A splash of vibrant hues and variegated textures are displaying their glory in our perennial garden this month. The rains have been heavy, heavier than what I am used to it seems, and this has created an overflowing effect where plants span and sprawl beyond the borders I had only hoped to set for them, spilling over onto each other and beyond. With intense rain comes life of all sorts including weeds as well. But even those ambitious pests have their own beauty and charm behind the lens of a camera. Before yet another boomer hit our garden, I ran out back to snap a few macro shots as the ominous clouds swirled overhead. The overcast skies often create the ideal lighting scenario for nature photography. And so I hurried from plant to plant until the rain drops were too large to bear. So, enjoy this photo diary of garden curiosities that capture my imagination and fill me with wonder and often awe and delight......

~ Johanna

A ladybug perches on the bud of a dandelion and seems to be enjoying a meal of clustered woolly aphids....

The iridescent cool purples and blues of the Native Larkspur are just magical....

I always enjoy these sweet little blooms, but have long lost the name of this delicate plant. If you can recall what this 1 inch blooming gem is called, I would love to know....

Another view of this mystery bloomer. I love how my lens creates a soft, painterly bursting effect with the surrounding background plants...

A bumble bee burrows its head into the delicate blooms of a Lamb's Ear plant...

A Bachelor Button bloom peers out of a sea of soft green....

Rose Campion blooms on silvery green foliage certainly pop and add bits of vibrant color to the garden landscape....

In the distance, a towering burst of magenta clematis has made its majestic ascent atop a column of rusty remesh for quite a delightful show-stopper....

I spotted this chartreuse grasshopper clinging to the leaf of a Coneflower plant and just swaying in the breeze....

Spent poppy seed heads still attract my eye with their unique shapes, colors and patterns...

Looking down upon the tippy-top of a Red Hot Poker for a different perspective...

The teardrop-shaped buds of a climbing Clematis are close to unfurling....

Again, I am attracted to the painterly effect that this lens captures...

One Purple Coneflower proudly stands amongst a slew of buds soon to follow...

Even the bane of my gardening trials expresses its own delicate beauty as it coils and chokes a neighboring plant. Morning Glory "Bindweed" is ever-present and ever-persistent in my Colorado garden....

Is it like this for you?... The days fly by, and all of the sudden, it's almost July? For me, it certainly is. My mind has been dizzy with all of the to-do's, decisions on remodeling projects, scheduling this and that, family and friends, my art, and so on. Of course, I want to squeeze it all in and still be able to enjoy a little tranquility here and there. But, I must admit, I am not good at juggling, and some of the things I most cherish have been out of my view. Yesterday, however, I enjoyed a moment of enchantment in between sculpting my art. A black and white flutter caught my eye, and invited me toward the garden. He zipped and darted up and down and then landed right before me with a stillness I rarely know. Luckily, I snapped his photo numerous times and feel fortunate to share it here with you. What an amazing dragonfly, don't you think?....

The delicacy of his wings, the patterns and the beauty this little creature exhibited certainly had my attention, and I was grateful to experience that moment. Looking up from my camera, a blaze of perennial color in full bloom caught me by surprise and lured me in. Oh, I have been too busy lately, and obviously, my flower garden has been growing without me ~ so much so that I could barely find the foot path!

Plants were crowding for space, and everywhere I looked was an overflowing surge of color. How could I have missed this until just now? It's only right out my backdoor, but that tunnel vision has been holding me captive I believe....

Fuzzy Lamb's Ear, rusty-colored clovers, wooly thyme under foot, striped ornamental grasses and tiny yellow flowers atop a lush sea of green baby leaves were certainly inviting, and my rediscovery of the garden was in full force.

Another critter crossed my path, and I couldn't help but pick him up for a closer inspection to marvel at his beauty....

The skies were growing dark as rain clouds marched in, but the colors in the garden only intensified.....

And soon rain drops began to fall, and it was time for me to take cover back to the workshop. But fortunately, my dragonfly friend reminded me to take joy in the wonders of the garden. I think I will be back......

~ Johanna