Recently in Missouri Garden Tour Category

Bluebird Gardens has a lot of summer visitors, including for the first time summer of 2010, this 2-inch long northern spring peeper frog, hanging out close to the door bell.

See the tell-tale cross mark on his back?

These Missouri frogs start singing early spring and continue off and on into fall. There's nothing quite like the chorus of spring peeper frogs chirping all at once!

Charlotte

I can't say for sure this is always the same green hummingbird, but ever since mid-summer one particular hummingbird seems to patrol the deck outside my family room.

Mornings when I sleep in late and don't get the 3 hummingbird feeders out, Milton will show up at the glass door and windows, looking in while he flits back and forth until breakfast is served.

Before sunset, there are usually several hummers at the feeders but only Milton will perch on a branch off the deck and watch me flitting around with my camera.

My zoom lens is in the shop so one weekend I perched myself quietly on a deck chair with a poised camera about 6 feet from the feeder, right after filling feeder with 1 part sugar, 4 parts water. I didn't have long to wait.

At first I thought this was a female green hummingbird until a birding friend said mid-summer it's hard to distinguish females from young, immature males.

I also learned this year hummingbirds will not eat out of feeders cleaned with soap.

 I've rinsed mine out well with hot water and kept them filled half way with fresh juice every other day, especially when temps were over 100F or Milton let me know it was time for new juice.

After taking a few drinks at the feeder, Milton usually makes the rounds of potted flowers on the deck before heading back to the bar.

The January 7, 2010 Missouri snow storm brought us back into a cold winter. It's been 10 yrs since we've had winter temperatures below 0F. Yes, we're spoiled.

On the other hand, this snow was not preceeded by ice so it was lovely white powder covering the countryside and hills, a perfect invitation to bundle up and take the camera out in the garden!

(Well, not really, it was VERY cold but still...)

Shortly after I took this birdhouse picture, a bird flew out of the birdhouse. Must have found one with heat!?!

I planted my first