven now.
I get butterflys in my back yard. They come from the woods that surround it. I call it the flutter by dance. Mine are usually yellow with black accent.
I get little green frogs. Your toads are sort of cute...
Your best friend has such a sweet intelligent face. I wish I could keep moonbeam growing in my garden. It just doesn't happen.
That moonbeam is such an awesome plant! I try to use it all around too because of its ease of growth. It sure looks great with those asters even though they are a bit early aren't they? Do you think they are trying to tell us an early winter?
I like moonbeams for the same reasons."
Love your best friends interesting face and expression, it's almost human.
One day I'd like to have a couple of toads visit and stay in my yard..
So glad you didn't hurt yourself trying to avoid stepping on one of them..
Thank you for stopping by this morning..
How long does it take Coreopsis to bloom? I have just planted one in the fall but it is miniscule.
Your monarch photo is wonderful.
Marnie, how strange. I walked the garden today and my asters are budding up much earlier than usual. I was thinking to myself, how I rely on them for autumn colour....it is a very odd gardening year in my part of the world.
The monarch despite her worn wings is very beautiful....I do hope she has honoured you by laying her eggs in your garden.
Toads are great bugs catchers....I would not be without frogs and toads in my garden.
Love your faithful friend.......
I haven't been able to find moonbeam here, it is a lovely plant. Love frogs, waiting on monarchs to show up here.
Your pictures are lovely! I am a little partial to the one of your dog. Whoever said that a dog is man's best friend is so right! Carla
Good thing for lenses on cameras! That toad is huge! They are good bug catchers though. Your flowers are beautiful!
Nice Blog :)
Håkan
Those are nice combinations with your moonbeam coreopsis. It has a nice soft colour to pair with the other plants. I especial like it with the geranium. Your toad found the perfect spot for camouflage.
Such a sweet dog! Cute photo!
Those Moonbeams are very pretty! We had a neighbor who had the orange ones and boy do those things spread - all over the neighborhood! I thought they were a weed because of how they sprouted up everywhere, didn't know they were meant to be planted. They were very colorful though!
I so wish I could grow it better here. Actually Zagreb is easier in Oklahoma, but I love moonbeam's color. You're right about everything being better with moonbeams.~~Dee
Your 'Moonbeam' is amazing!
Coreopsis with geranium? That's a zone difference! Here, the geranium would cook where I have to plant coreopsis. My 'Moonbeam' was short-lived. I've been putting up with 'Creme Brulee', but it hasn't thrilled me. Right now, 'Redshift' is my favorite, but it's over waist high! At least it stands up straight.
The flowers look beautiful ... and glad the toad made it (for all the snakes they may attract, I do find the little fellows cute!)
A lot of beautiful color in your life..and nice pets to keep you company..
Love Moonbeam but I have found Zagreb to be a lot tougher. It doesn't have that beautiful soft lemony color of Moonbeam though, which pairs so beautifully with your blue geranium.
Re: Japanese Beetles: we did have a plague at least 2 summers in a row, for 3 months. Not sure what's different this year -- the neighbor's roaming guineas? the noctural creature that digs in the garden? (fox? raccoon? opposum?) -- but whatever it is I'm grateful.
I love Moonbeam coreopsis, Marnie. Mine is also paired with geranium, Lady's Mantel, and daylilies. I for one think your toad is quite handsome and your Dawn in your garden photo, amazing! Happy July :)
Your good friend is beautiful, what a lovely, intelligent face!
The flowers are beautiful too. The colour combinations are so nice. I'm sure I should have some asters, not sure what has happened to them. I must plant some more.
In answer to your question regarding the toad, I would love to get eye to eye with him :) I think he is really gorgeous! I haven't seen one in my garden for some time. I do get frogs leaping out of plant pots when I water them sometimes which does give me a bit of a fright :)
I do wish we had those lovely Monarchs here!
'Moonbeam' looks fabulous in your garden Marnie. I haven't ever tried growing it ~ I think I need a bigger garden to fit more plants in...
I can almost picture you doing contortions to avoid squishing a little toad! I've done the same many times. As long as I don't break anything, it's worth it to have them in the garden. Great pictures of your big toad ~ he looks like he's been eating well. :-)
Nice trusty companion too. No one here will get up at that hour!!!
I love moonbeam too too Marnie, although I haven't tried it here yet. It's such a wonderful companion for blue blooms.
I'm missing the toads here - haven't seen a single one yet so far this year. :( I love them.
Your dog is beautiful. Mine likes to "help" me garden too.
Post a Comment