Hanging Around - In My Garden This Week

My intention this morning was to post about a quilting themed getaway I took with friends to Boothbay Harbor this past week, but I'll do that next time. Instead, I thought I would share some of the many hanging pots around my yard. I had originally thought that due to an ongoing foot issue I might not be able to maintain my large garden and had even contemplated having it all mowed down. I'm so glad that I didn't as I haven't had to wear my very attractive, fashionable, big, black boot too much this summer and have been able to do my gardening.

 

Earlier in the spring, I was in my boot quite a bit, so I decided to plant "up" as in hanging pots. One thing led to another and they kept multiplying. :-) This post features record shots that I can look at when determining what combinations and colors to use when putting next year's pots together. Later in this post, I have a gardening question and something pretty, gosh darn cool to show you, but that can wait a bit.

This bejeweled beauty below was from the clearance rack at Lowe's; all it needed was a little tlc.

Here's where I need your help: can anyone identify this plant for me???

I purchased it at a garden club sale last spring, and the ladies there didn't know what it was. It was flowerless and about twelve inches at the time. I figured what the heck . . . for five dollars I would plant it and wait to see what would happen. One lady said she thought it would have yellow flowers. It does. Another said that she thought it might be a tall plant. It sure is  . . . about five feet. Here is a three quarter length shot. So, does anyone know what it is???  It makes quite an impact in my garden, but in the fall I might try to transplant it to the very back of the garden. Another question . . . can I wait to transplant it until spring when it will be much smaller or go ahead an attempt moving it later in this season???

Okay, here's the pretty, gosh darn cool part . . . I was relaxing in my pink, plastic  adirondack chair sipping my ice coffee and reading a book when I spotted a monarch fluttering about. Stealthfully (not a 'real' word but it should be) I approached with my camera and 100 - 300 mm lens in place and shot several photos of this orange beauty.

It wasn't until I uploaded the shots to my laptop that I noticed the butterfly's proboscis which you can see in the next two photos.

Click on them to see a larger version. You can actually see what is being sucked up. Wow! Pretty, gosh, darn cool!!! Of course, then I had to learn more about this process, and so, I found a fascinating blog post, The Infinite Spider - Butterfly Proboscis (Straw and Sponge) . It really is fascinating and there are lots of other interesting topics on that blog.  I'm going to put a link to that site in my side bar.

Suck up all the fun, happiness, and beauty that you can this week. 

Next time . . . Boothbay Harbor Quilting Getaway