Elderberry shrub in bloom.

Not the best photo I've taken but the berries are lovely. In the past I've had to prune this large shrub so essentially I was chopping off the future berries. This gives us lots of privacy and when the birds come for the berries that's another treat for all of us.

Pink Spirea in frame.

What a beautiful color in this spirea I shot at the local park this summer. Frame from Photo Essentials 3.

Mid summer view of deck and beyond.

Things have really changed since I took this photo about a month ago. Going into Fall mode now. I created the mask/border using a brush from Dover.

Double miniature mauve campanella

On the right side is the miniature mauve Campanella. My mother bought it and enjoyed it as a houseplant for the first year then I planted it as a perennial. It loves to be divided. Gets only about 8 inches high but the blossoms are darling. The plant on the left is lamium, which I am gradually digging out as it readily goes to seed and becomes a nuisance.

Hosta blossoms.

I love the blossoms of the larger leaf hosta. The buds are just as beautiful as the open flower.
Created my own mask (frame) and textured background of painted paper towel, of which very little shows in top left corner.

Seeing red begonias.

The red begonias in the back are a Reiger type. The ones in foreground are Semperflorens. This has been a bright spot on our deck this summer!

Dragon Fly on mini petunias.

This dragon fly was a bonus. I was at the park trying to get a closeup shot of these unusual mini semi-double petunia when I found him. It's interesting to see his eyes on top of the head which makes it different from the other types of this creature. Apparently they eat mosquitoes and other insects so they are useful even though this one looks like he was resting. Digital Mask by Sandra Foster using Dover Brush.

Ornamental cabbages on table.

A place to sit and have lunch. In the spring I use this round table to plant my smaller pots, saves on the back.

Dragonwing Begonias

I would have to say these are in the top selections of my annual of the year. There is only 1 plant per pot. No bug problems. They just keep on blooming. Love them. In the fall they can be cut down and brought in to a sunny window for even more enjoyment. (Digital mask by Sandra Foster using Dover brush.)

Elder shrub.

This is actually considered a shrub not a tree. We have been pruning about 18 inches off of it every spring except the last two years. This gives lots of privacy in our little back yard. There is always a sparrow in it since the bird bath is a hop from it. When it is finished blooming it will form a red cluster of berries which are supposed to be edible. The birds will come in the winter and clean up every berry.
I have found that it resents being transplanted after about 1 foot in height. I have killed many by doing so. I have also lost a few when we get a sudden temperature drop in the winter. Click on image for a closer look.

Amaryllis with sheet music background.

What beauty this amaryllis is. Used one of my painted backgrounds of vintage sheet music to give it a nicer background than the actual photo. Click on image for a larger picture.

Tamarack reaching for the sky.

This is just one branch of the tamarack tree in our Condo's backyard. I used a textured background from my other blog: http://rusticpixelbackgrounds.blogspot.com/ which is an actual piece of paper towel used in my painting and stamping.

Neighboring trees form a backdrop to our garden.

I have often said that when planning a garden/yarden we can borrow the neighbors yard as a backdrop. These trees have just done that! Click on photo to see a larger version.

Blending the tamarack and fruit trees.

Took a closeup of the tamarack tree branch and blended it in with the fruit trees in the backyard of our condo. The tamarack is like an evergreen except it looses it's needles in the winter. They are actually soft to the touch and the green is beautiful when they first come out in the spring.

Aviary home in appleville.

It was the bird house that attracted me to take this shot of the apple tree hence the name: Aviary home in appleville. Background Texture used for frame from The Last Door Down the Hall.

Apple trees Spring 2011

The above crab apple tree is in the back of our Condo Yard - it was just beautiful this year.
I used a background from Playing With Brushes to make the frame in Photoshop.

Another shot of an apple tree - blossoms are quite a bit bigger. So nice to have these in our back yard and someone else looks after them. Background texture can be found on my other blog:
http://rusticpixelbackgrounds.blogspot.com/
Sorry, Mother Nature does not need any enhancing here but I couldn't resist at least framing these shots.

Apple Blossoms Spring 2011

This is taken from the backyard of the Condo Strata where we live. The background was very busy so I had some fun in Photoshop by removing the background and adding in a texture *. I now call this " looking over the balcony" as if it was by water. Dream on! *Texture called Dust something and I have misplaced who created it. If it is yours let me know so I can give you credit for the background texture.

Garden picture bookmark style.

Maybe someday I will make this into a bookmark. Thanks for looking!

Four backyard garden photos.

I tried growing ornamental cabbages in pots on the table - don't know if I would do it again since it dries out so fast and the cabbage has a longer root these small pots couldn't accomodate.
In the bottom pic I grew the hens and chicks in a garden saucer. These need little to no water since they are somewhat of a fleshy plant.
Credits to Jerry Jones for the tree stamped on back of image using Photoshop.

Small compact gardens.

Oh the joy of gardening. I no longer need a third of an acre to garden, just doing it on a small scale in our back yard is sufficient. In the past I was a slave to many a garden. This little spot brings us such pleasure with minimal work once all the annuals are planted in the pots. 99% of perennials in the ground.

Three backyard spring 2010 pictures.

It's always such a thrill to see the perennials come up each spring after a cold and long winter.

Last years garden pictures to motivate me this year.

It's always fun to look at what we planted the previous years. This year I would like to plant more of the non stop begonias on the deck. It has become quite shaded with the Elder shrub getting bigger which will be great for any begonias. These pictures were taken in early summer by the size of the plants.