Captured By Beauty; Photos by Amy

There is nothing quite like a walk in the garden when the fog is just beginning to lift and the dew is on the spiderwebs.  It is especially nice if you have an eye for the beauty of nature like Amy does.   This is not a view of the Stonewall Garden that has been seen until now.  WOW!

Tiny droplets of dew on the bud and backside of this fragrant gladiola , Acidanthera bicolor,  with Ed's stonewall in the background, make a stunningly gorgeous picture.  The only thing missing is the heavenly fragrance that floats on the slightest breeze.

The Snapdragons may have gone to seed,  the Butterfly Bush's blooms may be winding down and the Edward's Fritillary butterfly may be slightly tattered, but beauty remains!

Small white cupped spider webs and bright red asparagus berries make a beautifully festive picture.  When the dew dries the webs will still be there, but invisible.  Their beauty will be hidden to those who walk along the garden path.

Back in the wild part of the garden, the little spider webs are too numerous to count. I wonder what kind of spider weaves these beautiful little nests.

One tiny green and lavender bud remains on this sharp prickly thistle.  I can't decide which is more beautiful,  the tiny little bit of color or the piercing texture of the rest of the plant.  It doesn't matter because Amy's photo captures both!

Beauty In The Wild Garden

Our garden is wild this year.  Grasses, weeds, Japanese beetles and deer that think we are the intruders have things in disarray.  All the rain has helped to encourage the wildness.  Many plants are taller than I am.  A mouse keeps building a nest in the engine of the garden tractor.  Weeds are growing everywhere.  Green beans, squash, peppers, basil, potatoes, onions, tomatoes... are all waiting to be harvested.  Worst of all Ed has hurt his back.  Just the same the scent of fragrant Gladiolas fills the air.  The purple and pink gladiolas and the snapdragons are putting on a terrific show.  Perhaps you can ignore the goldenrod in the background!

For a purple fan like me these tall stately, elegant flowers are a very special treat.  The pinks and purples are no accident.  Ed knows they are my favorite and the Acidanthera bicolor  lends a lovely fragrance to the group.  The snapdragons have been blooming for a long time. I love tall snapdragons because if you cut them back they rebloom till frost.

Most of my double pink poppies have gone to seed by now, but a few late bloomers here and there add their beauty to the chaos of the other self seeders around them.

 These asters look great. They have shot right past the Gloriosa Daisies leaving them in the shade.  Not all of Ed's asters look this great, but we are talking about beauty here!

I honestly think this is the most beautiful daylily I have ever seen. The peach and gold seem to light up in the sunlight.  It was sold to us as "Spring Fling" and apparently it is not.  Spring Fling is supposed to be pink and Ed knows I like pink, but whatever name  this flower may have, I think it is strikingly beautiful. It has a soft fragrance and a glow that can be seen from inside the house.  It's golden glow and perfect petals last just one day but perfection is rarely achieved and seldom lasts.