It’s easy to get distracted as I come and go in and out of the house. Yesterday as I was looking around for a blooming plant for today’s post and watering the flowers in containers, I realized a couple of things.
First of all, most of the garden plants are in that “in-between place.” As in nothing much is blooming now. My garden tends to be heavy blooming in late spring and as the heat of summer wears on (will summer ever ‘chill’ out before winter), fewer flowers bloom. One notable exception are the volunteer Snapdragons which have managed to consistently bloom precisely where they were never planted. ‘Snaps’ are prolific re-seeders and have managed to make their way across the entire yard. I love Snaps. They are such simple flower, but one that always makes me smile and of course, always entices me to pinch their jaws and say some silly thing like I’m some sort of plant ventriloquist. Come on…you do it, too. Just like the lupines, they have managed to find homes in some of the oddest places. These guys managed to take over a pot that hasn’t seen Snapdragons in years. This pot usually is home to geraniums. Ironically, I’ve never planted yellow or white snaps. Ever.
Second, bumblebees are mesmerizing. As I watered the containers, I was delighted to see not one but several bumblebees noshing away. Check out those gigantic ‘golden-ish kneecaps’ on this guy. I’m surprised he was able to keep afloat.
Anyway, bumblebees remind me to randomly walk about and check out the landscape a little bit closer. Just be careful, you just never know when a Snapdragon is going to cannibalize you (apologies for the out-of-focus bee–in some circles that might be considered ‘artistic’). In this case, it’s clearly a reminder to work on focusing and depth of field, even with an iPhone.
When holidays fall on a Wednesday. It’s almost like having two super short weeks in one. Nothing like going from Monday to Friday twice with a day off in between. Here’s to a lovely Friday and an even better weekend. Stay cool if you can.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Beautiful, snapdragons are one of my favorite flowers
It’s one of the ‘happiest’ of all garden flowers.
Yes, Colorado summer gardening can be a challenge. I remember wandering around the garden center in July and August thinking, OK it’s snapdragons and zinnias time!
Those two flowers can survive anything Mother Nature doles out in the summer!
And thank goodness for that!!
Hmm, wonder if that’s where the saying “she’s (or he’s) the bee’s knees originated. Someone saw a bee with yummy pollen all over its knees…
Haha. Good one!
Your snapdragons are lovely! Our Mama loves snapdragons…there are playful and cheerful little flowers 🙂
the critters in the cottage xo
They sure are!
Snapdragons are one of my all-time favorite flowers. In Indiana, I had some that reseeded every year and were spectacular. I also love the way they smell, but I don’t think everyone can smell them (my mom claims she can’t smell them at all).
I notice a scent on occasion, but not all the time. They’re such a joyful flower and next to impossible to kill.
Snaps are so much fun indeed!
As for the bumblebees, it’s comforting to see bees. I have always been afraid of them, but last season really disturbed me because I hardly saw any. Which is never a good thing ecologically.
Peace and plant ventriloquism
LOL, I just may go outside and ‘talk’ with the plants now. That is after I clean up the coffee that was snorted everywhere!
Hahaha!
I was gonna go with “Oh snap!” . . .
Bwahaha. Man, you’re just on fire today, aren’t you! (Note to self: do not drink coffee when reading Sorryless’ comments) 🤣
I am just feeling really good this morning. My son is getting married this afternoon and I am enjoying a leisurely morning reading up on things with my java. Life is good. 🙂
How exciting! All best wishes to the groom and his family. Congratulations!
Thank you! Yes I have been going back and forth from weepy to smiley. But happy is the prevailing theme, very happy. 🙂
When our kids find love and happiness as adults, it makes for a very happy parent. 💖
True thing ❤
Your SnapDragons are beautiful!
Thank you, Molly!
Mommy says we need to plant some snapdragons. Do they snap at you? we are not sure we would like something that snapped at us.
We make ours ‘talk’ to us. 😊
We get some huge bumblebees and Mom loves to see them
hugs
Hazel & Mabel
They are really amazing creatures!
Lovely pictures! Love the bee capture in the first picture!
Why thank you very much!
Ok. I have never tried Snapdragons. On my way back from the Cuttlefish event, I’ll drop into the garden center and see if they have them and give them a try. Hope they grow in pots…
They sprout all over here., pots, cracks in sidewalks and between paving stones. I can’t kill them! If they don’t have any seedlings, you could plant seeds.
I love your snaps! They are so beautiful and they feed the bees! I love your tongue in cheek about the snaps devouring bees who have yellow knee caps!
I watched that guy go totally inside those snaps and thought that’s pretty daring on his part. 🤣 Some snaps bite!
These flowers are so pretty!!
Thanks. They can brighten any gloomy day or mood. 😄
As a child, before we moved to a bigger house, we planted flowers every spring. Snap-dragons were my absolute favorite and I’d always beg my Mom to add a few flats. We never had the migration problem!
You wouldn’t believe where they show up around the yard. It’s almost comical. My yard seems to be the dumping grounds for wayward seeds. I just found some sunflowers 🌻 Maybe the squirrels are actually landscapers. LOL
Bees are the world’s most remarkable creatures.
This one sure defied gravity!
I love Snapdragons! That fat little bee loves them too. ♥
It would sure seem that way! Have a super weekend.
Your snapdragons are gorgeous and what a gorgeous bumble bee capture!!
Oh thanks. I’m a big fan of both, snaps and bees. Have a great weekend!
Our bees and hornets stop in the pool for a drink and then take off again.
They aren’t chlorine adverse?
They think it is fluorine which keeps their teeth from rotting 🙂
Like every year I waited too long to get my plants in the ground and now it’s too hot to g t them established. Hard ground and hot sun….Sigh. Well at least we’ve got a few containers on the deck that get shade and are producing some color. Yeah hot hot hot. Boo when I’m out weed eating or tending to the Golden K. Yay during the warm evenings sitting on the deck watching the sunset and bats. Have a great weekend at The Ranch.
I know just what you mean which is why I love the unexpected finding of ‘volunteers’ so delightful. Enjoy your ‘batty’ sunset and be sure to enjoy a glass of red for me. 😊
I love snaps! I planted them one year about eight years ago. I still find volunteers in hot pink scattered around. Lots of bang for the buck!
One of my favorites! So pretty and so entertaining, once you get their jaws going. LOL
Like maple wingdings. You just have to put them on your nose!
Ooh, another entertainer from Mother Nature!
I like snapdragons too. Oddly enough I am just reading – again – Christopher Lloyd’s collection of gardening articles, ‘Cuttings’, where he is writing that he loves the things that sow themselves in unexpected places and how uimportant it is to keep your eyes open as you walk round the garden.
My snaps have even started populating the dog run where there’s no irrigation whatsoever. Hardly little buggers!