This week’s IAVOM arrangement is of hydrangeas in a utility vase for drying.
At this time of year, outdoors, my hydrangeas all appear to be a burnt-out rose color.
Flip that flower right side up again and witness a stunning transformation as the most beautiful watercolor tones appear.
To dry my hydrangeas, I cut them in late summer, when most of the moisture in the petals is gone, and place them in a vase of water. Half of these are already dried. They are ready to remove from the water in a week or two.
I am taking part in XingfuMama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge this week. I was able to raise six Monarch Caterpillars from the egg stage on a Milkweed leaf to full-size caterpillars. They are developing in their chrysalis now. I genuinely find their chrysalis stage beautiful. The amazing and luminescent green is adorned with gold that looks like metal.
In years past, during the hotter months of summer, I saw Monarch Butterflies almost daily. However, all butterflies and many insects seem scarce this year, which is worrisome. I’m hoping they rebound and are back in large numbers next year.
All I can say about this dessert/breakfast is, oh my. Oh my, it is so easy! Oh my, it is so scrumptious! Oh my, it is gone in under five minutes!
You can easily make it too. I’ve included step-by-step photographs and a few quick words.
Ingredients: 1 pack of Instant Oatmeal, 2 Apples, 1 pat of butter
Peel (or if you love eating apple peel, try leaving it on) two apples. If they are on the small side, I sometimes use three. I chose Granny Smith apples. Green apples are firm, slightly sour, and bake up perfectly. Place evenly in a large, greased pie pan. A square pan would work too, but you might need more apples.
Mash one large pat of butter into the instant oatmeal until combined, don’t overmix.
It should look like the photo after mixing.
Sprinkle evenly on peeled apples. Cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven.
Oh, the joy of this apple crisp. The caramelized bits around the edges are the best, don’t leave them in the pan, sprinkle these bits on top. Enjoy!
A note: My sister suggested using organic instant oatmeal to make the dessert even healthier. Quaker Oatmeal comes in four flavor variety packs. I’ve tried all four flavors, and all are delicious in the apple crisp.
We went to Longwood this week. The walk alongside the Meadow was golden and glorious. Spectacular wildflowers called Common Cup-Flowers lined the path. Goldfinches, butterflies, bumble and honeybees, gathered nectar and seeds.
Common cup-plant is a native wildflower in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It may self-seed. It typically grows to around 6′, however, can grow to reach 9′ tall. ~North Carolina Extension Gardener.
In spring, my garden is a blank slate as the daffodils push above the soil’s surface, where they have slept away in the summer, winter, and autumn. It’s never unexpected, but always still amazing when August displays a thick jungle of flowers in the place where blooming began sparsely in March.
I haven’t taken part in the Lens-Artist Challenge for quite a while. I was drawn in by the title of the challenge. I am a bit late, but still happy to take part in Challenge #311.
Today as I was photographing the flowers I was surrounded by Black Swallowtails sipping from the Butterfly Bush and other flowers in the yard. I decided, since they use my fennel as host plants, and I help them out by raising them in butterfly houses on the porch, they too are growing in my garden.
This beautiful moth is my choice for the “Whatsoever is Lovely” challenge hosted by Xingfu Mama. I got several good captures of it feeding on the flowers of the Butterfly Bush. The plant lives up to its name, although it resembles a tree instead of a bush. We cut it back, and it grows even taller.
The multiple blossoms of the flower sprays make it a perfect setting for photographing butterflies and bees. They are usually so intent on moving from flower to flower they ignore the trespass of my camera into their space. I love the way the photograph captures the face of the moth and the blurry whirr of its quickly fluttering wings.
There is hope! The Monarch butterflies have finally made some appearances, although not in large numbers. This one flew in for a landing and cooperated with my camera’s intrusion, allowing me to capture several photos.
Today, I had strange companions along for the ride as I drove to Red Bank Battlefield. Ten caterpillars, mid-sized in their cycle, rode along to become residents of the Butterfly House. The fennel plants collapsed a bit in the heat, but the caterpillars did well.
The house has many butterflies, chrysalis, and caterpillars. The interior is filled with dozens of nectar and host plants.
The volunteers (Butterfly Whisperers) were pleased to welcome and make room for the new residents. The jar holding the fennel sprigs they were feasting on was placed beside a beautiful fennel plant growing in the house.
It gives me great joy to think of all the visitors receiving a bit of pleasure as they watch the butterflies throughout their life cycle.
The Revolutionary War Battlefield, now a historic park, is located on the banks of the Delaware River. Philadelphia’s skyline is in view to the right of the park.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge for this week is a Single Flower. I chose this beautiful white Echinacea that grows in full sun near my patio. The identity of the seed source is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Since I planted the seeds indoors sometime in Spring of 2022, it took two years for the plant to flower outside. As soon as I finish writing this post, I will follow the link to Baker Creek and purchase another packet. I plan to start the echinacea seeds now, in late summer, and grow themto blooming size by Spring.
I had many unusual colors grow from this variety: peach, deep coral, the typical pink, and this white flower. If you love the sturdy stems and reliable bloom of Echinacea plants, try growing this unique mixture.
Paradiso Echinacea loaded down with blooms in late July.
(Later) I did purchase the seeds and they are already shipped. At this slower time of the growing season Baker Creek Seed company is very fast with order fulfillment. Baker Creek is definitely in the upper echelon of best heirloom seed companies.
The Farmer’s Almanac has an excellent article on how to grow echinacea.
Over the past decade, I’ve dabbled in a variety of WordPress photo challenges, each offering a unique perspective. In this post, I’m excited to share my experiences from three such challenges.
You may notice a red spot on the seagull in the photograph I chose for the birdwatching challenge hosted by Don’t Hold Your Breath. The Audubon Society explains this in a great article. In short, the red spot is a visual clue to help baby chicks peck the parent bird’s bill to be fed.
One of my longtime favorite challenges is Friday Skywatch. Although I am a day late, they accept entries throughout the week. My photos show the wide beach at the point of Strathmere, NJ. We love Strathmere beach and appreciate the fact that it is one of the few southern New Jersey beach towns that don’t require beach tags. (Wildwood, North Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest are also free beaches.)
The last photograph I include is Six on Saturday hosted by Garden Ruminations. My theme is a few of the Sea Birds from the Jersey Shore. These photos were taken during weekend visits to Strathmere and Wildwood, New Jersey.
We grew this lively mix in the front beds of our old farmhouse porch and discovered it is one impressive zinnia, forming mounds of continuous color that were adored by the butterflies. ~Pinetree Garden Seeds
I am in love with this low-growing zinnia. Perfect for the front of my backyard patio border, the color is luscious, a brilliant coral pink.
The plants have been blooming for several weeks. They were available through Pinetree Garden Seeds, a reliable seed company. Next year, I will do the same and plant two side by side. This creates a mesmerizing display of color.
There is a plethora of flowers, and they last quite a long time. The color is beautiful even as they near the end of their bloom time. These zinnias fade to a lovely creamy yellow before they need to be cut away.
My one complaint is the small number of seeds in the packet. Although, the description does include the seed count so there was ample warning.
