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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Garden Company

You're never alone in the garden.



Tiny eyes are always there,

Watching, waiting for you to leave
a crumb for them to share.

The trees are filled with singing birds,
Perhaps a squirrel or two,





While frogs and rabbits in the brush
Watch everything you do....




You're never alone in the garden,

You'll meet God's creatures there,



And when you least expect it,
Perhaps angels unaware.

Garden Company

Clay Harrison

26 comments:

  1. Those pictures are such pleasure for the eyes. Particular that picture with the orange-coloured butterfly with the sunshine thrue its wings / gittan

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  2. You do have so many visitors in your garden. The frog photo is so cute. I love seeing lizards in the garden. We don't have lizards here. I have often wondered why?? Of course those lovely winged creatures can't be beat.

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  3. Great captures of the 'Garden Company' just think how much company you don't see in the garden.

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  4. Beautiful photos, Meems! As much as I love the butterflies, the little frog peeking out is just so cute. It is oh so true that we're never alone in the garden. Just this morning, I was checking out some plants for blooms when two hummingbirds swooped down and checked them out, too. I left the garden smiling:)

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  5. I have to go to a butterfly exhibit to see that many butterflies! What a variety you have there! I love strolling through the garden to see how many creatures I see!

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  6. Love the poem and I love the pictures even more! I am reading Cultivating Delight, A Natural History of My Garden by Diane Ackerman right now. Have you read it? It is wonderful!

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  7. Meems,

    Wonderful butterfly photos! So you have Cuban Brown Lizards in the garden too. He is not native but a blast to watch. We have baby Five-lined Skinks all over the place here right now.

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  8. Your piece of paradize is beautiful Meems!

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  9. Fantastic photos! I love the tiny frog so much! Such a cute little thing. The butterflies are great and your flowers look like they are thriving and flourishing this summer.

    Cameron

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  10. Hi Meems, We are home from Florida--and I kept thinking about you --when we went from Ormond Beach across the state toward Tallahasee. Where exactly do you live??? Someday--I hope we can visit you and see your beautiful garden/yard.

    You are right---we are NEVER alone in the garden...

    Hope things are going great for you down there in HOT Florida.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  11. Beautiful garden! I'm trying to get better with the non-veggie stuff.

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  12. You're lucky to have such pretty visitors! I enjoyed your pictures as usual.

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  13. I see some egg laying on your passion vine. Do you have trouble keeping it where you put it in your garden?

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  14. Gittan,
    Those Gulf Fritillaries are out in great numbers this year... they are a favorite here, too.

    Lisa,
    I wonder if the lizards don't overwinter??? Just a thought... I haven't done a shred of research on it. Thanks for coming by.

    Darla,
    I always think the very same thing... what I wish for is great photos of the tiniest eyes. The answer is a new camera I think. *grin*

    Randy,
    Thanks so much.

    Rose,
    Two! How fantastic. The way you describe seeing your hummers is the same way I've seen a few here this summer. They swoop and they drink and they move quickly. No photos yet.

    Robin,
    It seems this time of year the garden is teeming with critters in abundance... of every kind.

    Nanamoo,
    Thanks so much for the recommendation... I haven't read it but will check it out right away. Sounds delightful.

    Randy,
    So that's what you call him? Thanks for the ID... there are a lot of them around here. Skinks? only occasionally will I see one or two. But I DO have snakes... came across two just yesterday.

    Tatyana,
    Thank you... I'm glad my photos can at least make it "look" like paradise. lol

    Cameron,
    Thank you. The flowers in these photos are suited for our 100% humidity... as a matter of fact they thrive in it so that helps. I've been seeing so many young frogs lately... even young toads... I sure hope they are doing their duty of eating the slugs because I've got more than my share.

    Chris,
    Thank you.

    Betsy,
    I have a feeling you came very close to me if you went across the state from Ormond Beach. We are in the Tampa Bay Area. Glad you're back home safely.

    Compost,
    They say you're like the company you keep. hmmmm...

    Dennis,
    And I'm trying to get better at the veggie stuff.

    Catherine,
    Honestly, they DO keep me company all day long as I mill about doing my gardening. They are delightful to have around.

    Rick,
    You noticed! The Zebra Longwing was the whole reason I took the chance on the vine. It might be too much work to control where it is placed (I knew that when I sited it there but was a little stubborn about it-- imagine that). I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it in the fall. I might move it -- but I can't be without it. It has hosted the Gulf Fritillary and I have more Zebra Longwings this summer than I've ever had. Any suggestions/solutions/wisdom from the expert? I'm all ears.:-)

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  15. So lovely a poem and the photos are wonderful! The bird looks like an exotic creature with the flower/seed heads sticking up behind it~I never see lizards and frogs in the garden these days. I wonder where they are hiding! gail

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  16. I have seena ton on Dragonflies, Lizards, and frogs. The frogs like to hide in the Banana Tree and Elephnat Ear leaves. I also have Hummingbirds that loves the Penta's and Mexican Peunia's.

    Jake

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  17. The best way to keep the larva coming and aviod the consequences of the kudzu wannabe is to stick with the native corky stem passion vine. P. suberosa. You have to nurse this one along and find the right spot as it is not so vigorous, does not sucker and the larva eat it bare. It grows easily from seed which you can collect and share even from a potted plant. I also have had a less agressive vine I aquired 15 years ago and it is way less agressive. The flowers are smaller and it suckers just a bit and seeds are just frequent enough to keep it going without any care but not spread everywhere. When I find the name of this one I will pass it to you. I would not take a chance in keeping the invassive one you have as it will come up 50 feet from where you have it and you will never win the battle to erradicate it if you wait too long.

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  18. Rick,
    Great information... thank YOU! I'm not sure how to tell which passiflora I have... the nursery did not have a thorough tag... just "passion vine". The flowers are definitely smaller though.

    I have a feeling you are right about the suckers ... I already see them coming up several feet away. This one is going to have to be replaced in the fall to avoid a long standing nightmare.

    thanks again.

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  19. omg, i thought for a moment that you had released another latent talent - writing poetry! but alas, i found the credit at the end of the post! great pics!

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  20. You are so lucky to have such beautiful creatures visiting. Also to be able to garden all year would be great, although the winter break with snowy days is kind of nice. I love the pictures, especially the black and white butterfly. And of course like everyone else, that frog is toooo cute.

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  21. Absolutely gorgeous! Your garden is buzzing, isn't it? I love that black& white butterfly sitting on the lantana.Almost as much as that cute little frog hiding among the leaves :)

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  22. such a peaceful post meems...i love it. we have been deprived this year of many butterflies. there are some but just not as many as last year. i really am delighted you have so many. i love the frog peeking out. there are always so many creatures in the garden and you have captured the essence of them so well. your photographs are exquisite.
    happy august.

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  23. Mercy, this is jes' so lovely, Meems. Whata summer you have had--I can smell that oak mulch. What gorgeous photos. It is always a treat to visit here.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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