Photo-a-Day Week 41

Week 41 seems to have more blooms with butterflies; Fall brings an abundance of these winged beauties. I need to read more about Fritillary butterflies. I have seen some that are quite a bit smaller than the ones I have pictured below. 

Day 279-

I noticed this tiny mushroom in the garden and bent down to photograph it. After looking at what I captured I realized there was a small snail on the mushroom. Before the photo, I thought it was a bump on the mushroom. Pays to lean in and look closely!

Snail on Mushroom

Day 280-

The Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans, blooms in October and it attracts Cloudless Sulphur butterflies. With the sun behind the butterfly, it really glowed. 

Cloudless Sulphur on Pineapple Sage

Day 281-

These beauties are Gulf Fritillary butterflies. As I mentioned above, I have seen smaller Fritillary butterflies, and after reading more, I found that there are several Fritillary butterflies in South Carolina. Perhaps the ones I see that are smaller are the Variegated Fritillary.  These are enjoying the nectar of the Ironweed that is blooming in the garden. 

Fritillary butterflies on Ironweed

Day 282-

We arrived at the grocery store this week to find a fire truck sitting by the entrance. I have no idea if anything was wrong. I tried a few views of the truck to see if I could get a good photo. While I used this one, I had others from which to choose. Still not sure if this was the better choice.  One of the other choices is below.

Fire truck at the grocery store

Day 283-

I have had this Encore azalea for years. The deer have pruned it over the years, taking flower buds away with the tasty leaves. For some reason, the deer allowed it to bloom this fall. Encore azalea 'Autumn Twist' blooms twice, once in the spring and then in the fall. 

Encore!

Day 284-

We went to a concert in Greenville this week, at the Radio Room. I like the open ceiling where you can see the ductwork and structure supporting the ceiling and lighting throughout the area. 

Radio Room

Day 285-

I try to use fewer paper napkins. By the dining room table is a basket full of colorful cloth napkins. When the kids visit, everyone is assigned a color, and that is their napkin for a meal or two. They wash easily and when they are worn out, they make good dusters. 

Rainbow Selection

Discarded photos-

I didn't choose the black and white image of the fire truck because I wanted a bit of the color to pop. This filter is from an app called 'Prisma'. Some of the filters are free, and others are behind a paywall. I only use the free ones.

The day I chose the Cloudless Sulphur on Pineapple Sage, I also had this little beauty in the possible photos. It is interesting to see the inner spiral of the snail shell. While not the first choice, worth sharing.

This brings another week to a close. There are only eleven weeks to go! Keep coming back, at the end of the year I would love to hear which were your favorites! 

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Photo-a-Day Week 27

Week 27 marks the halfway point of the year! Welcome back to another wrap-up for the week. 

Day 181-

My friend David Sullivan, from whom I accepted this challenge, said it was National Camera Day. I have a shelf of old cameras, so it was appropriate to get a photo of them to celebrate. A couple of the cameras came from my folks, and one from my husband's childhood. 

Yesterday was National Camera Day

Day 182-

Just outside our neighborhood, we have friends who have a gnome house. It was in an old tree stump. Over the years the stump deteriorated. Because there were so many tree stumps uprooted from Hurricane Helene, they were able to acquire a new stump. Many of us have been waiting to see the new reveal. It is as charming as ever! In the photo below, you can see a hammock and a swing on one side of the house. Around back there is a campfire where marshmallows are being toasted. I love the little window boxes. I am sure there will be more added over time. It is always fun to check out the gnomes.

New Stump Remodel

Day 183-

We have had a good number of Swallowtail butterflies this year. Some years, I only see a few, and they have tattered wings. This one is in beautiful shape and enjoying the Hyssop blooms. 

Swallowtail on Hyssop

Day 184-

While looking for a Yellow-billed Cuckoo high in the trees in my backyard, I found a nest. It took a long time to finally see a little head pop up. It is a female Summer Tanager sitting on her nest. It is pretty high up in the tree, so getting a better photo isn't possible. I will keep an eye out for more activity as time goes by. 

Summer Tanager nest

Day 185-

On the morning of the 4th of July, I looked out to the lake to see if there was a lot of traffic. We are on the northern end of the lake, so most of the boating in our backyard has someone teaching someone to water ski or taking some children on a tube. It is quieter and we like it that way!

Quiet on the Lake, Happy 4th

Day 186-

Every day, multiple times a day, we are outside playing. Fiona loves to play with the disc. Liebling likes the rubber rings. Fiona jumps pretty high to catch the disc. I used to play with a Frisbee with her, but the edges would get cut up and then cut up her gums. I like this fabric one, it sails nicely and is easy for her to catch.

Got it!

Day 187-

While looking for inspiration for today's photo, I noticed a dusky moth on the garage door. I think it is a Decorated Owlet. If it isn't one, I will correct the name.

Decorated Owlet

Like I said at the top, we have reached the halfway point of the year! More interesting photos to follow each day. Hope you keep coming back. 

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Photo-a-Day Week 22

This week, a large number of insects were observed. With the changing season into summer, more blooms and more little creatures fill the garden. So without further ado, let's talk about this week's photos.

Day 146-

A few years ago, one of my blogging friends told me these were not Daddy Longlegs but Harvestmen. I had never heard of Harvestmen. Harvestmen are closely related to scorpions, not spiders. They can't spin webs. Their bodies are not segmented like a spider's. Harvestmen also lack venom. We have lots of these around the house and yard.

Harvestmen

Day 147-

Another interesting insect is the Tarnished Plant Bug. I was taking pictures of the Fleabane, Erigeron sp., when I zoomed in, I saw this insect.  I like the design on the back of its body, it looks like a heart or a "V". The bronze coloring is interesting as well. It is the first time I have seen this variety of insect. 

Tarnished Plant Bug on Fleabane

Day 148-

We had more rain this month than usual, a lot more!! I like finding raindrops on various plants. This is a Hydrangea arborescens 'Ruby', one of the Invincible varieties. It is a lovely reddish-pink bloom. One of these days it will get planted in the garden, currently it is in a container on my deck.

Raindrops on Ruby

Day 149-

We have so many Canada Geese on the lake. My neighbor enjoys the fact that some of them nest in her yard along the waterfront. Here we have a family with four goslings. 

Family

Day 150-

Hypericum frondosum 'Sunburst' is a cultivar of a native St. John Wort. The flowers are about an inch to an inch and a half. The bees love this bloom, especially bumblebees. Besides the beautiful blooms, this shrub has gorgeous fall colors.

Pom-pom

Day 151-

There's construction near where I get my hair cut. Apparently, there is a new Hilton getting built. I am not sure what these yellow items are, but they made me laugh.

Field of Minion?

Day 152-

This Painted Lady Butterfly was enjoying the nectar of one of the Stokesia laevis, or Stokes Aster. These flowers are just starting to open and they are being visited by so many pollinators. I called this one Schmetterling, which is butterfly in German.

Schmetterling

This concludes my week's photo challenge of a photo a day. Hope you liked the insects and blooms.

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

If a Tree Falls......

....in the yard and you are calling to report a power outage, do you hear the thud?  Earlier last week we saw there was a dead tree hung up in the branches of the tree next to it.  The trees are on the adjoining property, in the thick summer undergrowth of any one of poison ivy or smilax or raspberry briars, not the ideal place walk.   Since it was hung up in another tree we were unsure of how to get it down without hitting the Magnolias.  

The tree broke off its trunk during a storm sometime ago.... we aren't really sure.  Wednesday night with another storm, it twisted, broke the branches of the supporting tree and fell.  It fell in the perfect place!!   The tree was about 40- 50 feet long, about 30 feet of it in our yard.

It missed all three Magnolias, missed a transplanted dogwood, missed all the daylilies, and missed the wax myrtle up the hill.  

You can see the rotted stump in the woods.  The rot came from the ground up.

Charlie got the chain saw out yesterday and cleared the tree out of our yard.  The fallen tree can remain in the property next door for the critters to enjoy.
I walked around the yard on Thursday to assess the damage and see if there was any poison ivy in the area where the tree fell.  Have all sorts of blooms--- here is a volunteer Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica.  The rains have caused it to fall over.  Hoping it will reseed and there will be lots next year!

A purchased Lobelia  speciosa, Cardinal Lobelia is blooming now in the bed with the daylilies and Magnolias.  The hummingbirds like it.

Another new plant that is finally blooming-- Heliotrope amplexicaule 'Azure Skies'.  Hoping this one will be happy enough to come back.  I have some areas in my back garden that plants don't like.   Have been watering this area more and have amended the soil with each new plant added.

Lots of foliage under the Edgeworthia chrysantha.  I planted Caladiums, Japanese Painted ferns, and the Corydalis I just bought.  It is a nice shady area, the ferns and Caladium are happy...crossing my fingers for the newly added Corydalis.

Clematis 'Prince Charles' is blooming again!  

A super long blooming daylily is Hemerocallis 'Strawberry Candy'.  It has been blooming since mid-May!

Finally I have a bloom on my Resurrection Lily!! Lycoris radiata has been in the ground for more than two years and it finally had a bloom!  

Love these long anthers!!

In the woods next to our property is a large stand of Aralia spinosa, Devil's Walking Stick.  Love seeing all the pollinators all over the blooms.   There was constant motion from so many wasps, bees, and butterflies.  

Speaking of plants that attract pollinators, Lantana camara 'Miss Huff' is a magnet!!  

Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus (thanks Randy!!)

Hoary Edges, Achalarus lyciades

All these were taken in the span of a couple minutes.

Dark form Eastern  Tiger Swallowtail, Pterourus glaucus

So many butterflies and moths!!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

I have been trying to get caught up reading all your blog posts.  At this point in time I have 100 posts in my Google Reader.....working my way through !!!!  Have made some headway--- there were almost 200!



©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

The Sunny Side of the Street....ok, the Garden

The beginning--- my blank palette.

My first item to plant was a Japanese Maple I brought from Virignia.  Acer palmatum 'Garnet'

This is a small maple with a beautiful lace cut leaf.  At maturity it will be at most 10 feet tall.  Flanking the maple are two Amsonia.  One I brought with me A. hubrectii and one I bought, A. x 'Seaford Skies'.  This variety came from Pam Harper's garden in Seaford.  I figured I NEEDED to have this one.   Since Amsonia turn bright yellow in late fall I thought I should plant something to complement it.  I found two Weigela 'Midnight Wine' a new hybrid that grows to a mature height of 1.5 to 2 feet.  It is a dwarf version of 'Wine and Roses'.  I planted them behind the Amsonia.   The shrubs are really small now, but next year.....

The garden was screaming for color.  I wanted something to attract butterflies and humming birds.  I also had a couple more things from Seaford to plant.   From some of the plant sales in the area I was able to find lots and lots of great plants.  In the photo below are (going clockwise)-(3) Gaillardia 'Sunburst Scarlet Halo', (3)Lantana (unknown variety),(3) Helenium 'Helbro' Mardi Gras, (3) Gaura lindheimerii 'Gaudwwhi' Geyser White, (1)Serrisa Plena Flora,(1) Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold', (3) Achillea 'Saucy Sensation', (3) Coreopsis rosea 'Heavens Gate', and (3)Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'.  The number in front of the plant name is how many I put in.  Started to feel like it was the garden of three's.  These are just a small sample of what all was planted in the 'sunny area'. 

Additionally planted --Phlox 'Robert Poore' (from Racquel),  Yorktown Onions, Hibiscus 'Kopper King', one of three Clethra alnifolia 'Vanilla Spice', a no-named Japanese maple from a big box discount shelf, three Cinnamon Fern- Osmunda cinnamomea, a Callirhoe involucrata, various dwarf irises, one Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' and two Echinacea purpurea compacta (maybe 'Kim's Knee High' or 'Prairie Splendor').

In the tuteur is a Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'

A view of the sunny area with the plants in the ground. Looks like there is a lot more room.....

Looking forward to next spring to fill in some of the open areas. 

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Fortuitous Happenstances

While outside yesterday evening to get a picture of this....



Poor Magnolia x 'Jane' she is trying to put up more blooms but they aren't very pretty at this time of year. Jane is advertised as blooming off and on through the season, which she did earlier in the spring and summer. Lately she has been quiet. I was surprised to see color at the top. When I was able to get to the blossom is was kind of sad looking.


Next to Jane is a large group of Verbena Bonariensis. Fluttering around within these blooms was my second Monarch of the season!!!!


We see lots of Tiger Swallowtail--
and many others who flit and flutter away before I can capture a good photo of them.

Here's an accommodating guy-- I saw him on the tomato cage while throwing the ball for the dog, went in to get the camera and he waited for me!


For those who like ornamental grasses but don't have a big space-- Miscanthus sinensis 'Dixieland'. This variety gets about 3- 4 feet tall with the flower stalks just above the grass blades. I really like the variegation on this grass-- it almost glows in the landscape.