"VACATION PICTURES" or "WHAT GARDENAUTHOR & LUCY DID ON THEIR ONE-DAY VACATION"

"Do you want to go to Brown's Pond?"
I asked my "wing-dog," Lucy-Maude.
I took the following response to be in the affirmative...

And so, we loaded up Lucy's stroller with all our gear, including water and the new Polaroid i737 digital camera, closed the door and left for our two-hour vacation. [Why, you ask, does Lucy have a stroller? When you're an eleven-year old Chihuahua mix, with two bad knees, your thoughtful owner plops you into said stroller to ease the journey home. It's only about the last 1/8 mile that requires such wheeled conveyance.]

Imagine living within walking distance of such beautiful vistas. I've been so long without a camera, that I'd almost forgotten how serene and woodsy is this local area. Brown's Pond was, at one time, connected to my huge backyard swamp, Lily Pond... must have been a wonderful little pond, before road construction filled in that connection.

Here we find an early-blooming, wild New England Aster...

This photographic journey is all about discovery and rediscovery... rediscovering the glorious texture of the trunk of an ancient white-blooming locust, or Robinia. And discovering that it can occupy an entire frame, without extraneous scenery.

This physical journey is about exercise,
delightful scents and unwinding on a late August day,
as Lucy was constantly reminding me...

It's about peeking into an abandoned squirrel abode...

Now, could it be that Lucy-Maude has hidden talents as a truffle dog, like those famous hounds in France and Italy? Might we be on the verge of discovering some earthy fungus that retails at $1,200.00 per pound? Let's see what turns up...

Well here it is ~ I have no clue what species, but this is one mushroom that's not going on my burger! And since we didn't have to dig it up, I'm quite certain it's not a valuable truffle. We'll leave well enough alone ~ let other walkers marvel at the local fungi.

A natural allée, an invitation to stroll on, as evidenced by GardenAuthor's pup, disappearing into the distance... whoops! ~ I'll be right with you!

It was a day to appreciate the gracefully arching birches,
leaning out over the water's edge.

It is the late August sky and water,
reminiscent of September's azure hues,
that keeps the camera constantly in hand.

This day was definitely about having "eyes in the back of my head," as Lucy, with well-deserved off-leash privileges, began testing the boundaries, edging too-near the street. Yes, she was on-leash for a bit, after this little foray... message received ~ she was fine, the rest of the trip.

Now, this is what will make you sneeze this fall ~ ragweed!

This, on the other hand, will not make you sneeze...
goldenrod - one of the earlier varieties.

Overly bright perhaps, but two "youngsters" spared
amidst all the tree and brush cutting this spring
by the park department.

Mighty Oaks... perfect for framing another vista.

A rather murky little cove, where fathers and sons
cast their fishing lines each spring.

Now, what's this? Another false alarm on the truffle front?
Let us follow this stalwart hound to see what may be revealed...

Dog tails and turkey tails ~
turkey tail fungi covering this decaying log.

Such an interesting find, that I thought, "Take two!"

This is the second part of the park - smaller, but with a nice open area and neat little woodsy trails and dog-friendly... the larger part, with playgrounds and great vistas does not, understandably, allow dogs.

Lots of views like this, with stately old trees.

Again, overly bright, but shows some of the native summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) or sweet pepper bush. These are actually in shade for most of the day and, although near the pond, are in a fairly dry soil. Other specimens, a short distance away, are growing on the banks, right down to the water. Versatile, hardy shrubs, whose sweet-scented flowers have just faded, leaving the little spikes we see in this photo.

"Serendipity" ~ I found serendipity, in the form of a little blue morning glory, holding its own amidst a tangle of wild cucumber (bur cucumber, an invasive annual vine/in the foreground) and wild grape, some of which is clambering up that tree trunk.

Sun, filtering its way through oak foliage, creates a quilt
with an intricate pattern of green and gold.

Another inviting cove, of better hue...

This shady little pathway leads out to another
favorite spot, among local fishermen.

OK ~ it's been awhile since we checked on Lucy's activities... here she is, nose to ground, front leg bent in typical pointer pose. This must be big! Wild game? The truffle, at long last? Let's follow her gaze...
None of the above, but an impressive find, nonetheless! These specimens ranged from 4-10" in diameter. Anyone that wants to leave an ID on this or the other unknown species above (photo #9), feel free - much appreciated!

Obviously, I can't get enough of these views,
so indulge me...

After all, we're packing a whole summer-off into two hours,
so I appreciate your patience!

Here, we see "wing-dog" (her nickname from traveling to work in the little red Honda) receiving the news that we're leaving for home. Is it me, or does she seem a little reluctant to leave?

Here's Lucy, ensconced within the comfort
of her luxury coupe ~ one last, wistful look
at the park, before her "driver" wheels her home.

Home, at last!

As with any vacation, no matter how short or long, it's good to be home! The gear has been stashed, the stroller folded and stored... we've retired indoors for lunch and a gander at our vacation photos. We'll venture out to the pond for other adventures, maybe as early as tomorrow, but none will have the feel of our one-day vacation. For now, it's "Home Sweet Home" for this traveling duo!

All photos ©Deb Lambert 2008

©Deb Lambert 2008

Brugmansia... A close-up View of Angel's Trumpets

ENJOY!

All Photos ©CBI 2008

Prefer pink, or maybe cream-colored? For more photos and information about these beauties, including links to helpful sites, click here to be taken back to last August's Brugmansia articles on 'gardenauthor.' To view a deep yellow greenhouse specimen or a truly unique fringed Brugmansia, go visit one of my sister-blogs at Shutterbug on Knights Pond, where Sam Haddock's photos are on display.

Note: Remember that all parts of Angel's Trumpet (both Brugmansia and Datura - annual angel's trumpet, or Jimson Weed) are toxic... symptoms range from irritation to fatality, making this an unwise plant choice around children and pets. But that aside, these are certainly among the most photogenic members of the plant kingdom.


Special "Thanks!" to photographer Steve Calef, who continues to combine his vocation and avocation, with increasingly spectacular results.


©Deb Lambert 2008

The Butterfly Exhibit

As promised, this is the rest of our zoo trip, courtesy the excellent photography of Steve Calef. In addition to the fascinating birds and animals we viewed the other day, York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Amusement Park (York, Maine) offers the opportunity for a close look at simply gorgeous "flying jewels" within their Butterfly Exhibit.

Photos ©CBI 2008

What species are they? Maybe you already know. I'd have to do a little investigating, which I may do later... just wanted to get these posted for your enjoyment.


©Deb Lambert 2008

A Trip to the Zoo

It's a hot summer day, so let's take a little time off from our garden chores, head up to York, Maine and stroll through York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Amusement Park (scroll down to "Zoo & Wild Kingdom" for a complete list of zoo residents). Established this past May, it has an impressive list of attractions, activities and animal species. Next time we'll take a peek at the Butterfly Exhibit. A special thanks to long-time photo contributor, and avid photographer, Steve Calef for making possible this trip to the zoo.....

All above photos ©CBI 2008

OK ~ 'gardenauthor' needs a lot more practice with that new camera, as is evidenced by this presentation! Any excuse to head outside and play with my new Polaroid "toy!"

©Deb Lambert 2008

BREAKING NEWS... FINALLY ~ THE BIG DAY IS HERE!

OK - Here's a little hint......


Yes, it's true... as of today, I have an actual camera ~ this very model ~ digital and everything! I no longer mourn the loss of my little 'Advantix' film camera. It's been almost 2 years since it's untimely demise. After an appropriate period of mourning, I have decided to move on... in fact, I've decided to move with the times and go digital.

So, in the spirit of new beginnings, I'd like to exhibit my first efforts. I'm "over the moon," head over heels in love with the idea of photographing all my favorite things, once again! I'll get over myself, soon, but "How do you like me now?" * ~ More to the point, how am I doing so far?

Butterfly bush (Buddleia) and sunflowers ~ magnets for our neighborhood monarchs and other butterflies, as well as hummingbird moths, goldfinches and other small songbirds.

'Brandywine' tomatoes, with a side of sweet basil! Who says you can't grow big tomatoes in containers? The basil's actually growing in the crack between the brick patio and a granite retaining curb... they were grown from seed, sown right into the crack about late June. As you can see, they've already been pinched back several times and the leaves enjoyed with fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.

This is a volunteer, undoubtedly sown by a bird - outside the formal front bed - not a location I would have chosen, as it blocks the low spirea border. Last year, I had sown several lemon-yellow 'Valentine' sunflowers in the backyard. This year, I neglected to order any, but voilà ~ now I get to harvest free seeds at the end of the season - a happy accident!
The long front, formal (maybe semi-formal) bed that borders my "little house on the prairie." We'll do more close-ups of individual specimens, later. There will never be sidewalks in our neighborhood, so I had pavers installed, with sort a cobblestone feel... good way to frame the house and beds, provide extra parking for company and give the children a bit of sidewalk to traverse.

Rudbeckia triloba, this native of Eastern North America is also called brown-eyed Susan. Plants range from 2-5' in height. These are self-seeding biennials, ideal for naturalizing. The first year a rosette of foliage is formed and the second year the vigorous upright stems are covered with a myriad tiny coneflowers. Bees and butterflies love these! They have a nice long blooming season and deadheading encourages an even longer period. Good as cut flowers. I pretty much let them come up where they wish, as this past of the yard is very informal. First-year seedlings can be moved in spring or fall, as desired. I've actually transplanted them into pots in early spring and enjoyed summer into fall color on the front patio. They're gorgeous and just about trouble-free... a 'gardenauthor' "pick of the summer."

Either side of the front stairs are containers of tomatoes, herbs and ornamentals. Very handy, on the way in at suppertime, one can harvest much of the meal from here and several other spots, right out front.

"Yeah... keep your shirt on ~ I'll smile for the camera when I'm good and ready! For your information, I'm hot on the trail of your arch-enemy, the woodchuck. He waddled down our granite steps while I was inside napping this afternoon. See? You snooze - you lose! Hold on, I'll be right with you." That Lucy is one fresh backyard mini-mastiff!

Nestled in among Clethra (summersweet, on right), blueberries on the left and various other specimens, is my most frequented birdbath. A nice cool spot for backyard birds on a warm afternoon - a favorite with butterflies, bees and a huge array of pollinators.

And in a nod to my Scottish heritage (the clan MacClean), I captured the last of the thistle blooms. Right on cue, as I snapped the picture, that bumblebee landed!


Lastly, a trio of 'Early Girl' tomatoes, growing in a pot alongside the front stairs... not a lot of sun, but great tomatoes, nonetheless. I believe that red one is destined to become the main event in a veggie sandwich! Or, maybe on a burger? Hmm ~ decisions, decisions!

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my first photographic endeavors, as well as a peek into the natural habitat of a 'gardenauthor' and her trusty 'wing dog.'

Postscript: Try clicking on these pictures..... they're HUGE! Who knew? I love this surprise - can you tell I'm a newbie? Click on Lucy-Maude's photo... pretty ferocious, eh?


*"How do you like me now?" A line from country singer Toby Keith's song of the same name.

©Deb Lambert 8/19/08

Chimney Swifts in New England?

Yes, indeed! Several evenings ago, I witnessed a feeding frenzy over Lily Pond (our huge backyard swamp) which began just before dusk and continued until almost dark. It had been a cloudy, showery day, complete with thunderstorms... perfect mosquito weather!

Now, I am still sans camera and can find no photos, without copyright, that I can post, so you'll just have to take my word on a positive ID of these fast-flying mosquito catchers. I've seen similar behavior in the daytime, by flocks of local tree swallows. As I glanced out the back window, my eyes were immediately drawn to this flock of about ten swifts. They reminded me somewhat of swallows, but as I watched, there was something almost batlike about their wing beats and flight pattern. I noticed a blackish coloration and a squared-off, almost nonexistent tail.

Bird? Bat? I had convinced myself it was a bird, but exactly which one? Well, I had to know, so I headed for my treasured "A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America" by Roger Tory Peterson. Chimney Swift, Chaetura pelagica (Family: Apodidae) is about 5-5½" long. At the risk of boring you with details, I will quote the text... every bit of which was "spot on" when compared to my little backyard swifts.

The more I read, the more assured was I of the ID ~ "Like a cigar with wings. A blackish swallowlike bird with long, slightly curved, stiff wings and no apparent tail (unless spread). It appears to beat its wings not in unison, but alternately (actually this is an illusion); the effect is more batlike, unlike the skimming of swallows. They seem to fairly 'twinkle,' gliding between spurts, holding the wings bowed in a crescent. Voice: Loud, rapid ticking or chippering notes."
And they definitely maintained communication the entire hour or so that they continued the hunt.

More research reveals that they scoop up insects in their wide mouths, while on the wing and are regarded as the most rapid fliers among living creatures. Interestingly, they are related to hummingbirds. The chimney swift is the most common eastern species.

What an enjoyable evening and another species added to my backyard visitor list. Chimney Swifts in New England? Yes, indeed! Maybe you'll spot some in your home environs.

For photos: ©Mike Danzenbaker (his North America Photo Gallery), visit "Chimney Swift"
or scroll down through a multitude of great photos in that North America Gallery!

More information: at the "The Birdchaser: Chimney Swifts" and at the Chimney Swifts Home Page.

©Deb Lambert 2008

Garden Alert...The Trouble with Tomatoes

Photo: William M. Brown, Jr / Bugwood.org

Just in from weeding, between the raindrops, and a random thought occurred to me about tomatoes. This time of year, a commonly-encountered problem is tomato blossom-end rot. As you might suspect, this is a disfigurement of the bottom, or blossom-end, of the fruit. A black or brownish area appears, often just before the tomato starts to ripen. While the rotted area can be trimmed away, before eating, much of the fruit is wasted.

Quite often, there is more than one cause for this problem. Root injury from over-vigorous cultivation, too wet, too dry, too much moisture fluctuation, evening waterings that wet foliage, wrong pH (soil acidity), poorly drained soil, lack of calcium or lack of magnesium. While a combination of several of these factors may be responsible, the latter two are likely culprits.

Fortunately, increasing the calcium and magnesium is one easy step. A couple of handfuls of lime, worked lightly into the soil around each plant, will provide the missing nutrients. The improvement is almost immediate, as the plants begin to produce the firm, sound fruit you desire. Many experts have you add lime to sweeten the soil, telling you that's what remedies the situation. Right product...wrong reason, as even pelletized lime (fastest releasing form) takes about 6 weeks to begin to change the pH ( stands for "potential hydrogen"/measurement of soil acidity - tomatoes are 5.5-7.5).

Read your lime bag, but most forms of agricultural limestone contain both calcium and magnesium. If you're without lime, often the magnesium alone will suffice and you probably have it on hand, in another form, better known as epsom salts. Dissolve 2-3 tablespoons per gallon of water and apply directly to the roots.

Now that you have the facts, take some preventive steps next year, before you set out the tomatoes. A soil test will indicate if soil is too acid for tomatoes (a chronic problem for we New England gardeners). Work the lime into the soil this fall, so it's available for next year's crop. "Beef-up" the soil with compost and other organics and consider incorporating sand or perlite, if drainage is poor. If soil is dry and sandy, try adding water-retentive polymers to avoid wide moisture fluctuation. This latter advice applies to containerized tomatoes, greatly easing watering chores.

And, speaking of potted tomato plants, they too will often show signs of blossom-end rot. That lime application also works wonderfully for containerized specimens. So, first aid for this summer's victims and a sound prevention program for next season... which brings me to the end of this "Garden Alert."

©Deb Lambert 2008

Summer Evenings at the Shore

Humans and shorebirds, alike, enjoy the rest and
solace of the seashore at the end of a busy day...
and just perhaps a little fine dining at low tide?

A Double-Crested Comorant enjoys a quiet moment,
taking in the scenery from this bayside dock.

Photos: ©CBI 2008/S.R. Calef, Photographer

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail & Great Spangled Fritillary

Admire the coneflowers and black-eyed Susans (hybrid varieties of Echinacea and Rudbeckia), but lean in for a closer look... linger a few moments and delight in nature, on this warm summer day!

That closer look reveals the industriousness of bees and other pollinators, gathering nectar along with the pollen, to feed their young... pollinating our precious flowers, meanwhile.

And lingering a few moments to see who else might visit? The reward, in this case, was the presence of butterflies. These first five photos are of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail...

Much lovelier than its caterpillar, which when first hatched (from a yellow-green globular egg) looks like a brown and white bird dropping. The mature caterpillar is about 2" long, green swollen in front, with false orange and black eyespots. Host plants include willow, birch, ash and cherry trees. They overwinter as a mottled green or brown sticklike chrysalis.

There are 1-3 broods per year, depending on location and individual season. Habitat includes broadleaf woodland glades, gardens, parks, orchards, roads and rivers.


Although the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is the most widely distributed of the tiger swallowtails, thus making it fairly common and oft-encountered, we never tire of marveling at this striking butterfly!

And, lastly, we witness the Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies as they pose and dance across the coneflowers. With a 3-3¾" wingspan, they are not easily overlooked. The velvety black caterpillar, with six rows of orange-red and black spines, feed on violet foliage.

You will find them in flight from mid-May to October and moist, open woods and meadows provide their ideal habitat. They mate in June or July, with the female laying pale brown eggs on or near violets, in August and September. Newly-hatched caterpillars, which actually resemble dried leaves, overwinter until spring when they eat young violet leaves.

While the upperside and underside of forewings is essentially the same, the upper and lower surfaces of the hindwings are quite different. The males have a little brighter coloration than females.
These two photos truly highlight the difference between the upper and lower hindwing appearance.


Although the Great Spangled Fritillary seeks nectar from a variety of blossoms, its favorite is the Knapweed (Centaurea nigra).

So, take a closer look and just a few extra moments, to fully appreciate all that Mother Nature has to offer on such a pleasant summer's day.


Special "Thanks" to S.R. Calef, Photographer/©CBI 2008
©Deb Lambert 2008