I haven't been yardening much this summer. I really haven't felt like it. I've mostly just done the bi-weekly lawn mowing, which thanks to the heat this weekend, I'm skipping all together. This the first weekend we've reached nearly 90 degrees. There is a heat advisory today. We've had a cooler than normal, rainy summer. In central Indiana we are over 10 inches above normal for rain fall so far this year. I'm just feeling a tad guilty about not spending more time in the yard with it having been so nice.
I've noticed fewer butterflies this summer. I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who is a park naturalist about this. Her theory is that the storms have possibly blown the migrating adults off course, or killed them, therefore they haven't been able to return to their breeding areas. Sounds plausible.
I have seen a few monarchs in the yard, but mostly I see cabbage whites. One year, when I had 4 ft. zinnias in the front yard, we had a lot of swallowtails. I have tons of volunteer dill this summer, and had a few swallowtail larva, but I think the birds got them.
I haven't been very consistent filling my bird feeders this summer. I'm actually out of seed right now. I only feed black oil sunflower seed. All my birds like it, so nothing goes to waste. We've had possums visit this summer and they like it, too.
The bees have been busy on the salvia and phlox in the front yard. I am not afraid of bees, but Punky is. The pussy willow in the backyard has a lot of gray aphids on the branches. Wasps and flies are attracted to the honey-dew. The tree buzzes with activity. The hose spigot is located under the willow. Luckily, I have a rain barrel and haven't had to turn the spigot on much. The wasps and flies don't bother me, but the aphids gross me out.
I've noticed fewer butterflies this summer. I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who is a park naturalist about this. Her theory is that the storms have possibly blown the migrating adults off course, or killed them, therefore they haven't been able to return to their breeding areas. Sounds plausible.
I have seen a few monarchs in the yard, but mostly I see cabbage whites. One year, when I had 4 ft. zinnias in the front yard, we had a lot of swallowtails. I have tons of volunteer dill this summer, and had a few swallowtail larva, but I think the birds got them.
I haven't been very consistent filling my bird feeders this summer. I'm actually out of seed right now. I only feed black oil sunflower seed. All my birds like it, so nothing goes to waste. We've had possums visit this summer and they like it, too.
The bees have been busy on the salvia and phlox in the front yard. I am not afraid of bees, but Punky is. The pussy willow in the backyard has a lot of gray aphids on the branches. Wasps and flies are attracted to the honey-dew. The tree buzzes with activity. The hose spigot is located under the willow. Luckily, I have a rain barrel and haven't had to turn the spigot on much. The wasps and flies don't bother me, but the aphids gross me out.
By the way, the photo is not of my house, but I did take the photo this June. I liked the cat sitting on the porch: quintessential small town America. The cat was friendly and came to say hello.
No comments:
Post a Comment