The temperature outside as I type is 16 degrees F (-9 degrees C).  The worst part about winter in Kentucky is that all of January and most of February is gray.  Glimpses of the sun are rare.  Everybody gets depressed and ill tempered probably because we are all starved for vitamin D.  Winter brings an extra layer of frustration since I developed eczema.  The cold, dry air makes eczema worse, and I am unable to wear sweaters because they aggravate my skin.  I just keep layering long sleeve cotton t-shirts to fortify myself against the cold.  To counter my gray mood, I scrolled through my 2019 pictures and am sharing my favorites with you.  Think of this post as honey flavored eye candy.  Enjoy.

I planted hyacinth in the garden in the fall of 2018.  They are a nice compliment to the daffodils that are already well established.

The calla lilies do better each year.

These pretty wildflowers show up every year if you are disciplined enough not to dowse your yard in herbicides that kill broad leaf plants.  I believe these flowers are called Spring Beauty.

By late March we are studying pollen colors trying to figure out what is blooming and where the bees have been foraging.

I am obsessed with taking pictures of bumble bees on flowers.  I think bumble bees are the most photogenic of bees.  Top picture is a sunflower from the garden followed by a Rose of Sharon and then a marigold.

In 2019 I started making a conscious effort to promote habitat for the monarch butterfly.  See below for a picture of the butterfly weed (a variety of milkweed) that finally took hold in the garden.  Our efforts were rewarded this year when a monarch caterpillar made its home in my flower garden.  We will work to maintain the milkweed in our large scale pollinator habitat as well.

These mums bloom in early November.  They are the floral equivalent of “Last Call” for the bees.

Stay warm everyone.  Spring will be here soon.