April Showers of Photos: April 29 Yellow Rose

Here is one of my many yellow roses that are blooming. This one has a little friend. Click the photo to get a good look at him.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 27 Columbine

McKanna Giant Columbine

Finally remembered that this columbine was part of a collection of plants that I purchased last year and planted in this section of the garden. It was part of a butterfly garden mix and it never bloomed last year but it is sure blooming this year! Gorgeous.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 26 Lavender Pink Flower

Not sure what this is exactly...took this photo at the nursery. It looks like a hibiscus to me but I'm not sure. We did have this growing in our garden a few years ago but we discovered that the deer think it is very tasty and they ate the whole plant. So I will enjoy it at the nursery and not worry about trying to grow it at my house.


Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 25 Arrowleaf Balsam Root

Just a fun photo from today's wanderings. I always love seeing Arrowleaf balsam root (Balsamorhiza sagittata) in the spring. It reminds me of sunflowers and that makes me smile.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 25 Lemon Tree

Lemon blossoms have a surprising colored bud. We purchased this lemon tree last fall and we carefully cared for it all winter. It looked pretty bad at one point and I wasn't sure it was going to make it through all the frosts we had but a few days ago it pushed out so many blossom buds that I am sure it is going to be fine.

There is nothing in the Handbook of Nature Study about lemons or anything citrus that I can find but we will be watching this tree as it develops over the year.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 24 Red Poppy

Beautiful morning light enhanced the delicate texture of this oriental poppy just about to burst all the way open.

The combination of textures between the flower itself and the covering of the flower just amaze me.

A few hours later the sun had burst open the flower but left part of the covering nestled inside. I could not help but take another photo.

Couldn't resist including one more photo of the poppy being guarded by my cat Cocoa.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 21/22/23

Argyranthemum-Meteor Red-my new potted plant on my back deck


Delphinium-so pretty and blue


Oriental poppy in my daughter's garden

I got a little behind again in my posting so here are three photos to "catch up". I have been taking photos every day but just not posting them. The challenge has made me more aware of color and taking opportunities to capture them with my camera and for that I am grateful.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 20

Can you believe this one? I love the shape of the petals and the color too! I snapped this photo at the nursery and now I wish I would have bought one of these beauties for my garden.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 19 Iris

So delicate and special....the iris. I love the variety of colors you can paint your garden with by planting different shades of irises. This one is one of my favorites.

The Handbook of Nature Study, page 573
"Each iris flower has three side doors leading to the nectar-wells; and the bees, in order to get to the nectar, must brush off the pollen dust on their backs."

Look at that color!


Or how about this one for a totally different look to the same kind of flower? Can you imagine anything being so pretty?


This is one iris I need to have in my garden.


Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 18 Dogwood

Dogwood blooms are so beautiful to observe and really mean that spring has arrived.

The Handbook of Nature Study, page 680
"The flowering dogwood forms its buds during the summer, and of course they must have winter protection. They are wrapped in four close-clasping, purplish brown scales, one pair inside and one pair outside, both thick and well fitted to protect the bunch of tiny flower buds at their center. But when spring comes, these bud scales change their duties, and by rapid growth become four beautiful white or pinkish bracts which we call the dogwood flower."

Wow, I never knew that before. There is more information on the dogwood in the Handbook of Nature Study on pages 680-682.


Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 14/15/16/17

Somehow I got behind posting my daily photos so I will do a combination entry for the last few days.

Three greens and white!


Oriental poppy bud getting ready to bloom


New green leaves


Spring leaves on the sweet gum tree



Fluffy white seeds

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 13

The climbing rose on my butterfly garden is blooming like crazy this week. It has never been so full of blooms but I think it is getting more sun now that we cut down the big pine tree in our yard. It is prettier than it looks in this photo.

Here is a close-up of the blooms. There are so many of them. Can you hear the bees buzzing?

Here is one limb hanging down on the shady side that looks like a bouquet all by itself.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

I never intended that the majority of my photos for this challenge would be of flowers but it does make sense if you know me. I surround myself with floral beauty at all times. I can't get enough.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 12

This was an outstanding find on our desert walk, a blue flower! I identified it as chia and it has some interesting background.

Here is another interesting find....desert marigold.

So pretty and colorful in this desert landscape.

We are home from our trip now but I have so many interesting things to share with you from our trip in the weeks to come. I will continue to post a photo a day for the April Showers of Photos challenge but I will also dig into the Handbook of Nature Study to see how we can supplement our study of this awesome habitat.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 11

Today's photo is of a very red insect that we saw on our hike. It was really big...probably about three inches long. It was a flying insect and when it flew its back legs dangled down. The body is a bluish black. I have not been able to identify it yet. We were so entertained by how it flew around it us so we could really get a good look at it.

Edit: Tamara helped me out with the ID on this insect. Tarantula hawk wasp. I had read about this insect in a book but didn't make the connection. This is a prime example of how in the desert, life is a delicate balance. Thanks Tamara.

Now for those that asked me about the barrel cactus fruit. I have no idea if you can eat it like the prickly pear. Here is a photo of what the insides look like. The birds were having a feast with the fruits and seeds.

There were many, many black seeds inside the fruit on the barrel cactus.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 10

Paper flower

We will just make this "yellow" day. :)


Barrel cactus fruit


Unidentified yellow wildflower...still working on this one.


Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 9

Can you believe how beautiful this flower is? You can not miss it as you hike by. So that was my photo for the theme of "color" from yesterday.

Now, how about this beauty that I saw on a hike. It is a Gambel's quail. Isn't he gorgeous? (Make sure to click the photo to make it larger.)

I was thrilled to see this bird in its natural setting. He sat so still for me to get this close. He had been taunting me with his distinctive call and then my husband spotted him with the binoculars. We were able to slowly move closer to take a photo. This was a fantastic hike....so many birds. We also heard a bunch of coyotes in the distance which was a little unnerving but they quickly moved away from where we were.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 8

Just three photos from the ones I took today.....look at those spines. But even with all that ferocious looking exterior, this cactus actually has a beautiful bloom. The buds will open up to look like this.

And I can't resist my favorite photo of the day....this little hummingbird posing so nicely while I took his photo. Thanks little guy. (You just have to click this one to enlarge it to see this precious creature.)

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 7

This photo is from yesterday's hike. I took over a hundred photos yesterday put this one is one of my favorites. Love the pink and it is surprising to find in the desert that there are so many colors this time of year.


Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen. I am trying to keep to my theme of "colors".

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 6

Calla lilies

These were just too pretty to pass up. I don't usually consider "white" a very exciting color but I will make an exception for these garden flowers. I also like the shape of the leaves on this plant and they are so green next to the white of the petals.



Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

April Showers of Photos: April 5

How about something blue today? I do not know what the bush is called that this beautiful blue flower is on but it is blooming everywhere you go in our part of the world. This one happened to be in the Costco parking lot landscaping. :)



It was so pretty up against the spring sky.

Thanks to Jennifer for hosting an April Showers of Photos challenge on her blog S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom