One Square Yard

One Square Yard: July 22

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Recently, I was invited to participate in a month-long July photo challenge—SquarePerspectives hosted by BeckyB from her blog The Life of B. The challenge is exactly what it sounds like: Rather than post photos with the usual rectangular cropping, the challenge is to post photos cropped square. So each Wednesday in July, I will be presenting a series of square photos from my own yard, which nowadays is the farthest I usually go. Hence the title, One Square Yard.

This little butterfly is most obliging.  She poses patiently as I take picture after picture and doesn’t even mind being moved. The butterfly was a gift from my mother-in-law, who has been dead for 15 years, which means the butterfly has been gracing my gardens for at least 20 years. She’ll continue to do so as long as I’m gardening.

As a rule, daylilies do not do well in my shady front yard. Not enough sun in most spots. This one isn’t exactly loaded with blooms, but there are just enough to make a good showing every summer. Usually, I’m not a fan of double flowers, but this one has me hooked. Maybe it’s the orange. Wish I could tell you what the name is, but like the butterfly, this daylily has been here for many, many years, and the little stake that came with it is long gone.

I am absolutely smitten by the hosta below—the heart-shaped leaves and the large white border that brightens any spot in the garden. And do you notice many holes in the leaves, the munching assaults mounted by slugs and snails? No, neither do I. Slugs and snails are a fact of life when you live in the woods. I have tried various eradication methods over the years, from handpicking to beer in bowls to Sluggo. And still the slugs and snails come. Therefore I have pretty much given up. Although the slimy little blighters chew the leaves to ribbons, the plants are not destroyed, and each year the hostas return hopefully, fresh and green.

But this little beauty seems to be slug resistant. Do I know its name? I do not. I’m sure by now you’ve figured out that not knowing a plant’s name is one of my bad tricks, as my eldest daughter would put it.

But no matter. Beauty needs no name.

50 thoughts on “One Square Yard: July 22”

  7. Beautiful photographs Laurie and I love the butterfly, daylilies and hostas – you have such a peaceful haven here 💜

    1. Yes, a hosta. And a blogging friend suggested the daylily is most probably a triple daylily called Flore Pleno. How I love my blogging friends!

    1. It is a beauty. One of my gardening blogging buddies suggested it was actually a triple daylily, ‘Flore Plenty.’ I think she’s exactly right. A lily by an other name…

  14. Aggghhhh – I’ve read many posts linked to Becky’s Square Perspectives. I examined each photo carefully but often could not find the hidden square! Duh to me. I finally get it. Thank you for enlightening me!

  15. Lovely pictures again Laurie and I LOVE your butterfly! I have lots of plants in my garden called ‘don’t know’ or ‘cant remember’ too.

  16. It’s lovely your mother-in-law’s butterfly is still going strong. I can see why you like the variegated hosta – the sweet little one caught my eye in the top picture too. You may have the famous triple daylily Hemerocallis fulva ‘Flore Pleno’. Just a guess though, I’m no expert on daylilies.

    1. Susan, I think you are exactly right. I Googled Flore Pleno, and it looks exactly the one I have. Triple rather than double! How about that? Many thanks for letting me know.

  17. What a lovely garden you have–and I like the close perspectives. And I’m glad that butterfly is still around. It’s a nice piece of whimsey I’ve appreciated before when it’s been part of photos.

  18. I have a job getting our butterflies to stay still for even a second or two; I can never identify invtifidual members of species once the label is lost. You continue to do well with this challenge.

  20. Love your butterfly and flowers!🙂 The orange is stunning and your hostas always look wonderful. Hostas are one of the flowers that actually do well at my house and I’m not sure if it’s due to this strange humid weather, but this summer is the healthiest they have looked.

  22. You have such lovely blooms and interesting friends in your garden (like your globe & kitty from a previous post) – such a cute butterfly & so pristine despite playing in your garden for so long.

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