Garden Guests Galore

A first look out the window at the garden revealed the local flock of wild turkeys, usually 4 adult females and eleven babies, were making themselves at home in the stone square.  They sit on the bench, perch on the wall, dig in any fresh dirt they can find and leave unmistakable calling cards behind.  The nicer ones are feathers as for the others, you just have to watch your step.  While they really are intriguing  to watch, all this activity is getting to be a bit much.  At least they leave when we approach them.

I took a few moments to watch a couple of hummingbirds challenging each other at the  rose of Sharon flowers just outside of the bedroom window.  I can't hear their chatter from inside, but the way they flare their tails wide showing its white edge  then zoom after each other is amazing.  They do this even though there are lots of flowers to share.  I guess it's a territorial thing.

These orange and white insects are unknown to me.  Good or bad they certainly are attractive!

A bumble bee is always a welcome visitor for Ed's lovely asters.

Our apple trees are covered with fruit.  I tasted one, but unripe it was beyond sour.  The apples are not yet ripe but many are showing lots of red.  I imagine this American dagger moth is not great for the apples, but he certainly is an attractive visitor.

The hummingbird moth adores Ed's Salmon star lilies.  Perhaps there are no pollen stains here because of all that wind turbulence from his continually moving wings.

A single white phlox flower holds this tiny little bee-type insect.  The number of bugs in the garden this year is astounding.

I saved the very best for last.  Finally I managed to find a monarch caterpillar.  This one is munching on a milkweed that came up in the garden.  I guess we won't be weeding any more milkweed out until later after the monarchs are gone.  The plain fact is you can't do anything in the garden with out disturbing something!

Splendor In The Grass And The Weeds

This year with all the rain, the weeds and particularly the meadow grasses  have outdone themselves in our garden.  We have managed to get some areas under control, but in others the plants have to duke it out with the invaders waiting for us to come to the rescue.  Here the anise hyssop and black-eyed Susans are looking terrific!  Either could be considered a weed but we consider them cultivated plants.

Earlier in the summer this bed was well weeded and Ed planted asters. They are starting to look good, but are surrounded by invaders including the Chinese forget-me-nots that came up from self planted seed.   These lovely blue flowers are unforgettable indeed. The way they make sticky seeds that catch on your clothes or anything passing by guarantees that should you forget about the beautiful blue flowers, new plants will spring up to remind you!

 Gloriosa daisies that have self seeded can be found in many places in the garden.  The color variations in the flowers are amazing.  Ideally we should allow our favorites to form seed and pull the rest.  Perhaps we will get to that.  In the meantime they all add a little more splendid color to the garden.

My scarlet runner beans are blooming to delight me and the hummingbirds.  I'm thrilled to see the beans develop.  I love to save the shiny pink and black seeds to replant next year and to share with friends.

I have had evening scented white Nicotiana come up from seed here ever since we first started this garden.  Here for the first time just one red plant has appeared in the garden.  It was a splendid surprise.  We are wondering out loud what we can do to increase the chances that this color sport will return next year.

This striking pink catchfly is really surrounded by grass, but it is still beautiful and attractive to the hummingbird moth.  This is another weed that we moved into the garden.  The brown sticky sections on the stems and the color of the flowers combined to make these a must have plant.  Many are weeded out each spring but many are allowed to flower.  It's the gardener who decided which plants get to stay and which have to go.  We are working on it!

Beating Back The Wild Things

It's a plain fact that we are being overrun here.  All the rain has served to keep us out of the garden and it has given the weeds the opportunity to run wild in the garden.   Somewhere hidden beneath the grass and other weeds are Ed's beautiful planting beds and  stone paths.  Ed worked on this area today.  He plans to replant peas here.  We have the seed and sometimes we can get a late crop of peas if the weather cooperates.

I chose  to search for desirable plants in this bed .  I uncovered some dianthus, wood betony, closed gentian and a hollyhock.  I caught sight of Ed's rose, but I did not get it uncovered yet. Digging out the grass is slow work and looking for hidden treasures slows progress down even more.

It's not only the weeds that have gone wild.  The trumpet vine has completely engulfed the golden glows.  A few small golden flowers have managed to break through the vines to catch some sunlight anyway.  Other plants in the area of the trumpet vine have not been seen at all.

Trumpet vine tendrils are marching across  our gravel parking spot.  New runners are popping up in the gravel at some distance from the original plant.  One can't help feeling that parking there for too long will result in a car covered with vines.  However, I can't deny that I love to watch the hummingbirds  zip around the trumpet vine chasing each other at dizzying speeds.  As long as the red flowers that they find so attractive are blooming, this vine gone wild is safe.

Still there is great beauty in the garden.  This Salmon star lily and its tantalizing fragrance is so attractive to a hummingbird moth that I was actually able to get this great picture.  We feast on fresh summer squash, basil, lettuce and the now ripening tomatoes.  Today in the garden was great!