Always Looking

By John I. Blair

Here’s the first. Cleomes, Verbena bonariensis, and Shasta daisies in the center with a “mystery plant” on the left – I lost the tag.

Here’s #2. Verbena bonariensis on the left, Shasta daisies, red pentas, yellow achillea, and rudbeckia in the background. Oh, and there’s a single Echinacea behind the Shasta daisies. Between the verbena and Shastas you can see Texas betony blooms, much loved by hummingbirds.

Here’s #3. Penta, achillea, rudbeckia, candy lilies about to bloom, and cosmos. A little orange lantana at the bottom.

Here’s #4. A view back toward the house.

Here’s #5. Oriental milkweed for the monarch butterflies (and other butterflies).

Here’s #6 – a black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar on a fennel plant. This guy is almost big enough to pupate now. I have several others, on the fennel and on some parsley. They would have been happy with dill too, but I don’t grow that.

Photo's by John Blair.

Editor's Note: Blair's enthusiasm about flowers is not only shown by the growing and photographing of them, but they also inspire his poetic nature. See "In Love with Flowers" in this issue.