Well, this is a fun one.  The theme for Day 5 of May’s Garden Bloggers Challenge is “my favorite garden or flower photos.”  Most of my old garden photos reside on out-of-date laptops or back-up storage, but I do have some I’d like to share.

My favorite garden flower is the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). They attract all sorts of butterflies and bees.

Another welcome visitor on a purple coneflower. Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)–a volunteer in the garden and a familiar wildflower as I was growing up–blooms in the background.

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa). When I first saw this plant at a nursery one April afternoon years ago, I knew I wanted it for my garden. Its flowers open in April–a brilliant red, often before the foliage has opened. Oh, and there are the thorns. Big, sharp ones. I call it Beauty and the Beast. It’s a beautiful plant, but between the thorns and the aggressive runners it sends out, like the rugosa rose, it needs to be carefully monitored while being admired.

Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus). Every year I wait for the blackberries to ripen. They’re so good freshly picked, I can’t blame the birds and the bears for wanting a share.

Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris). There’s no sweeter fragrance than lilacs in bloom. I estimate this row of lilacs have been here for well over 50 years. They’ve weathered summer heat and droughts, winter blizzards and crushing snowfalls, and they’ve bounced back through it all.

Daffodils (Narcissus). Decisions, decisions. Which to cut and bring indoors?

After a winter snow, the trees are laced in white. Even in winter, the garden feeds my spirit.

Snowdrops (Galanthus). How amazing is it that they’ll grow and bloom right through the snow?

Coral bells (Heuchera). Putting in a new bed: this one with a few different varieties of heuchera. This is one of my favorite plants not only because they’re hardy, but they don’t die back when cold weather arrives. Colorful foliage means there’s no need to wait for flowers once spring arrives.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia). These hardy, happy perennials bring back memories of growing up in the Berkshires.

Hops (Humulus lupulus). Hardy, sometimes aggressive, these vines bear the cutest little cones.

Hosta (Hosta). They seem happy no matter where I plant hosta in my garden. They do best in places the deer don’t browse, like these in front of the house. Out back? The odds are sooner or later they’ll become part of a deer buffet.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis). This one blooms in springtime while there’s still snow on the ground. On warmer days, the air around it is filled with buzzing insects feeding on the nectar.

Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa). Pretty to look at, but watch out for the tiny, hair-like thorns. Birds enjoy the large rosehips during the winter. During the growing season, they send out runners that can be a bit aggressive if not kept in check.

And finally– This friendly fella stopped by to explore my yard one afternoon. When he got too close to my tiny greenhouse, I banged on the back porch door, diverting his interest. We shared a mutual stare through the glass for several minutes. His pose was so perfect, I couldn’t resist taking a picture.

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