This afternoon after work I wandered around the garden.
Crocosmia: it may be Lucifer.
I noticed that spontaneous deep breaths escaped me intermittently as I left work (and the sadness it brings sometimes) behind me and started to see the garden properly.
I noticed that nearly every flower in the garden had an insect or a collection of insects upon it, feeding. These were bees, (bumble, honey and others) beetles (several different sorts), hoverflies, and ants. Down in the vegetable patch the lavender stems were bouncing with the weight of bees as they moved about. I also saw wasps feeding from the thistles. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that before.
I’ve probably missed lots of noticing time in my time. I’m trying to catch up now, before it’s too late.
A feather nestling in the rosemary.
Thistle heads with my least favourite insects feeding hungrily from the opening flowers. Tomorrow the pest control man will visit.
Hydrangea head: the full 9 inches.
Boadicea's Chariot 
pretty flowers 🙂
Yours is a tough job, Pseu. You don’t see them coming into the world but you do going out.
That hydrangea is fabulous! I like the noise of insects. Closing your eyes in the sun and listening is one of the pleasures of an English summer – and I think we might be having one at last!!
Thanks Chrissie.
Jan, I should have added the sounds… the bees especially around the lavender make a soothing thrumming sound
Did you know that down here we call hydrangeas Christmas roses?
Strange, as Christmas Roses here are hellebores.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellebore
but also, see here:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/piet/art/6815427-christmas-rose-krismisroos
at what time of year do they flower for you?
In UK they are June / July / August.
Hello Pseu
The wiki entry for Christmas roses lists both, hydrangeas flower in mid-summer down here, you know, around Christmas time 😉
You might enjoy this painting by an S.A artist which I stumbled across while looking for the wiki link.