Today we’re enjoying some beautiful photos by Dianne Nodine and her husband, Paul. They live in Belfast Maine, where they love gardening and love growing plants that help wildlife. They also love photographing beautiful scenes from nature, as you will see!

A monarch butterfly rests on a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–9). The blooms of flowers in the daisy family, like this coneflower, are called composite blooms because they are made up of many small flowers growing tightly together. Butterflies love them because they offer a lot of nectar to sip and a nice wide area to land on.

This monarch is on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia, annual). Once again, the daisy flower-form is a butterfly favorite. The Mexican sunflower is, of course, from Mexico, which is where this monarch—or maybe one of its children—will be headed when the time comes for them to migrate south for the winter.

Butterflies aren’t the only ones who enjoy a good Mexican sunflower bloom. Here a bumblebee digs in for a good meal.

A butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii, Zones 6–9) is always a favorite with hungry insects.

Monarchs are among the most beloved of butterflies, but many other beautiful species can be found in the garden. This red admiral has stopped by for some nectar, which is a little unusual. This species actually prefers to feed on rotting fruit and sap from wounds on trees. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of stinging nettles and a few related species of plants.

Stepping back from the close-ups of feeding pollinators, here’s an image of a place Dianne and Paul love to visit: Ellis Pond in Brooks, Maine, with the trees just beginning to shift into the famous beauty of a New England autumn.

Another view of Ellis Pond. Natural areas like this are just as critical as flower-filled gardens to creating the proper habitat for the pollinating bees and butterflies we love so much.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical.

Buy at Amazon

Rain Bird PATIOKIT Drip Irrigation Patio Watering Kit

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- Complete 42-piece drip irrigation kit eliminates watering by hand
- Provides drip irrigation for up to 6 planters
- Easy to assemble: just attach to faucet, cut tubing and connect watering devices
- Attaches easily to your outdoor faucet or hose

Buy at Amazon

Gilmour 811673-1001 Sprinkler

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- 43-ft. spray distance (up to 5, 800 sq. ft. coverage)
- Adjustable collar for partial- to full-circle coverage
- Dial precisely sets spray distance
- On/off switch eliminates trips from sprinkler to spigot

Buy at Amazon