The Garden is Not Silent

Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchard' has never been lovelier. 

Silver lace vine (Polygonum aubertii) on the arbor's left 
and clematis and honeysuckle on the right. 

Before dawn, just as a first glimmer of light emerges, a song begins. A solo becomes a duet, then a quartet and the chorus erupts. The birds are welcoming another day. 

Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchard'
and Peaches & Cream Honeysuckle, Lonicer periclymentun
are good companions on the arbor.

How many birds live in our little acreage? It's impossible to know since they are mostly heard, but not seen. (That's why there are no photos of birds in this post, just flowers.) Occasionally one will swoop through, sometimes with a bit of string or a worm in their mouth, and then disappear into the depths of a tree or shrub.


A flash of vivid orange tells me there are orioles making their home here again this year. I'm quite sure I have seen thrashers with their long bills along with the more common robins and sparrows.

Blue flax, Linum lewisii, is such a pretty shade of blue.

Throughout the day the sound continues. A songbird's melody is interrupted by a scolding cackle. I suspect there are dramas and stories happening here that I will never understand.

Mock orange shrub, Philadelphus, sparkles in the mixed shrub border.

Allium cristophii with its starry lollipop blooms is an outstanding plant.

Heritage, a David Austin English rose, has had another good year.

As the day fades into evening, a new song emerges. Happy frogs in a nearby pond have their own melody that murmurs throughout the night. 

Fragrant blooms and foliage make this charming rose a keeper.