July 28, 2024

Almost the end of July - Albion's weather hasn't been too shockingly hot or cold yet - not, at least in this little corner of the world.  Other places in Albion have had a bit more severe weather, but we are hanging in. We wake to thunder but haven't had too much of that.  I saw a line in the news about somewhere near having had its hottest day ever but I don't think that was us.  I do so wish our world would get more serious about climate control!

Just on time, the Japanese Anemones sprawl at the gate that marks off the front yard from the back. 

Some more flowering plants.  This first one is that Astilbe given to me by Betty Beese.  Next is a Dandelion, mixed in with some Poison Ivy.

Early in the season we noted several little groups of Wild Geranium/Cranesbill, and they don't seem to have gone away (picture 1), but are blooming in smaller groups.  Pink is the color of the season in the next two little patches of Deptford Pinks, started from seeds from Mary-Ann Cateforis.  They have such tiny blossoms, you have to really WANT to see them.  

The pink Fall Phlox and the red Trumpetvine are still going at it after a month of blooming.  Talk about longevity!  

The Day Lilies that I ordered from a nursery came, and I planted them but my lawn mower friend couldn't tell the young plants from grass - they are now marked with a brick and recovering with enough tap water.  I don't think they were meant to bloom this year anyway.  :-)  

Let's look at some Beetles and Bugs.  Here is the dreaded Japanese Beetle.  If it weren't such a destructive creature, you would probably think it was extremely pretty.  Many people have been telling me how much damage they have been doing to delicate plants.  Picture 2 shows a Lightning Beetle up close.   I don't know what the third Beetle is, only that it is a Beetle.

Here are a couple of shots of another Beetle, Mordellistena vera,  a member of Tumbling Flower Beetles, Family Mordellidae.

Here is another Beetle, the Rough Strawberry Root Weevil.  Second is a Lily Leaf Beetle.  Last year they completely ate up a bunch of Lilies in the Front Yard.  Third is a mystery, but probably a beetle.

This first one is the nymph of a Green Stink Bug.  The adult will be a large bright green insect.  Second is the nymph of the Assassin Bug, Zelus luridus.  Third is a White-margined Burrower Bug (Sehirus cinctus).

There were quite a few kinds of Ants out this week.  Here are two shots of a Woodland Fuzzy Ant (Lasius americanus) .  Third is an American Winter Ant.  

Next is a Nearctic Carpenter Ant (Camponotus nearcticus).  Then what appears to be an Ant carrying a self-contained bit of food.  

I didn't see ANY bees this week.  Maybe I wasn't looking.  I did see a lot of budding up in the front yard along the driveway.  My friend Dottie says the budding-up was Asters.  I had been expecting Goldenrod to start opening up right there.  Usually my Asters open up a bit later, and all along the front sidewalk to the house.  So I'm still waiting to find out what these buds belong to.

This morrning I was passing by that same place, and to my surprise saw the shell of a Cicada and next to it the hatched Cicada.

Here is a little black frog or toad we found when testing out the new key to the shop.  At first I thought  it was a Frog, but then realized how much it looked like the Toadlet on the right.

Let's spend some time admiring the Water Lilies on the Pond.   The middle flower in row 1 was a surprise.  I didn't know we had actually planted that gorgeous color of Lily last year.  The ones that show up as white in these pictures actually have a golden hue to them.

Sometimes I think this yard needs a lot more weeding than it is going to get.  But sometimes it shocks me how beautiful it is in spots.  It's always different.  Last year we had at least 5 or 6 Frogs all summer, but this year we have to be happy that the one Froggy is still happy to show up every once in a while.  I don't run the farm, just admire the creatures that live here.  So thanks for visiting and hope to see you next week!   Love, Martha