Thursday, November 15, 2012

Six Secrets in my Garden


Jackmanii Clematis

There are six secrets in my garden that lurk behind the leaves of shrubs and trees, peek out at particular moments, or silently whisper to me at unexpected moments. They are hidden all over the garden and only are visible to gardeners who listen and watch very closely.

I am joining Carol of May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Since we are nearing the end of the year, I am highlighting many of the wonders from the entire year in this GBBD post.


Hiding Places

Lurking in secret spots are those that wish to stay secure and keep a low profile. Sometimes it is unexpected and the concealment is not intentional.

Bumble Bee in Squash Blossom



And at other times, the hideaway is a mere match of coloring and size that protects against predators or allows for some time alone.

Hoverflies mating on shasta daisy

Artistry

Sometimes hidden and sometimes with bold abandon, there is color and texture equaling the hand of an artist in the garden.

Gerbera Daisies

Rain droplets brush their sheen on petals and create a glimmering surprise.


Chrysanthemum after a rain

Once in a while, a bloom dips down from its stalk as if it is creating form and decorative flair.

Pineapple Sage

Birds move around the garden more freely than most creatures, their wings painting colors across the landscape.

Eastern Bluebird

When summer begins to merge into fall, the petals of the crape myrtle coat the ground and splatter across the bird bath.

Crape Myrtle petals in bird bath


Magic and Mystery

At rare moments, something will happen where magic happens.

Pink Knock-out Rose with little bug on petal

Or a mystery shows up on the porch in front of the door. How did this get here? What bird left a calling card?

Eastern Bluebird Feather

And then there are magical surprises where garden creatures seem to know they are wielding a wand of alchemy.

Pearl Crescent Butterfly on window



Seasonal Surprises

Each season is different, but there are some expectations. Inevitably there are many surprises as well. Secretly and quietly, garden creatures find the bird baths and then release all that tension to splash about.

Female Robin Bathing

Who knew that some seed heads secretly find their own beauty even on a bad hair day?

Jackmanii Clematis Seed Head

Butterflies sneak around, flitting and fluttering, sometimes looking for nectar, sometimes looking for moisture.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Another seed head seems to spin in the wind, camouflaging that vivid color of summer.

Purple Coneflower Seed Head

Winter has its own secrets never revealing what it may bring. Sometimes ice comes suddenly and washes over the branches.



And other times winter creeps across a region and silently lets the snow fall.





Unexpected Friendly Visits

The resident cats find secrets as they peer around corners and smell behind tree trunks. Sometimes they find a garden bee hovering around water.



Many things are under wraps and under petals when the young are emerging.


Young Praying Mantis on Lily Petal

Transformation

Every garden experiences transformation from season to season, from year to year. The unexpected can happen when the weather secretly decides to change, like 50 degrees F in February. A secret, to be sure.

Hydrangea emerging in winter

Butterflies keep their egg-laying locations a secret, teasing the eye as they seem to flutter about in a casual way. In a few weeks, the larvae are visible to those that look closely for the green and black design that shrouds them in camouflage.

Black Swallowtail larvae on parsley

When the vibrant blooms of the coneflower fade for the autumn to covertly spread their seed and multiply, they fold up into a dry clump to keep everything classified.


Purple Coneflower Dried Bloom

Many things remain secluded and undercover in my garden. I have only revealed a few of those closely held secrets. What are some of the secrets in your garden?


Thanksgiving Cactus

I am going to take some time away from blogging to prepare for and enjoy the holidays. I wish you very happy holidays filled with joy, wonder and many happy surprises.

See you back here in January...

© copyright 2012 Michelle A. Potter

96 comments:

  1. Wow, amazing pictures! I love the bluebird.

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    1. Thank you, Jason. That was a special surprise. I was clicking away at them and found that one among the shots later,

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  2. Your six secrets are divine. The photos beautiful and fitting to each secret.

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  3. Your secrets keep me swooning, how i wish i can take shots like them. I wonder how much more salt will i take in before getting the same shots. OMG, I will be dreaming tonight.It is too early for the holidays, that will be two months to January. But joking aside, enjoy your holidays, keep warm! We will still be here when you come back!

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    1. You are very kind, Kalantikan. Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas and New Year's are not far behind. There is lots to do, and I am a bit behind because I have been working so much. I will miss blogging and look forward to January.

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  4. Your pictures are wonderful! I really do have to work on my shots.
    Have a nice GBBD!
    Best wishes from Austria!
    Elis Fischer

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  5. Your six secrets are stunning! I love the butterfly, its shade and the light going through its wings.

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    1. Thank you, Nadezda. I will miss the butterflies until spring.

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  6. What a great GBBD post! There are too many fantastic pics to pick a favorite, but I especially enjoyed the simplicity of the gerbera daisies.

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer. We are having very frosty nights, so blooms are going to sleep for the season.

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  7. Lovely post and beautiful photos. Happy GBBD!

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  8. What beautiful photos--the bluebird capture is just stunning. Enjoy your blogging respite, and I look forward to visiting in January after your break. Wishing you very happy holidays!

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    1. Thank you, Julie. I am so glad you stopped by. Enjoy your holidays!

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  9. What a gorgeous look back at your year. Magical photos! I look forward to your return as well.

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    1. Thank you for your kind comment. Looking back at the year brought back memories from the garden.

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  10. Wow, gorgeous as always! Thanks for sharing, it so cheers up a dreary fall day around here.

    Michael

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    1. Thanks, Michael. I am glad you found respite here. Wishing you some sunshine...

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  11. Stunning photos! What a sweet and special review of a year in your garden. Happy GBBD!

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    1. Thanks. It was a way to remember the year. I am glad you liked it. Happy GBBD.

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  12. Thank you for this great post, your photos are stunning. Those beautiful butterflies, which we have not got here and the Asian bluebird are amazing to me.

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    1. Thanks, Janneke. I, too, get a thrill from seeing the fauna and flora of other places.

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  13. Awesome post...and a nice reminder of the things happening in our gardens we are seldom even aware of!

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    1. So glad you liked the post, Scott. More and more, I begin to see things I missed before.

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  15. Beautiful photos, as always! Your macros are so well composed and with such vibrant colours! Wishing you a nice blogging break and a happy GBBD :-)

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    1. You are very kind, Helene. Hope your holidays are full of smiles. Happy GBBD.

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  16. wish you happy holidays, till next year!

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  17. What a wonderful visit to this gardening season. I absolutely love your photo of the gerbera from behind.

    Enjoy your break and return relaxed and refreshed.

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  18. Wonderful photos, I think we all like discovering secrets in our gardens. Have a good break and will look forward to your return.

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    1. It is part of the fun, isn't it? Thank you, Pauline.

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  19. Glad you shared your 'secrets'. I loved reading about each of them, and your photos are wonderful. I think gardeners will agree that it's the secrets that we look for when we are out in the garden. Happy holidays to you. I hope they are very cheerful and merry.

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    1. Those secrets keep us interested, I think. Thank you, Holley. Have very happy holidays.

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  20. Replies
    1. Thank you, Deanne. I am very glad you enjoyed the post.

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  21. Your post showcases the magic and wonder we can find in our own backyards, don't have to climb the Himalayas or cross a desert, it's all right there under our nose, if we look for it! Too many wonderful pictures to mention :)

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    1. I really loved reading how you expressed that wonder in the garden. So true. Thank you, Rosemary.

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  22. Such enchanting little secrets you've so beautifully shared. I discovered a tiny Sweet Violet in my gardens this morning.,. secretly blooming alone in a garden almost entirely a sleep. We have had two snow storms, a dozen or so hard frosts and a week of temps in the teens... now how did that tiny bloom ever survive all that to bloom this very day? Secrets indeed.

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    1. That is a wonderful garden secret you shared, Carolyn. Those magical enchantments are one of the reasons I garden. Nature always delivers and always amazes.

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  23. What a sweet idea for a post--each garden has its special secrets. Sometimes they take my breath away. Thanks for sharing yours! Enjoy your holidays, Michelle!

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    1. Thank you, Beth. I hope your holidays were very pleasant. Happy new year!

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  24. Extremely cool shots! That's why we garden isn't it?:) One connects to the other....and makes me smile:)

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  25. Ogród kryje wiele tajemnic, który Ty cudownie pokazałaś na swoich wspaniałych zdjęciach i w opisie. Gratuluję rewelacyjnego postu. Pozdrawiam.
    Garden holds many secrets that you showed us in their wonderful wonderful pictures and descriptions. Congratulations on a sensational subject. Yours.

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    1. Thank you, Giga. I am happy you connected with the post. I think it is easy for gardeners to find those secrets in their gardens. Happy 2013!

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  26. Lovely secrets, story well told. May you have a wonderful holiday!

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    1. Thanks, Autumn Belle. I hope your holidays were joyful and have a very happy 2013.

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  27. What beautiful photographs!! Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday and well over the festive season!

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    1. Thank you for your kind wishes, Christine. The holidays are always such a nice way to celebrate.

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  28. Beautiful! Although, I had to laugh at the Jackmanii Clematis seed head, we have something in common. It seems we're both having a bad hair day!

    I love the first photograph of the coneflower seed head. Its rays have an almost modern art-like quality to them. Quite stunning!

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    1. Thank you, Clare. I am partial to that Jackmanii clematis seed head, too. It makes me smile, and I am somehow drawn to the texture.

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  29. Michelle I wish you Happy Holidays as I dream in your garden...just a fabulous post!

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    1. Thank you, Donna. I hope your holidays were pleasant and filled with lovely surprises.

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  30. You have left us with some wonderful images. Enjoy your holiday break.

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    1. It was very enjoyable, Marisa. Thank you for your lovely comment.

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  31. The coneflower seed head photo is fantastic. I love how you look at your garden.

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    1. Thanks, Mary. I am hoping to find more of those secrets this year. :)

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  32. Stunning! I love that bluebird picture. All the pictures are like a review of the Mother Nature.

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  33. Hi, I was happy to come across your beautiful blog. Your flowers and blooms are just gorgeous. A what a wonderful look into your garden. Gorgeous photos.

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  34. Michelle, thank you for the beautiful send off. Your photos are a feast for the eyes. Have a wonderful holiday and see you again in the new year.

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    1. Thank you, Marguerite. I hope you had wonderful holidays as well. May 2013 bring you much joy.

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  35. Beautiful photos, Michelle; a lovely way to remember the joys of gardening this past season. I hope your holidays are filled with cheer!

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    1. Thank you, Rose, for your kind wishes. We had very nice holidays. I hope you did as well and happy new year to you.

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  36. Season's greetings! Stunning photos, write-up, and garden!

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment and your add, Sharon.

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  38. What a great slant on GBBD which can get boring when the plants are the same as last year. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time off.

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    1. Thank you, Carolyn. I am so glad you enjoyed the post. And happy new year!

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  39. You know, I might take a break as well! Wish I had such glorious photography to make such an announcement, alas, I do not. Enjoy your break and enjoy the holidays to the fullest!

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    1. Thanks, Jayne. You are very kind, and I appreciate it very much. Hoping 2013 brings you every happiness.

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  40. Absolutely gorgeous photography!! Your blog just keeps getting better and better. It's always such a treat to come visit!

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    1. Thank you, Tammy, for your kind comment. I really appreciate that.

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  41. I hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving and blogging break. What a nice Bloom Day post you have put together. I have not thought of my garden in terms of the secrets it holds. Now I will look at it with fresh eyes.

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    1. Thank you, Jennifer. To me, the garden is a magical place, and I find all kinds of things in it, real and imagined. :)

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  42. have a good blogging break Michelle. Spectacular post to conclude 2012. Look forward to what 2013 brings, cheers, catmint

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    1. Thanks, catmint. Hope 2013 brings you many surprises.

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  43. What a wonderful post and pictures which must indeed be many of your favourites of 2012.

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    1. Thank you, Alistair. They are many of my favorites of 2012.

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  44. I love it when people share their secrets especially when presented with beautiful prose and images. Of all your images, I must say I'm drawn to the humble seed heads of the common coneflower. Thanks for sharing the whole package with us.

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    1. Many thanks, Patrick. That is one of my favorites, too.

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  45. Stunning photos as always, you illustrate the magic of a garden beautifully. And I am so glad to spot that you have a "follow by email" option now, I'll find it much easier to keep up with your posts!

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    1. Thank you, Janet. I am hoping for even more magic in 2013. Happy new year!

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  46. Such an interesting posts. I enjoy the photos and the commentary. The shimmering yellow-green-pink colours on the wings of the hoverfly is amazing.

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    1. Thank you, Stiletto. That is one of my favorites, too.

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  47. I never get tired of looking at your photos. Beautiful!

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  48. Replies
    1. Thank you, Salma. Hope you had wonderful holidays. Happy new year!

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  49. Nice Post. Thank you for sharing this Information.
    Visit Best Astrologer in Richmond road.

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'I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see 'em bloom for me and for you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world'
--What a Wonderful World

Thank you for visiting The Sage Butterfly blog. I enjoy reading your charming reflections very much. Have a great day!

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