perfectly pastel parasols

this installation of pastel parasols in cordoba, spain provides cover, color and charisma to the train station and farmer's markets...kind of awesome, actually.

what is eating my parsley?

what is eating my parsley? the same thing that's eating my fennel: swallow tail butterfly caterpillars! just as the fennel was coming back after the last round of butterfly babies, an unexpected second batch appeared...i counted 32 caterpillars and am not sure if they will have enough to eat considering the most i have seen previously was six! i put up a little protection from my little wrens because i would love to have a flock of butterflies!

floating in air

i love these upside down planters designed by fellow etsian mudpuppy specifically for tillandsia. very simple. very modern. i bet they would look just as great with bromeliads or orchids!

bird seed sale

i live about a mile from the audubon naturalist sanctuary, so i see a lot of birds: the more i see, the more i want, so i try to do everything i can to encourage all of the local peeps to visit my yard...and they do! i have a few birdbaths (including one that is warmed during the winter) and i have multiple feeders. i get a  tons of robins, bluejays, titmice, chickadees, various finches, woodpeckers and sapsuckers, yellow billed cuckoos, king birds and other fly catchers, phoebes, cooper's hawks, red tailed hawks, red shouldered hawks, and ruby-throated hummingbirds to name  but a few: mostly pedestrian birds, but enjoyable, nonetheless. this month the audubon society has their bird foods on sale, so i am making a bee line to stock up: you should too. the above photo shows sunflower seed sacks, which may or may not be available: i liked the graphic design of these bags at ace hardware, so i took a shot or two.

tango at the tangga house

forget the amazing roof gardens: check out that crazy pool! this gorgeous mod house and gardens in singapore definitely makes me feel like dancing!

Digitalis lutea

i love foxgloves! but they are short-lived, and that always makes me sad. so when i saw these self-sowing sunshine-y yellow numbers, i was thrilled! digitalis lutea is offered by my friend barry at sunshine farm & gardens: an awesome place!

giant silk moth

how gorgeous is this giant silk moth? i have never seen one around here and they only live for a week, so i feel lucky! he (or she?) was hanging out on the newel post, when i accidently knocked it to the ground and it showed me its distraction pattern: impressive!

modern bird feeder

my rogue squirrels have made me almost give up feeding my birds...mainly because they have destroyed every bird feeder i have hung and are currently pulling apart/breaking my hummingbird feeder to get at the sweet syrup within. so needless to say, i am frustrated and reluctant to put more feeders out for fear of further encouraging them. it should be noted i have tried to distract the furry rodents with specific squirrel snacks, which they also eat. today i saw this wonderful modern bird feeder from designer thomas stanley: thee apple is cool! however, it appears to me the squirrels could get inside and recline while they munched on other's seeds...maybe i will just hang it up and look at it.

are you watching owl cam live?

are you watching the live camera of a nesting pair of barn owls on u-stream? if you arent, you should be: it is so cool! this morning two eggs hatched, with two more to go: its just precious!

cactus show & sale

the national capital cactus & succulent society is having a show and a sale at brookside gardens...make a day (or a weekend) of it!

gardener's market

shop local at the wallingford gardener's market in wallingford, connecticut.