Sunday, June 27, 2010

Rain, rain ~ where are you????

Things are really gettng dry and crunchy around here.  I have been watering twice a day just to keep my plants alive.  It's so dry that even my butterfly bushes are wilting and the weeds don't even want to grow.  It's so disappointing after having such a beautiful spring with my gardens and now things that normally last til the end of summer have already had it.  The grass ~ where there still is grass ~ is brown and crunches under my feet.  The temperatures have been in the high 90's w/ high humidity for several weeks now with no rain in sight.  Still... I enjoy spending time in my gardens, cutting back the dead plants, clipping the spent blooms, watering, watering, and watering.  I've been paying closer attention to the insects this year.  So many people in my area have seen insects that normally aren't around here.  I think it has something to do with all that snow we had this past winter.  I've been trying to identify an insect I saw today but haven't had any luck.  If anyone know... please fill me in.  It was so interested in me.  Just to put it's size in perspective ~ it is sitting on the hook of a plant hanger.  I don't know if it's a good bug or bad bug for my plants.  I'm hoping it's a good bug because it was kind of interesting to watch. 
 
Some other interesting insects that I've found hanging around.  The yellow jacket didn't have any wing :(  not that I like them but I felt kind of bad for it as it just crawled around instead of flying.  Lot's of fireflies and granddaddy longleggers out this year also.  The moth was kind of interesting too.  It's not a great picture of it but it was different.  I think it is a featherwing moth.  A patient I had recently told me she saw an IO moth in her garden.  If you've never heard of one, google it, it's amazing.  I'm going to keep my eyes open and hope that I see one also. 

Saturday, June 5, 2010

This teenie tiny bee is on a flower the size of a dime. It's blue-eyed grass.This garden was combined from two gardens, three years ago. I started many of these plants from bare roots. This year it exploded! I just love spending time taking care of it!

This is my favorite annual ~ lantana!I started this garden about 3 years ago also.  It's actually planted in my neighbors yard.  It used to look like a brush pile.  It was full of thistle, leaves, and poison ivy.  As my neighbor sprayed the poison I asked him what his plans were for it.  He said..."whatever you want to do with it"  !!!  We could see this area from our living room window so I wanted to make it look nice!  I can't wait til the rest of the flowers are in full bloom!
Common whitetail male dragonfly.  It was willing to stop for a photo~op!

I'm not quite sure what's up w/ this cosmo.  It was started from seeds that I collected last fall.  The original plant was about 4' tall and the blossom was about 4" in diameter.  This "offspring" is only about 4" high and the blossom is only about the size of a nickle ~  absolutely adorable!Common whitetail female dragonfly.


I just can't seem to get enough of my gardens!  I take a walk around the yard every day just to see what's new ~ and there's always something new!  I have plenty to keep me busy in them too ~ weeding, deadheading, photographing, etc...  always something to do!

Start a smile chain: give one away today! Thanks for stopping in! Jeni

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