Here in the American South, August is ending. It continues to be a few degrees cooler than expected and we are getting some rain every day this week. The foliage is green but the flowers are fading. The butterflies, skippers and insects are very noticeable this week.
I have two feeders that the hummingbirds are keeping very busy. The hummingbird “wars” are fun to watch.
Weeding has gotten a little ahead of me but perhaps I can catch up now with the moderating temps of the approaching fall.
First up today is a fiery skipper in my zinnia patch. This patch has been a butterly magnet. Sorry, it is a little fuzzy but that skipper is quick.
Next up is a silver spotted skipper in that same zinnia patch.
Just adjacent to the zinnias is my milkweed patch. I have only seen a few Monarchs but these milkweed bugs are in abundance. I will try some Neem oil spray on them.
I have a Rose of Sharon blooming nearby with this noticeable white color with a white throat.
The rain has brought out a lot of mushrooms on the lawn. These are some vermillion waxcaps according to my iNaturalist app.
In the sideyard, there are some roseglorybowers. They are also called Mexican hydrangeas. They are attractive to the bees but they are pushy and I have to keep an eye on them.
This last one is a Seashore mallow in the genus Kostetetskaya. It is a late summer bloomer and seems to shyly catch your eye. As you can see, it does resemble the Rose of Sharon.
I hope some rain and sunshine is coming your way. Here’s to happy gardening. It is a splendid way to keep your mind off trouble and worry.
Remember to take a peek at the the propagator. Just click the link and see what he is doing this week.
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Pretty bugs! I usually see the longhorn red milkweed beetle around here, I have never seen the bug you have in Wisconsin, though they could be lurking about… The mushrooms are quite striking as well. We have a lot of white mushrooms in the lawn after our last rain, but no pretty red ones!
They are striking bugs. I shake them off and spray them with soapy water but they always return.
Well, the problem is one of number, as with my aphids. If I see a few orange aphids, I think it is food for ladybug larvae. If is a solid orange mass of writhing aphids, more drastic measures are needed.
Those are bright bugs. I am looking forward to mushroom and toadstool season, last year was a good year for them.
The grassy areas are covered in mushrooms these days.
You are much tougher than I am. I can’t handle the heat and humidity. I will be very happy when fall comes.
I work in the yard in the mornings. Some work can be done late afternoon. I will also be very happy when fall comes.
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