Today's Flowers: Mix of blooms in my yard

I noticed one of my small hostas in an overgrown part of my yard has begun to bloom.

The blooms motivated me to pull the ivy back which was threatening to choke out the hosta. My larger hostas aren't blooming yet but that will be something to look forward to.

My yard is filled with Rose of Sharon (hibiscus syriacus) which grows as tall as small trees when allowed to.

I have many different varieties of rose of sharon and for the most part let them grow wild and volunteer in different spots.

It has been fun through the years to see where they will pop up next and unless they crowd out other plants I let them go.

I have some other varieties of the rose of sharon but these are the ones in bloom at the moment.

I don't know what the name of the yellow wildflower below is but I enjoy it's brief blooms.

My echinacea (purple cone flower) is beginning to have an increasing number of butterflies visiting.

I haven't gotten any good shots yet but even inferior butterfly shots make me smile.

I think the lily bud below almost looks like a long yellow squash.

I know I've posted my gerberra daisies a lot this summer but they are continuing to brighten up my garden.

I'll end with the butterfly that got away. I wanted to get closer for a good shot but ended up with the flower alone because right before I hit the button the butterfly was gone. You'll have to take my word for it that if the butterfly had stayed still for another second it would have been a good shot.

For those of you who are fathers, Happy Father's Day. For flowers around the world, please visit the home of Today's Flowers.