getting my greens

An overabundance of beauty around here right now!

Just as the perennial garden is starting to flag a bit in the heat, the annual flower garden in the back is bursting to life.

Okay, so only the zinnias are really starting to bloom, but even the rows of green are lovely...and I bet this will be completely transformed within a couple of weeks.  I thought I'd hate the look of the landscape fabric, but it is SO nice not to have to weed much...and everything is amazingly tidy!  

My sunflowers are a bit more crowded than I expected, and ditto my tomatoes, but I'll do a better job of spacing them next year.

Lots to see in the garden even without blooms.  So many insects!  As always, constant milkweed beetles...

To-ga!  To-ga!  To-ga!

...unusual butterflies...

zebra swallowtail

...and plenty of the "ordinary" ones.

Pests, like this horse fly...

...and squash bugs, who somehow manage to occasionally hatch despite my diligence with squishing the eggs every few days.

The ladybug nymphs have done their job with the aphids, and now they're well on their way to adulthood.  I've found several in various stages of molt.  Remember this stage?

Here is the progression.  Do you see the crumbled spiny pile at its base?  That's the exoskeleton that you see above!

And escaping into adulthood...

(spider warning ahead!)

This Venusta Orchard Spider looks like its abdomen was decorated with gold and silver leaf...

...while this Thin-Lined Wolf Spider blends into the ground.  This mother is fiercely guarding her eggs.

I've found some really beautiful spider molts, too!

The action is not solely in the garden around here, either.  We see the wood duck babies every day in the front pond.  And they've got company.  Besides our Great Blue Heron, a Green Heron has been hunting here regularly!

Looking for a snack...

I think I've spotted something, and...

Attack!!!!

Grass carp were released into the pond this week to combat the algae problem.  Hopefully they'll clear up this mess by fall!  

We've ju-u-u-ust about gotten things around here in maintenance mode.  Time to relax a little!  The kittens are leading the charge.  They are great motivators!  😄

Have a great week!