Flower Pictures

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Sedum!

[Cindi]

MrILoveTheAnts.  Some very beautiful pictures.  I love to see the pictures when they come up looking so large actually.  My sedum is just beginning to come into bloom too, different species though.  I will take pictures.  I have never noticed many bees on mine though, weird, maybe this year.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful day of this life.  Cindi

[MrILoveTheAnts]

The ones there are called BlackJack. It's one of the ones with black/purple leaves. I have a green one too called Sedum spectabile or Autumn Joy but the bees aren't on it much. They were at the store though, I guess the bees just haven't found it yet.
Bumble bees were on it the second day I planted the thing. Various moths, flies, ants (Formica), butterflies, and other small bees were on it by day three. Honey bees were sort of on it the third day but it was just one and nothing else for the day. Day four and five it was covered in butterflies (the ones pictured above) with more and more honey bees coming every day. Between the two black ones there are almost always at least 4 honey bees on it. The autumn joy, however, has trouble even keeping the bumble bees on it.

I really like these plants, and they come in all sorts of shapes and forms. Some are moss like and crawl along the ground.

[Cindi]

MrILoveThe Ants.  Right, my is the Autumn Joy cultivar of the Sedum, narry a bee.  I have been out gathering seeds of the Fireweed and another that I don't know the name of, but I am doing an investigation.  Where I was gathering the seed is about 1 km from my home, across from the school that all the young children here go to.  I saw Italian and Carniolan bees on this forage, (not the fireweed, it is going to seed, but the other, not sure what it is yet, but was so covered in bees).  I am positive that this my girls, foraging, I have one Carniolan colony and several of the Italian.  Yes, it was a beautiful sight to see.  I will be identifying the enormous shrub that they were working so hard.  I took some cuttings of this subshrub (I think) and will see if it will be something that I can grow on my property.  I belong to a gardening forum and I will put the photo on this site soon.  Have a wonderful day, best of our beautiful life. Cindi

By the way, keep the pictures coming on, you are an excellent photographer.  C

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Goldenrod, actually an unusually tall goldenrod. This one started growing with a butterfly bush I bought and I assumed it was part of the plant until it grew 7 feet tall. I thought it was just another weed but now I think I'd sooner get rid of the butterfly bush it came with. Wild goldenrod seems to only grow 4 feet tall. I wonder if this is a different species or if full sun, fertilizer, and proper watering have caused it to grow twice as big.

[Shawn]

Just recently planted cat nip and found bees onthem in a couple of days. Everyone has great pictures posted.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Another pic of the goldenrod.

[Cindi]

MrILovetheAnts.  I meant to comment.  That fuzzy little bee in your first picture looks just like my cute little fuzzy fat Carniolan.  I wonder if they are relatives? 

Those are beauties of pictures that you have posted.  I love (and I mean love dearly) all the pictures of the bees that we get to see up close and personal, yeah!!!!!  Yeah!!!!  Have a wonderful and beautiful day on our planet Earth.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

There is a variety of goldenrod calleld 'Fireworks' that's tall like that.  I've got a new planting of it out in the backyard by the bees.  I love goldenrod and let it come up wherever it wants to, within reason.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I think I'm calling it quits with getting it ID'd. They seem to either grow as a long stalk or as a bush and besides that they all pretty much look the same. Flowers might look a little different on some. I looked up some species native to NJ and googled them. Depending on what garden site you go to they look different and have different height. There doesn't seem to be any standard. 

[papabear]

this is just ice but it looks like flowers. it was taken in north louisiana. i think it is kind of rare to see this. i think it is from moist air coming out of the ground.








if you can explain this ice let us know

[Cindi]

Papabear.  Those are magnificent looking pictures, how on earth can the ice make such beautiful designs, I couldn't stop looking at the pictures.  I can't wait for someone who may know exactly how these were formed, I can bet your bottom dollar someone will have an excellent answer.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, greatest of health to all.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

this is just ice but it looks like flowers. it was taken in north louisiana. i think it is kind of rare to see this. i think it is from moist air coming out of the ground.

if you can explain this ice let us know

Papabear, I've posted your URLs in a binary weather newsgroup, I'll let you know what they say.  Fascinating photos!

Edited to add:  Papabear, they're called Frost Flowers.  Put that into Google and you'll get all sorts of links.  Here are a couple I found interesting:

Frost Flowers with explanation and pictures.

Frost Flowers in the Ozarks.

Frost Flowers in Texas.

They aren't formed by moisture coming up out of the ground, rather they're from water being 'pushed' out of a stem by freezing temperatures.  What an interesting find!

[Cindi]

Ann, beautiful research.  Upon perusing these sites, I remember that I have seen something like that at my place when we sometimes have deep freezing (rarely).  But what weird stuff I see usually comes on branches of certain small trees.  I will take note this year if we get some freeze and take pictures.  I think I could get some neat pics going on too. 

I loved those frost flowers, Nature's beauties.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, greatest of health.  Cindi

[papabear]

Thanks for the info

[kathyp]

great pictures. i have not seen any as pretty here, but i have similar.  it usually happens when we have had a lot of rain, or there are still green things out there.  then the hard freeze comes and, as cindi said, the moisture is pushed out and frozen.  i also get great ice sticking up out of the ground.  it looks like stalagmites in the dirt.  we have them this morning.

[Cindi]

Kathy, do you have a digital camera that you could show us some of your place/area, I would love to see those dirt icicles!!!!  Sounds so cool, beautiful day, great life.  Cindi

[kathyp]

could have done it this AM if i'd gotten this in time.  it was 26 degrees.  usually i bundle up and stagger out to the barn before light.  it's a bit of a hike and all i think about is getting back to the house for coffee  .  i'll try to remember next cold snap. i think it's supposed to warm a bit and rain.

[egehan]

[Cindi]

Egehan.  Wow, you got some really nice pictures going on there!!!!  That bee looks like she is having the time of her life, holy smokers!!!!  Beautiful day, beautiful life.  Cindi