Pheathers – Scamp Fledgling

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers7 Comments
BERJAYA

I had suspected a robin’s nest in the crepe myrtle. A few times, when I walked beneath it, an adult robin would fly out with a hasty flapping of its wings, angry at having its territory invaded. I peered up several times, hoping to spot a nest, and so did my husband, but we never found one or heard any telltale peeping.

Everything changed today when I heard loud, consistent, almost angry-sounding chirping. I peered around the corner of the house, and there on the spare tire of my husband’s Scamp trailer sat an adorable baby robin. It seemed to be abandoned. Of course, I ran into the house and grabbed my camera, zooming in so I wouldn’t get too close.

The baby was not as abandoned as I feared. Up on the camper’s rooftop, I saw movement and spied the mother bird watching from above. Why is it so thrilling to see baby birds leave the nest? It’s also scary, but I was so relieved about forty minutes later. The chirping seemed to be coming from a new vicinity. Sure enough, the baby’s wings lifted it up into a lilac tree about twenty yards away from its perch on the camper. It is much safer to be about seven feet in the air. Now, if only the rain would stop.

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Photo Challenge – Whatsoever is Lovely – Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges10 Comments
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The last three days have seen sunshine, torrential rainstorms, steady rain, and sunshine once more. Camera in hand, I photographed some of the lovely residents of my yard and gardens. They are perfect for Xingfu Mama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge #25.

The Catbirds have been busy flying through the yard in search of insects and visiting the non-melt suet we have hanging on a Shepherd’s Hook. Evidence of the success of their busy lives was in the backyard two days ago.

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How sweet, and how glad I was that he/she could fly. I like the hold the fledgling has on the composter. The baby birds seem so vulnerable. I said to my husband, “It is amazing that any survive the pitfalls of backyard fledging.”

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The parent birds have been fruitful and are very attentive throughout the fledging period. Raucous warning chirps and screeches reverberated through the yard all day as the baby bird found its way.

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Three Little Bees, I am singing the Bob Marley song, ‘Three Little Birds,’ with the substitution word of Bees in place of Birds. These three bees seemed fine sharing the Milkweed blooms among themselves.

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Cabbage Whites are sometimes considered pests. Their caterpillars devour cruciferous vegetable leaves. Still, up close and personal, I love their pristine wings and mint green eyes. One of these days, I will paint their beautiful faces.

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Phloral Arrangement – IAVOM – Any Old Vase!

On By TimelessladyIn Phloral Arrangements20 Comments
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Lucky me! The flowers are blooming in such abundance that is a quick study to take my clippers, and circle the yard, snipping and snapping the stems of whatever takes my fancy. Plopped into a simple hyacinth vase, with a wiry bird standing guard, and voila, an IAVOM arrangement is born. These days are the best in my New Jersey gardens. We are in a bit of a drought, but with watchful watering, everything is still in bloom. I sure wish I could water as fast as I created the bouquet. It can be very time-consuming, but it’s so worth it. Thanks for Rambling in the Garden for hosting the challenge. Wishing all a flowery, lovely week.

The backdrop is a windowsill and sheer curtains; one of the best places to get the bright diffused light I need to make the bouquet shine. The flowers I used are: Mr. Lincoln Rose, Angel-Wing Begonia, a white Echinacea, white Yarrow, a sprig of Lady in Red Salvia, maroon Cosmos, and my favorite buttercream Nasturtiums.

Photo Challenges – The Crayola Box of 8 – Green

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I’m taking part again in the CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge) hosted by Dan at No Facilities. My greens were all photographed this week during a visit to the Delaware Bay town of Fortescue, New Jersey.

Green is the prominent landscape color around the bay towns. The foliage is important in keeping the barrier dunes intact during the Nor’easters and hurricanes that whip up the coastline.

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This green boat seemed to fit in perfectly with the Crayola Box of 8 theme.

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Milkweed grows in abundance along the salt marshes surrounding the bay. During the summer we see many Monarch Butterflies visiting the area. Milkweed is a host plant for Monarch caterpillars.

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Unfortunately, where milkweed grows in massive displays, so does poison ivy. Many who visit shore towns and bays don’t realize that poison ivy grows well in sandy soil, as well as woodlands and hedgerows.

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Chartreuse signs with green letters and illustrations were on many lawns, warning of turtle crossings. Luckily, we were aware, and on the way home, swerved quickly to avoid a turtle crossing to the other side of the road.

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This image of a turtle is not the best quality, but the turtle was swimming quickly, and the current it was in was moving even quicker. Two types of turtles swam from the bay into the creek as the tide rushed in. We stood on a bridge and watched them swim beneath us, almost as if they were on a conveyor belt. We have never, in all of our lives, seen so many turtles. Four types of turtles can be found in this area: a mix of sea, freshwater, and brackish-water species. All appear green, from light to dark, with many shapes and markings on their shells.

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I filled an empty coffee cup with some shells and other beach detritus. The driftwood piece was a find, as it resembles a bird’s head from both sides. I’ll have to save it for a special project or gift it to someone who collects beachy items. I was happy to find a few green pieces of sea glass. We find most of the sea glass we collect on the beaches of bays rather than on our New Jersey ocean beaches. We also have had good luck finding sea glass along the beaches of the Chesapeake Bay.

Photographs – The Crayola Box of 8/Yellow

On By TimelessladyIn Photographs, Phriday Phlowers13 Comments

I love challenges involving color. A new CFFC has begun, The Crayola Box of Eight Challenge will be fun to participate in over the course of the summer. I missed the start last week. Red was the first color of choice. This week’s challenge will feature YELLOW.

Hosted by Dan at No Facilities. Thank you Dan for hosting.

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I am also including my yellow flowers in Le Monde de Kitchi’s Friday Flowers Post.

Photo Challenge – Whatsoever is Lovely – Week 23

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges17 Comments
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The photograph of a lady cardinal is a little blurry, but I didn’t want to get too close and cause her stress. I would never have seen her if I hadn’t cleaned the bird bath that sits near the tree she has built her nest in. I was scrubbing away algae with a brush, making what I know now, in hindsight, was a dreadful noise, and suddenly she flew out of the japonica bush. Later, I quietly returned and stood a respectful ten feet away, and I just made out her profile. How beautiful. Somehow, she was steadfast through the horrible noise of my neighbor’s landscaper and his huge mowing machines. She is still there today and hopefully, soon there will be the peeping of baby cardinals.

This post is part of Xingfu Mama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Photo Challenge.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (NIV)

~Phillipians 4:8

Phriday Phlowers – Nasturtiums 2026

On By TimelessladyIn Phriday Phlowers10 Comments
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“Nasturtiums, who colored you, you wonderful, glowing things? You must have been fashioned out of summer sunsets.” ~Lucy Maud Montgomery

I started quite a few Nasturtium seeds over the winter. They sprouted quickly on heat mats and then grew steadily, though they remained a bit gangly, and the stems were not very strong. Planted into pots of enriched soil in mid-spring, they quickly became monstrously vigorous with some leaves nearly as large as my palm. I wondered if they would bloom since the rich soil promoted so much foliage growth. My question has been answered in the last few weeks as buds have formed and new flowers have opened. I am ecstatic about the colors.

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My favorites are the near-white and creamy-yellow varieties. I love the way the foliage highlights the yellow of the petals. Some of the foliage is also variegated; this type is a vining Nasturtium, and the colors are richly jeweled, ranging from deep gold to maroon.

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Even better is the ease with which the very large seeds sprout by just pushing with a forefinger into loose soil. This flowering plant is almost the best choice for young children to plant.

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This post is part of Le Monde de Kitchi. Thanks to the host for the challenge.

Photo Challenges – Six on Saturday and Skywatch

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Spring yellows, golds, and oranges have a more luminous appeal than the jewel-like tones of Autumn colors. Each flower seems to capture the springtime sunshine and reflect it back towards the sky. The flowers above, blooming in my garden this week, are part of Skywatch Friday. The blooms, from top left to bottom right, are: marigold, pansy, mandevilla, butterfly bush, French marigold, and nasturtium. Thanks to Garden Ruminations for hosting Six on Saturday.

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Another orange-and-greeny-gold flower is the Red Hot Poker, which is blooming now. It stands tall, perfectly backdropped by the blue of the sky. I like the patterns the tubular flowers form as they circle the stem. This flower is appreciated by hummingbirds. Thanks to Skywatch Friday for this challenge.

Phloral Arrangement – IAVOM/New Dawn

On By TimelessladyIn Phloral Arrangements19 Comments
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It’s easier now to find a good selection of flowers to create an arrangement for In A Vase On Monday (IAVOM). Although our Spring weather has been erratic, we’ve had enough warmth and now plenty of rain to bring roses and other early bloomers into flower. A small bird stands alongside the metal stand holding the arrangement. My father bought it for me years ago, finding it in a vintage shop and knowing I loved old Made-in-Japan figurines. It is precious to me.

Along with a few mini-carnations left from a church arrangement for this past weekend, I have used most of the blooms from my garden beds. New Dawn and Cathedral Bells roses, Catmint (Nepeta), and a few leaf sprigs from False Indigo.

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New Dawn is a shade of pink that I call Nonie-Pink. My grandmother loved to wear this shade of pink. I can just see her in my mind’s eye in a pink blouse with a lovely dove gray jumper completing the outfit. I have a soft spot for any flower that blooms in this lovely shade. The name seems perfect for the medium-sized rose.

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Although the flowers are not large, the bush is a climber and has become massive in just a few short years. I have climbing hooks attached to the soffits under my porch, and the plant measures at least 10 feet wide and 8 feet high, which is a bit underestimated. Unfortunately, out of all my roses, this one seems to be the most delicious to sawflies and other chewing insects. Since I don’t spray chemical insecticides and only handpick or spray baking soda and soap, the upper branches with soft, new growth really bear the brunt of the attack.

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Cathedral Bell roses have beautiful peony-shaped buds. The petal count is immense, and they become so heavy in the rain that they pull their slender branches into an arc facing the ground. They really resemble bells in this instance.

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Catmint (Nepeta) is a reliable perennial that displays a cloud of lavender spikes over beautiful bluish foliage.

The leaves of False Indigo are one of my very favorite foliage choices. It becomes so large and bushy that the pruning for arrangements keeps it in check.  My cat loves the pieces of catmint, whether it is fresh or dried for storage.

Thanks to Rambling in the Garden for hosting IAVOM.

Phriday Phlowers – First Dahlia Bloom

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Starting dahlia seed weeks earlier than the packet recommended was certainly the right choice this year. The dahlias sprouted well, under lights and with a heat mat. They grew steadily, only becoming slightly leggy. I pinched them down a few times and repotted them more than once. Yesterday, I was rewarded when the first dahlia opened and bloomed. This variety is my favorite. Small, compact, colorful, the dahlia will grow easily all summer in a pot. I have several more on the verge of blooming. What a joyful time of year it is as I keep watch over each bud, anticipating the color surprises that await me.

The variety is called ‘Dandy,’ and it certainly is a ‘fine and dandy’ dahlia. The source of the seeds was Baker Creek Seeds. The feature I love most about this dahlia is the color of the contrasting petals around the center. This flower, with the large bud and stem cut away, can be pressed between the pages of a book.

This post is part of Friday Flowers #20.

Phloral Arrangement – Monochrome Monday/Golden Iris

On By TimelessladyIn Phloral Arrangements21 Comments
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Monochrome Monday/Golden Iris

Oh, the joy of Iris flowers. One of my favorite bicycle excursions around town was the year I took my camera and sought out as many photo opportunities as possible of local irises in private gardens.

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The beautiful golden petals of the Iris I used in my In A Vase On Monday arrangement is unknown to me. It started as one or two plants, either purchased or given to me. It’s been so long; I truly can’t remember at this point. They have multiplied so well that I have them interspersed throughout many of my gardens.

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Alongside the side fence, they are so densely packed that they are a good barrier to keep my neighbor’s grass from growing into my flower bed.

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I’ve had the vase so long I don’t remember exactly where it came from, either. So, it is a perfect choice for the Iris of unknown origin.

Thanks to Cathy from Rambling in the Garden for hosting IAVOM.

Phloral Arrangement – IAVOM Vintage Vase

On By TimelessladyIn Phloral Arrangements11 Comments
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The Grape Hyacinths were lovely this year. They grew tall enough to be clipped and brought in for a flower arrangement. When I created the bouquet, I added Creeping Jenny. The addition of these small pieces of foliage was the right choice for the pint-sized vase.

While walking through a local Goodwill store, my eyes fell on this vibrant yellow vase adorned with a bright blue flower. I was close to being certain it was vintage when I spotted it. Sure enough, when I brought it home and looked up the writing on the back side, Pat Png. Opco Zano, the estimated date of manufacture was the 1950’s. Even better, when I clicked on images, I found that the vase comes in a variety of colors and with different flowers on the front. I will keep an eye out for similar vases.

Thanks to Rambling in the Garden for hosting the IAVOM challenge.

Quick Tip – Saving Sprouts

On By TimelessladyIn Quick Tip2 Comments
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I’ve shared this before, but it is worth mentioning again for those who plant seeds whose sprouts are irresistible to chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits. I have planted sunflower seeds from packets many times. I usually have some success, but it’s often mediocre. I have found that the seeds that have sprouted from the birdfeeder are superior in performance.

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I found just such a specimen a few weeks ago, hidden alongside my air conditioner. I knew once it was spotted, it would be bitten off and have no chance of reaching the flowering stage. To the rescue was an empty liter soda bottle (two liters work just as well, as do clear plastic juice containers). I cut off the bottom, remove the top, and place a popsicle stick or skewer alongside the bottom to anchor the protective shield in place. This has worked for me in the past. It’s not a pretty fix, but it is quick and economical. If your sunflower sprouts get devoured before they can reach a size where the leaves can’t be reached, give this tip a try.

Phlowers – Spring Festival #4 – Purple-Blue Shades

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers15 Comments
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Week #4 of The Day After’s challenge finds me in sync with Dawn’s post of Just Shades of Purple. I can relate to anyone who loves the color purple. I also found an abundance of beautiful purples blossoming, shades from bluish-purple to a true lavender.

Violets are a welcome sight in Spring. They can be invasive, but I don’t mind that in the least. In a hard-to-weed garden border, its exuberant leafing out saves me hours of labor every summer. They are also the primary host plant for the Frittalary Butterfly.

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The lovely Periwinkle is one of the first flowers of Spring.

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Grape hyacinths have spread from a dozen or so bulbs my son gave me years ago. They have naturalized and even show up in the lawn.

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Lavender and purple combine perfectly in a beautiful viola blossom. Thanks to Dawn for hosting this Festival Challenge.

Photo Challenge – One-to-Three Photo Processing/Hummingbird Moth

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The weather has turned chilly for April, but I have still spotted some beautiful Cabbage White butterflies. This creates dreams in me of summer winged creatures. One of these is the beautiful Hummingbird Moth. I am using a photo of this unique insect as my One-to-Three Photo Processing reference photo.

I’ve taken many photos of Hummingbird Moths, but it’s rare to capture the beauty of their transparent wings.

I’ve used filters and overlays from Ribbet.com for all of the one-to-three processing.

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I like how the Neon filter accentuates the lines and shapes of the photograph. If I were sketching the moth, this process would help me see the shape and segments of its wings.

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I used the Posterize filter again this month. It is a favorite for its ability to isolate blocks of color.

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The Space overlay gives the photo an otherworldly appearance. Something in the stars and the subdued colors gives the photo a sense of mystery and makes me feel creative, in a literary sense, just by gazing at it.

Thank you to Xingu Mama for hosting this challenge. This post is part of Xingfu Mama’s Photo Challenge One-to-Three Photo Processing.

Phavorites – March 2026

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Today, April was a bit of a trickster and surprised me with the emergence of a Black Swallowtail butterfly. I know this post is about March Favorites, but I had to include this April Fool’s surprise. I certainly wasn’t expecting it.

The photo is a bit blurry, but you can see the beautiful creature resting on my carpet. Thankfully, the day temperatures were very warm, and there were blooming flowers. I was glad the butterfly could be released immediately. I hope it found some shelter, sustenance, and maybe a friend. 

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Several butterflies overwintered on the porch until a hungry wren ate every chrysalis that was not partially held in place by blue tape. I saved four, and three are resting on my curtains; maybe they will surprise me soon.

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Winter-sown lettuces and greens have reached a point where they are irresistible to grazing. Oh, the joy of fresh greens. I cut the tops off the milk cartons after sprouting and use the bottoms as pots.

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I have many magazines and found them to be a good start for collage journaling. I have stopped coloring my hair, and the grey is a good representation of my new look. I found this project a good fit for a relaxed Sunday afternoon, and I hope to continue throughout the year.

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Another creative outlet for Winter’s end has been painting seashells for the Jersey Shore Shells group. I love clamshells and enjoy blinging them up with acrylic paint pens.

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The simplicity of dandelions still thrills me.

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The daffodils have brought us a lot of joy and a sense of blossoming sunshine.

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I’ve been finishing up several reading projects, but did buy a new In Her Garden magazine.

Favorite Signpost for the month…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~Luke 12:34

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I’m looking forward to a meaningful Easter and a warm and wonderful April.

Phlowers – Johnny Jumped Up/Spring Festival Week #2

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Oh the joy of a volunteer flower. This week as I was inspecting flowerbeds and dreaming of the coming blossoms, this perky little Johnny-Jump-Up surprised me growing in the grass near the mailbox. I love volunteers. I couldn’t leave him there; the lawnmower or the mailman’s boots would eventually do away with him. I scooped the flower out of the moist ground easily and he is now safely growing in a small terracotta pot.

There is nothing bashful about a Johnny-Jump-Up. Even better, they are among the best Spring blooms for flower pressing.

This post is part of The Day After blog – Spring Festival 2026 Week 2. Thanks to Dawn for hosting.

Phlowers – Spring Festival 2026

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Crocus bloomed in the garden just in time for the first week of Spring and to take part in the Spring Festival 2026 hosted by The Day After blog.

Photo Challenge – One to Three Challenge/Hyacinth

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges10 Comments
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Yesterday, I wandered around the backyard and noticed quite a few early Spring bulbs emerging. The Hyacinths were just beginning to unfurl their first petals and were awash in bright colors even before they were totally out of the cold earth. I snapped a few photos with my camera’s macro lens. I’ve noticed that for every one photo in the macro mode that is a success, two are usually blurry and unusable, but this close-up portrait of a coral hyacinth turned out well. I love the way the macro lens focuses on the subject and blurs the background into a lush backdrop. I decided to use this simple photo for the March Challenge, hosted by Xingfu Mama, titled One to Three Photo Processing.

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My first attempt at processing was the most ambitious. I used Adobe Express and chose a Robin’s Egg Blue background with a half circle of light on the right-hand side. I added my photo, then used the background remover tool in Adobe Express to remove the entire background with just one click. This process enhanced the flower color with a complementary shade, making it even more of a star. The photo eventually became today’s encouraging word in my Signpost Blog.

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My second attempt at processing the photo used Lunapic. Lunapic is a free photo-processing site that is so much fun to use. This photo was processed with the Effect – Surreal Painting.

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My third try used Ribbet and the Posterize filter. If you want to isolate some of the colors for creating artwork, the Posterize filter lets you see the photo with new eyes.

Thank you to Xingfu Mama for hosting this challenge.