A Bird's Eye View

Are you tired of seeing garden pictures?
You're not?
[Oh, I do love you!]
You are?
[Sorry.] 

I am tickled that this metal arch is finally filled with morning glory vines.
Very soon it will be a mass of deep purple blossoms.


You see, living in the northeast where we get about 6 months of color
and 6 months of grayness,
it is imperative that one immerse oneself in the color while it lives....
as all too soon it will be gone!


I became a favorite customer at a local Amish greenhouse this year,
as I "decorated" my vegetable garden 
with a perimeter of perennials.


Though pricier than annuals, perennials are more bang for your buck.
They repopulate themselves, returning year after year like the best of old friends.
I am lucky, though, as our local greenhouses (because we are so rural)
run about half the price of greenhouses in suburbia.


The callouses on my hands should serve to prove my point,
as I have planted and planted and planted.


This year I am in love with Echinacea, or coneflower.
We commonly think of the purple coneflower,


but I have found both fancy and plain varieties that are pink...


yellow...


orange...


green (yes, green!)...


and red...


Just seeing all this color makes me swoon!

The melon vines are finally bearing fruit.
Cantaloupe...


And the tiniest two watermelon babies...


It's almost as if the garden has been touched by magic.
New babies appear each morning.

Lately, every time I go to the barn I am met with a ruckus of bird alarms.
A couple of barn swallows have built a nest in the rafters of the barn...
a nest which is now overflowing with adolescent birdlings.


Unfortunately, the presence of the barn cats keeps this Mama and Papa on high alert.


And when one of the barn cats ventures into the dry lot,
the nervous parents begin dive-bombing said cat.


You might notice that TomTom could care less that he is the object of this warning attack.


"Whatever...." he sighs as the birds dive to within inches of his head,
then soar back up to the wire above.


I swear it's a game, and the cats just enjoy annoying the heck out of the feathered Air Force!

Comments

jaz@octoberfarm said…
your flowers are beautiful. i too love coneflowers. my crows yell at teddy. she could care less.
As always, your gardens are beautiful!!

Do you save your seeds from any of your flowers? We started last year with just a few plants (we are still currently living in a dreadful neighborhood) such as zinnias, herbs, sunflowers. This year we are saving tomato's, more flowers and more herbs. We also save a lot of wildflower seeds.
Carine said…
You have made your place a true haven! congratulations for the great work
Candice said…
Nope, I never tire of your beautiful pictures of the garden or your furry family -- love it all!
Lynne said…
Keep brining the color . . . the views are delightful!
Beautiful photos today, especially of the flowers. In your "spare" time, you should print and frame a few of them.
Cindy said…
Love all those coneflowers! I haven't ventured into the other colors. They are a little too pricey yet at my nursery.
We also have a barn full of swallows. Our cats are used to them "dive bombing":)
vlb5757 said…
I NEVER get tired of gardening pics. It gives me some idea of how we are doing. I posted my garden yesterday. I looked at the pics I had taken and thought, hey, not so bad! Usually I am saying, poor pitiful garden. lol! So keep the pics coming. Love the birds and the cat conflict. We have Jays here that come after our dogs. The Robins hover when there's a chick on the ground but thankfully I had been able to keep the dogs distracted. Love your site everyday.
Country Gal said…
Oh I never get bored of garden photos . This way I can see all different plants from around the world lol ! Wonderful photos ! Yes our Barn swallows are dive bombing the feral cats we have around here lol ! Your gardens are beautiful , we to have different colours and types of cone flowers . I am slowly planting more perennials as it is getting to pricey now a days to buy Annuals to fill our gardens ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !
This N That said…
"Feathered Air Force"..good one..I too, stopped spending money on annuals except for the occasional geranium..Cone flowers are indeed a favorite of mine..I've had a lot of trouble getting them to come back the following year..I've lost many plants over the winter..Hope you have better luck..Maybe when all those perennials need thinning out, I could find a home for some?? Of course, you have loads of space to move them too..The tree swallows used to dive at me when I was mowing..I thought they were after the bugs I was stirring up..I had them in my bird house one year and they tolerated me..
Robyn said…
My gosh your flowers are simply beautiful!...I love your farm.. The animals, the flowers the fields.. You have a little slice of heaven..
Oh glorious garden and I am in envy of your zinnias. Mine seem puny this year. I just love all your color and you seem to have the magic touch. So glad I found your blog. I have to add you to my blog roll so I don't miss a further post. Have a great day!!
Kris said…
Your flowers are beautiful!!! Enjoy!
xo Kris
Farm Girl said…
Your garden is just lovely and your flowers are just beautiful. Everything looks fantastic.
Anonymous said…
Awesome pictures- everything looks beautiful. -Carole