May flowers

May is flying past! What with weeding, digging, transplanting, etc. it almost seems like there's no time to enjoy the garden. Every now and then I stop to really look at the blossoms and record them in my journal, always with my old standbys, watercolor pencil, pen and ink and often with touches of white gouache. I hope you enjoy them!

Coral honeysuckle

Coral honeysuckle, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Smith.

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is blooming right now here in Southwest Florida; we have two vines with exuberant foliage and flowers. Once of the things I love about this plant is that it’s relatively easy to maintain once established. The blooms attract ruby-throated hummingbirds as well as a large variety of butterflies!