What Actually Is

It would be wildly inaccurate to claim that our gardens are anything close to well tended this year.  We have always had more cultivated ground than we could keep up with but the present combination of the weather and our age has created a huge mess in what was our garden.  This is the present state of our asparagus bed and the overwhelming presence of the giant weed seeds does not bode well for next year.  This is a sixty square foot planting bed and it could be cleared rather quickly but there are so many other places just like this one.  The combination of heat, humidity and biting bugs had us inside by 10 AM today.

Looking past the brightly colored self planted Gloriosa Daisy, one can see the stone path that edges our planting beds and a horribly invasive relatively new weed that has taken and holds this ground.  It grows close to the ground and finding the centered root mass is not easy.  We believe it essential to remove both the seed bearing growth and the root mass in a futile attempt to eliminate this weed.

 

When selecting photographs to share, it is customary to frame the image so that only beauty can be seen.  This combination of Ruby Spice Summer Sweet, Milkweed leaves that have served as a food source for perhaps a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar, a feeding butterfly whose name is not known and a background of grass and trees is a great picture.  In addition to the visual image, the scent of the pink flowers is fantastic beyond description.

These feeding bugs and a caterpillar appear to be working together despite their obvious differences.  We cannot be certain that they are not harming each other but they may be sharing.

We have been posting Lobelia cardinalis pictures perhaps to excess but the real star here is the Giant Blue Lobelia.  How these plants that feature so many differences can have the same last name puzzles us.  Both are native plants but the structure of their flowers is more different than just color.  These plants are both self planted here but we tend to focus our efforts on the striking red plants.  That should change but we can no longer keep up so the blue beauty will remain on its own.  One thing in its favor is our limited time weeding will not remove a self seeded plant that we do not instantly recognize.

Closed Gentian is a native plant that presents flowers that never open.  It is a vigorous plant that has taken and holds considerable space in our garden.  Pollination falls to the huge bumblebees that force their way into the tightly closed blossoms from the top point where the  petals meet.  Upon first glance, I thought that an insect had chewed a hole to gain an entrance into the flowers interior but that is not true.  A closer look will reveal that the fly's internal organs are visible and that the bug is totally outside of the undamaged blossom.

 

Buck Rub

We have occasionally seen a young buck mixed in with the does and their fawns that seem to live here.  This buck is protected by NYS game laws which require at least three protrusions all of which must exceed one inch in length before it can be hunted.  This young stud only carries four points in total on both antlers so he is safe from hunters unless they are children.  Initially the antlers are covered with super soft appearing velvet.  When the antlers firm up the velvet must be removed by rubbing against small tree trunks.  Tree bark is removed in the process.  The tree in the right foreground carries the healed scab from an older rub.  Our authorized hunters were pleased to find this unmistakable sign of the presence of a male deer.  Perhaps a larger older male will take his gathering of potential mothers.

 

While tramping around looking for the buck rub, we brushed against Witch-Hazel branches.  The late in the year occurrence of flowers is this plants claim to fame.  We would like to have one of these trees under cultivation but digging a tree in our stony ground would likely kill the tree and injure us.  These specimens will be left to grow where they were planted.  It appears that last night's hard frost took most of the shine off of these flowers.

This moss is an absolute marvel.  How it can appear this bright at this time of year is a question without an answer known to us.  We purchased a moss book in an attempt to learn the names of the many mosses that grow here but we made absolutely no headway.  Moss names are incredibly long with the words providing no clue about the name.  So we are limited to simply expressing our appreciation of their bright color on a cold day.

Princess Pine is in a different class name wise.  Its growth visually resembles a small pine tree.  How could any plant so demure not be called a princess?   We would like to transplant this species but all we can find on that subject is descriptions that say transplanting is difficult with no explanation of why that is the case.  We suspect the the long somewhat deeply placed horizontal rhizomes connect with a mother root.  Without a connection to the vertical root, the plant piece may well perish.  To date we only visit this plant where it grows.

 

Back at the garden, we found this Gloriosa daisy flowering way out of season.  We found it to be a promise of what is to come after we both survive another winter.

Seldom Seen Garden Serpent

Ed and I are so far behind with our garden work that it is hard to decide what to do next.  Taking advantage of the cooler weather, we decided to attempt to clear the weeds from the bed where Ed hopes to plant his garlic.  So how tall are the weeds we are talking about?  Well the fence in the photo is four feet high and Ed is right in the center of the picture.  This weeding expedition is looking more like something from an Indiana Jones flick.

From my vantage point sitting on my garden cart I was surrounded, but I love a weeding challenge and the scent of the dill was pleasant.  It was when Ed moved a bag of leaves next to where I was sitting that things got exciting.  Sleeping peacefully under the leaf bag was a Eastern Ringed neck snake.   Those who know me know that if I see a snake when I am not expecting to see one  I scream.  I did this time too, but my scream reflex was quickly  overtaken by curiosity and wonder.

I have read about Ring-Neck snakes, but I had never seen one. It is no wonder because these snakes like the dark. They  are most active at night.  Likely he was out late eating slugs (YES!)  worms and other small prey.  Apparently this is a venomous snake but the venom is only used to immobilize prey through one hollow tooth.  A large predator like me has nothing to worry about.  I had just enough time to snap two photos and the snake slithered off and disappeared in the weeds.  Confidant that he was looking for another dark quiet place to sleep, we went back to our weeding.

We revealed a Gloriosa Daisy that Ed liked so he took the time to move it aside  and give it a drink of water.  It is hard to weed out a plant you love but this bed is designated for the garlic. We have been working on the garlic bed for three days.  Finally it is clear of weeds and ready for Ed's soil amendments.  It seemed an impossible task when we started but I guess we can still do the impossible, it just takes longer!

Wonderfully Wet Flowers

Finally we got some real rain.  Here is the last London lily covered with raindrops.   We have enjoyed them for weeks.

Wet cardinal flower will make the hummingbirds happy!

This trumpet vine flower is dripping wet.  Doesn't that feel good?

Finally, a thoroughly wet Gloriosa daisy just shines.  The rain only wet the soil to a depth of an inch in most places, but obviously it made a difference!

Outstanding

This yellow gloriosa daisy stands out so boldly in front of the bed of purple slavia. It's an eye catcher, even looking out the window from the house. I planted the sage. It's one of my very favorite annuals, because I love the color, and because it blooms all summer. The gloriosa came up by itself and I must say it couldn't have picked a better spot.