Several recent frosts have ended much of this year's growth of flowers. Some still grow in sheltered locations and continue to produce pollen. Insects of varying types find these flowers and some late food. Clara Curtis chrysanthemums are quite hardy giving us flowers to look at and food for some bugs.
Goldenrod is highly invasive and has claimed many of our acres. Exposed plants have been ended by hard frost while some take advantage of their sheltered location and continue to flower. We have seen several different kinds of insects feeding on the same flower stem and even a fight between two wasps. This fly gave us the best picture so it is included here.
Our asters have been widely placed in the gardens despite their common occurrence in roadside ditches. Frost did not harm their leaves yet but most of the flowers are now dark masses with no pollen. This bumblebee found one flower that remained intact.
Fragrant Lady Tresses flower late in the year. Despite their southern native range, this plant continues on. We have been trying to sample its scent by placing noses close to the flowers. More than once bees like this one were working close to where we were sniffing. No stings yet and the scent seems to be elusive. We try to experience it at different times of the day under different weather conditions. At best we have found only subtle samples of a very different but pleasing perfume. This plant is well north of its natural home but we hope that it returns here at winter's end.
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