Yard Wilderness

This is our skinny side of the yard. Follow the pathway to the raspberries while stepping through lemon balm.The lemon balm stays low because it can't send roots through the landscape fabric.

In the Rose Garden

All the roses are blooming, along with the honeysuckle and cat mint.

Brewer's Blackbird Feeding Time

The one on the right is the "baby." Daddy blackbird was bringing what looked like caterpillars for feeding.

Orange-y Red Rose

I missed getting this one's picture before it started its fade from glory. The yellow center gives it extra wow.

Ladybug Piggyback Rides

As pointed out by my daughter...

Mini Zinnia

I have oodles of zinnias in the garden, in baskets and in containers this year. I've gone on strike against petunias and geraniums due to last year's unfortunate run in with bud worms. This is a mini variety zin.

Pinky Pretty

June is certainly "loverly" for roses this year in Boise.

Incredible Rose

One of the stand-outs in the rose garden.

Cat Mint

A perennial border shrub and yes, cats really do like it. So do bees.

English Roses

A favorite rose for cutting because of its strong and slightly spicy scent.

Zinnia with One Star

One yellow star in the middle so far. They'll rim the center of the bloom as it matures.

Yellow Mini

Minis are well-behaved roses. They're easy to prune and bloom all season.

First Mini Rose of the Season

The yellows are coming on, too. They may be small, but they carry a powerful scent.

Praying Mantis - Psyche!

I really don't have to ask how a plastic praying mantis ended up in a garden container.

Fungi Crop

All the rain has helped sprout a bumper crop of fungi this year.

Snow Peas

These usually start pushing through the ground in April. It's an interesting gardening year.

Naturally Dried Hydrangea

Found this bloom from last year while doing some clean-up.

Purple Iris

I moved all the irises last fall, so I don't have a lot of blooms this year. I will next year, though.

Potatoes

The cool spring delayed the potato growth. Fingers crossed we'll still be able to harvest some gems this fall.

Hummingbird Sticking Out His Tongue

Male black-chinned hummingbird. There must have been tasty little bugs flying around, or a sweet mist going on, because he sat here "tasting" the air for several minutes.

House Finch: Orange Variant

House finch males are usually red...but sometimes, they're orange and can even be yellow. It's all connected to diet.

Female Cassin's Finches

It's interesting that Cassin's finches have been hanging around the neighborhood. I'm not sure I've ever seen them here before. These two ladies, by the way, were very aggressive at the feeder - chasing off house finches and house sparrows trying to get a snack.

Blooming Sedum

I tucked sedum into the hanging baskets this year. I didn't realize it would bloom, though.