I love this time of year. Though the lilacs and apple blossoms have come and gone, the peonies, iris, and poppies are blooming wildly. As I drove through the neighborhood recently I noticed that my peonies seem to be a bit behind most of them in our area. While some are in full bloom and a starting to look worn and faded, mine are just beginning to open. The one above is the first one to begin to open.
And of course where there are peonies, there are ants. Peonies and ants have a interesting relationship. Peony buds secrete nectar as they develop, and the ants come and take the nectar for their own use. They also eat any other insects that might show up on the peonies.
When you look at a peony flower bud that’s starting to open, you can see green scales covering and protecting the forming blossom. These green scales have a specialized plant gland known as a nectary along the outside edges. Nectaries produce nectar, which is basically a blend of sugar, water and amino acids. It’s an ideal food source for foraging ants.
While ants are not necessary for peony flowers to open, they do no harm and may be beneficial because of the insects that they eat.
Another batch of ducklings have hatched near the pond. This is the mama mallard. What you cannot see are her tiny ducklings sheltering underneath her.
Here are some photos of mama duck and the ducklings taken through the living room window with a long lens (Canon 100-400mm with 1.4 extender).
Our elusive hummingbirds are visiting the feeder regularly but they are very shy and don’t hang around very long. In the photo below you can see a bit of the female hummingbird as she sips from the feeder.
I’m taking a break from posting in my blog for awhile (not sure how long) as I recover from hip replacement surgery (that is scheduled for this coming week).
Wishing you a beautiful summer and…
May you walk in beauty.
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