Thursday, August 25, 2011

Mating Monarchs, Goldfinch Pair, & Why Lawn Stinks

Lots of pictures this morning that I've been accumulating. Shall we be off, then?

Most of the garden this morning. A bit overgrown? 
   

L-R: boltonia, miscanthus, switchgrass, indian grass


Why mow your lawn....




















... when instead miracles can happen? I've got milkweed, too.


Liatris ligulistylis

Caryopteris 'Longwood Blue'


Wild Senna never stops blooming


Male goldfinch--been years since they've been so active.


And there's the female in back. They always come together!














Caught these two on the birch tree. Ewww?



6 comments:

Susan in the Pink Hat said...

I love Bluebeard. Especially when surrounded by grasses. I see you still have a lot of lawn. What is your lawn to beds ratio?

Diana Studer said...

I thought 'most of your garden' looked like the top picture. Did you borrow a lawn?

Benjamin Vogt said...

Susan--I'd say 2/3 lawn. Any more and I'm afraid we couldn't sell this house, oh, next year. Or the year after.
Ms. EE--My garden would look like the top picture if I had 800 acres, which is the size of the prairie in the top pictures and taken from a good distance. The image of my garden on the top of the post is mayb 1/3 of my total garden area, about 500 square feet (no idea what that is in meters).

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I love your garden! I am hoping my front yard area fills out that much in the next couple of years. I am excited for the wild senna to bloom. I wonder if it will next year.

I just figured out I better stop deadheading the coneflowers. I saw a male goldfinch on one of the seedheads a few days ago.

scottweberpdx said...

I always love that time of year as we tip into fall...they garden can look a bit overgrown, but there is something so satisfying in that. It's rather like the garden is now a juggernaut, moving forward on it's own momentum, regardless of us. BTW...so glad you have had success with the Polarizer!

Benjamin Vogt said...

Sue--I hope the senna blooms next year, but I have no idea. I'd put my money on they year after--if it makes it through the winter. I never deadhead my coneflowers because I never saw rebloom--this way I have more winter interest.
Scott--Yes, very satisfying this time of year. The transition is my fave time of year, but I know what it means, just like I know what it means when that last piece of pie is on my plate. Alas.