Can you believe it?  We still have Zinnias blooming in the garden.  And, you can see that the Sulphurs love them.  I think these are Cloudless Sulphurs, looking at the underside of their wings;  just a guess.  

 

My Stokes Butterfly Book says:  Try to have late-blooming flowers, for Sulphurs can remain active well into fall.  We have zinnias and marigolds in the garden still, so they're happy here.  We've also seen them up at Rosalie's, in her wildflower garden.  Not sure how long they'll last when it gets cold.  

 

I love seeing butterflies any time of year.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We saw this Tomato Hornworm this week on Dan's pepper plant.  Look just below the big pepper, and you can see the worm.  You can even see the horn.  

 

You can also see that he has eaten all the leaves, and some of the peppers.  That's how I knew to search for it, seeing all the chewage.

 

This worm is about the size of my index finger!!!  And when I see them in my garden, I pick them off and squish them.  BUT.....we plant Borage near the tomatoes and peppers, because it deters the hornworms.  We haven't had any this year!!!  

 

I guess they're happy eating Dan's peppers.  YAAAAK!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This vine is growing in lots of places in the community.  It is Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens.  

 

Bittersweet is an aggressive climbing vine, sometimes reaching 50 feet.  It is very noticeable right now, because the yellow fruit is opening showing the red berries.  This one is just beginning to open, so I'll be watching it over the next couple weeks.  

 

I hope you see some Bittersweet in your travels.  It is so pretty.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is the trailhead at Meeks Park.  Isn't this Hickory beautiful!!!!  

 

The park is absolutely full of Hickories, Oaks, Maples, and other deciduous trees, all showing Fall color right now. 

 

What a great way to start a walk.

 

HAPPY HIKING!!!

 

Saw these mushrooms the other day on Stonebriar Drive.  They are so striking, I had to stop and get their picture.  While I was at it I put the Seek app on them, just to verify my suspicion that they are Jack O'Lanterns.  Yep, Seek called them Eastern American Jack O'Lantern, Omphalotus illudens.  

 

I love this app, it tells me that:  Jack O'Lantern mushrooms are large orange mushrooms, often found in clumps on decaying stumps, buried roots, or at the base of hardwood trees in eastern North America.

 

My National Audubon Society field guide tells me that:  IT IS POISONOUS, typically causing gastric upset for a few hours to 2 days.  And this:  When this species is gathered fresh and taken into a dark room, the gills give off an eerie green glow.   OOOH.   I'll just take their word on that; I'm leaving them alone.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

 

 

 

When I saw this the other day, I immediately thought about Halloween spookiness.  

 

We know that Black widow spiders build messy webs.  I thought maybe that's what this is: Black widow web.  But then again...

 

The web is not messy.  See it at the bottom?  It looks pretty neat to me.  I think the messy part is where the spider wrapped up its dinner after it was caught.  Never did see the spider. 

 

What do you think?  Spooky or not?

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

 

Halloween is just a few days away.  Are you ready?  I am.  I love dressing up like one insect or another for Halloween.  

 

For years, I wore butterfly wings, but they were huge, and got me into trouble more than once.  So lately, I've gone for the ladybug look.  Too bad you can't see the antennae.  They are 2" silver styrofoam balls attached with springs on a headband.  They are kinda wiggly.  :D

 

Besides, I love the idea that the appropriate collective noun is "a loveliness of ladybugs."  This costume always makes me feel lovely.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, a little early.

 

On a recent walk, I saw this great mushroom colony.  I had my Seek app at hand, and found out it is False Turkey-tail.

 

I looked it up in my field guide, and learned that its botanical name is Stereum ostrea, and its common name is False turkey-tail.  It is a fungus that decays bark and wood.  It is found throughout North America, is in season from June-January, and is found on logs and stumps of deciduous wood, especially oak.  

 

What I was really looking for is this:  it is tough and INEDIBLE.  So just look, and don't touch.  But definitely, DO look.  Very pretty and interesting.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

This may not look like much to you, but it makes me happy.  Last week I planted garlic and potatoes for next year's harvest. 

 

Garlic is in the same family as onions, lilies, daffodils, etc.  So we plant it in the fall, just like spring flowering bulbs.  

 

Garlic is so easy to plant.  Just fluff up the soil to about 4 inches depth, and place the cloves pointy end up, about 2 inches apart.  Cover with a few inches of mulch to protect them against the winter cold, and next June-July you'll have garlic bulbs!!!  You can even plant them in your flower beds, they are that pretty.  

 

I read this year about planting potatoes in the fall too.  I planted whole potatoes using the same method as the garlic, and we'll see what happens.  I have $2.99 invested, for the potential of two full rows of potatoes.  I'll let you know how it works out.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

It's that time of year, when the Monarchs are passing through.  Love it!!!!!

 

We've seen several lately, in our garden and these up in Rosalie's wildflower bed.  

 

I had a friend in Virginia who worked in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  He said that when the Monarchs are migrating, they fly THROUGH the tunnel!!!  Love that story.  Hope it's true.

 

I hope you see them in your travels;  they are SO pretty!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!