Here's a good one!  Today I read that the collective noun for ladybugs is 'a loveliness.'  A loveliness of ladybugs.  I like it.  I even dress up in a ladybug costume for Halloween, and feel quite lovely.  
 

Don't tell Henry.  He hates them.  They invade his house like there's no tomorrow.  We still visit on Halloween just for a tease.
 

Harlequin Ladybugs were intentionally released in 1979 in the US as biological warfare to control the population of aphids, corn borers, and other herbivores (insects who feed on garden plants.)  They have since become an invasive species, causing a whole new set of problems.  Just ask Henry.  
 

Anyway, I thought it was interesting and hoped you would too.  
 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!
 

 

 

 

 

Oh my goodness!!!  When I looked at the Angelcam on Wednesday, I saw this!!!  Then a few minutes later I saw this!!!

 

 

Here's the link:  https://wildbirds-1.click2stream.com/

 

There is a real-time camera inside a bluebird box.  Go there and check it out;  it is fascinating to watch the process.  Looks like we're going to see some baby birds soon.  Thanks, Linda, for sharing.

 

HAPPY CRITTER SITING!!!
 

 

 

It's marigold season.  The garden is loaded, and all our little vases are full.  Some other containers as well....
 

 

They make me smile.  :)   I hope they made you smile too.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

Eighteen members volunteered, Monday June 29th, to spread crush & run along newly-paved portions of Bella Vista and Beacon Hill. Rip-Rap dams were also built aside Laurencove. Thanks to everyone who turned out for this important event.

 

        

 

Look who Jon found in the blueberries.  SEEK called it a Common land snail.  Who knew they like blueberries?  Well, this one is wrapped around a couple of berries.  Maybe it's just holding on there, but it was too curious to not show you.  It's up about 4 feet, I wonder how long it took to get up that high.  See its antennas.  Are they called antennas?  Better go check Wikipedia.  Be right back...

 

I copied this:  Land snail is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as slugs).  The majority of land snails are pulmonates. That is, they have a lung and breathe air.  Land snails have a strong muscular foot; they use mucus to enable them to crawl over rough surfaces and to keep their soft bodies from drying out. Like other mollusks, land snails have a mantle;  and they bear one or two pairs of tentacles on their heads. In most land snails the eyes are carried on the first (upper) set of tentacles (informally called 'eye stalks').  The second (lower) set of tentacles act as olfactory organs. Both sets of tentacles are retractable in land snails.
 

Ahh, not antennas, tentacles.  OK. That's about all I need to know.  You can look it up, if you want more.  
 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

It's time to start picking blueberries.  Look how beautiful they are.  
 

We always start picking blueberries on Father's Day;  and sure enough, this year I picked about 30 berries.  Each day since then, we've picked about a quart, sometimes two.  The season lasts about a month for us, because we planted several varieties of blueberries.  Two bushes are still full of completely green berries, but they will ripen in the next few weeks.  Meanwhile we have plenty to keep us busy every morning.  
 

We add blueberries to our lunch salads all summer, and Jon makes blueberry muffins in the fall and winter.  I just got a great recipe from Roxanne for scones.  She used a cranberry and orange scone recipe, and substituted blueberries.  De-lish!!!

 

Can't wait to make them myself.  Next rainy day maybe.  Today is an outside day, lots to do in the garden.  
 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We were visiting a friend the other night (keeping our distance of course) and saw this dragonfly on the wall.  I took the picture, and then later noticed the shadows.... Interesting.  
 

We have a fun reference book called Animal Speak, by Ted Andrews.  He describes animals, insects, birds, and reptiles using their unique qualities to help us understand them, and help us understand ourselves.  Dragonflies and damselflies are about light and color and iridescence.  How intriguing that they have both shown themselves to us in the last week.  It makes me think more deeply about light and color and the mysteries therein.

 

I hope you get to see dragonflies in your travels, and take the time to reflect on their iridescence as a gift.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

Have a little Kale!!!!  Hahaha!  
 

Planted too much.  But it's so pretty, and when the seedlings are ready to plant in the garden, they seem so small.  I think I planted about 18 seedlings.  Well, they grew!!!  Now we have tons of Red Russian Kale.  It's also called Ragged Jack.  See the stems?  They are purple.  
 

It's not just pretty, it tastes good too.  Check out the recipe section for a good kale recipe.  The recipe section is under Neighbors sharing, almost at the bottom.   The kale recipe is under vegetables.  Let me know if you want some kale, we have lots!!!

 

It could be that truckload of mushroom compost, or our own compost that we added to the soil this year, that is making everything grow so big.  Or maybe the cool, wet spring weather.  Whatever it is, the garden looks great!!!  I'm happy!!!

 

I really have to be careful what I plant, because it is GOING to grow.  That's just me.  If a little bit is good, a lot is better.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING !!!

 

 

 

This is dill in the garden.  It is about 4 feet tall, and there are about 60 stems just like this.  
 

See the umbrella-like flower heads?  Remember the Queen Anne's Lace?  Same family, Umbelliferae or Apiaceae, which also includes parsley, celery, cumin, fennel, lovage, carrot, parsnip, cilantro.  Each one of those little yellow flowers will become a seed to add to dill pickles, or let them fall back on the ground to grow a new plant.  
 

We use dill in lots of things, not just pickles.  The leaves and stems are great for cooking with fish, and the green seeds are delicious in any kind of salad:  tuna, chicken, potato, pasta, fruit.  Dill leaves are also a great flavor to mix with unflavored yoghurt for a vegetable dip or sauce.  
 

I love seeing dill in the garden.  When these finish blooming, and the seeds are still green, I cut a few giant heads and put them in a vase.  Beautiful!!!

 

Oh, yeah, black swallowtail butterflies use dill as a host plant for their caterpillars to eat when they hatch.  

 

Lots of reasons to love dill.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!