Friday Flowers

Yesterday it reached 95 degrees here and today it is supposed to be just as hot. I doubt these daisies will be looking so perky after this weekend.

Here is what's bloomin' in my garden this week.



Stachys in the "hummingbird garden."

Alstromeria:

Drumstick Allium, the bees love this!

Fragrant Honeysuckle:

Hollyhock:

Salvia...I like the fuzziness of this one!

The buds remind me of horse's noses.

This is a new one for me this year. I have it in a patio pot and I am really enjoying it's uniqueness. Watch out, here is it's name: Ptilotus exaltatus. Don't ask me to pronounce that!

Here it is close-up. Don't you just want to take a nap in that?!

Cuphea--hummers love this!!

More Salvias---also hummer favorites.

Happy Friday!

Nature Quiz!

Can you ID this? I am starting with what I hope is a photo that makes it hard.

I will add a clue to this post tomorrow if you can't successfully ID it.

I enabled comment moderation so no one can give it away. Good Luck!!

-----------------------------------------------

You are getting close!
Friday Clue:

Keep guessing!

More of NW Portland

Here are a few more photo highlights from the Portland Rose Garden and Pittock Mansion.

Paddling Hagg Lake

We recently explored a new spot paddling. Hagg Lake is managed by Washington County and turned out to be a nice place to paddle. We went mid-week which I would recommend. I imagine all the crazy water skiers come out on the weekends with their loud, stinky motors. Nothing ruins birding by ear like rap music blaring from a motorboat.

We stayed close to shore and found a nice inlet to explore. Later we drove around the lake and stopped at a trail and walked around a bit.

Lots of wildflowers were blooming.

Columbine and Daisies:

Daisies with a butterfly that I haven't tried to identify yet:

Lilies:

Fields of Daisies:





We spotted an Osprey flying over the lake looking for a meal.

Later we paddled by him while he perched here.

We saw lots of Swallowtail butterflies.

And MANY dragonflies and damselflies which are extremely hard to photograph from a kayak.

More Baby Juncos

The local Juncos seem to have been successful with a second batch of babies. Here is one watching me from the roof.

Friday Flowers

The warm, mild weather continues and the yard is blooming!

The Escallonia are full of flowers and the Bumblebees love it!

Lavender





Above: Bee Balm

Below: a bulb I've forgotten the name of

Above: Verbena

Below: Kent Beauty Oregano



Above: Giant Pincushion Flower

Below: Foxgloves

Coreopsis



Happy Friday!

Portland Japanese Gardens

In our day of exploring NW Portland, we stopped by the Portland Japanese Gardens.



I enjoy how much attention is paid to every detail in the garden. The pathways materials are very well designed and interesting in of themselves.




One of the gardens is the Sand and Stone Garden. From above, it looks like one of those sand gardens people place on coffee tables.

Up close you can see the designs and appreciate the scope of the garden. It is ringed by a stone wall and bordered by the firs and maples we see all over Portland.

A B&W of the cap on the stone wall:

The Strolling Pond Garden had a couple of large ponds and streams. Giant Koi were swimming about.

Purple and White Iris were in bloom too.





All the pathways were inviting and it was hard to decide which one to take!



We vowed to try to visit here again in the fall.

I bet the maples are gorgeous when the leaves turn.

Many photos by Mr. Nut including the B&W.

Portland Rose Garden

Sunday we visited the Portland Rose Test Garden, Pittock Mansion and the Japanese Garden. Here are some rose highlights from Pittock and the Rose Gardens. The day was overcast and we got a few sprinkles, but the roses were bright and sunny.










Even though the roses are in straight manicured rows, the fir trees around the park remind you that you are in the great northwest.

The rose below was a dark chocolate maroon. I thought it would be good in B & W.

Some photos are by Mr. Nut too.

Color on the Patio

The mild warm weather we have had over the last few weeks has given our patio pots a head start this summer. I filled them with hummingbird favorites and the hummers seem to approve!

Friday Flowers

I hope you enjoy these photos of a Western Tiger Swallowtail on Mock Orange.

Happy Friday!