May 11, 2025

Well, it was a longish week.  Spring is finally irrefutably here (and probably itching to escape, since it's May already)!  I'm putting this picture back up from last week's since I loved the color of the Lunaria petals so much!  Another lovely color is my neighbor Deb's Redbud.    Sometimes you just can't get enough pink!

Here are some of the flowers that bloom in May (tra la).  First, one that is just about to be set out into the ground,  an Echinacea blossom bought by mail.  Second is an odd duck, and a new one for me.   It is called Spurges (Euphorbia), and is an odd duck plant who shows off her artwork at the end of each stem!  Third is a Jack-in-the-Pulpit.  Quite a few of these are now out.

Here we see a bit of Garlic Mustard.  We had in iNaturalist.org a year or so ago a rather long discussion of the little critters that seem to like living among those flowers.  It may be a bit early in the season, but here is probably an Ant surfing a leaf.    

The Epimedia are still doing fine in the front yard.

On the left, an outcropping of Ajuga (Bugles, maybe Carpet Bugles - I'm waiting for the exact ID).  Next is more Red Primrose.  And next is a small stand of Lily-of-the-Valley.  I expect it will only spread as time goes by!

Here is that Ivy Geranium I bought at Family Fare, doing fine in the front yard.  Next is (I believe) a peony plant.  (It always blooms at about this time.  You can make out a growing bud at the top.)

Here is that Wild Geranium that we first spotted a week or two ago, still doing fine.  A bulb plant that I'm not sure of (maybe a Hosta) is second, followed by a Solomon's Seal.  Has anyone seen any hummingbirds yet?  Not me.

Yes, time is coming closer - those Poppies that I recall as orange are getting closer and closer to blooming.  Here's what they call a Sessile Trillim, meaning it hasn't got a stalk, but sits right on the ground!  Third is a kind of Periwinkle.

Amazing how many plants are now blooming or otherwise more obvious than before.  Let's look at some of the wildlife now.  You know my favorites, the Green Frogs.  Here on the left is the male; and on the right, smiling a snaggle-toothed grin, his old lady (or to be).  

Here is one of our favorite Assassin Bugs, Zelus luridus, followed by a white-margined Bug, followed by a Predatory Stink Bug from genus Podisus.

Here is a Bug that resembles one of the Brown Stink Bugs, followed by a Weevil in genus Tychius.   Third is a Nomad Bee.

There are quite a number of Flies to be identified.  Here are a few of them.  The last one is a Midge or a Mosquito.

There are a lot of other Bugs and fellow-travelers out there.  Here are just a few whose relatives you may remember.   Well, this first one looks like Pieris rapae, a lovely white Butterfly.  The next two are leafhoppers, and both seem to be of the same genus.  but the second one has an elaborate pattern I've never seen before.

This first fellow is a Lacewing.  Then comes a Looper, and finally a caterpillar who should grow up to be a Beauty.  (Its name contains that description.)

Well, folks, I believe we have reached the end of the forms, new and old, which you might run up upon.  With any luck, we will keep on seeing this sort of thing.  Take care of our environment so that it can continue to take care of us.  Love, Martha