berry'd treasure

It's hard to believe that we're only a week away from September. Summer has been so nice this year that it hasn't yet worn out its welcome.  There are signs, though, that it is marching past regardless.

Changing leaves...

...and berries.

Ripening apples...

...and late-season sunflowers.

I've started doing garden clean-up, pulling out dead annuals and opportunistic weeds...with a little help from my garden pal, of course!

Of course, Todd is another great helper. ☺

The days have been so cool lately that we were able to take a longer hike one morning. So many spiderwebs...another sign of fall.  They were gorgeous in the early light!

Despite being mercilessly harassed by deer flies, it was such a nice morning. And despite the late date, there's still a lot going on in the garden.

All the celosia is filling in and I love it!

pink spiky plant is celosia, too!

Everything just looks great.

We've got a roasting hot week coming up, with temperatures into the 100s.  Here's hoping that we - and the garden! - make it through relatively unscathed.  Cooler temperatures on the horizon...I hope.  Have a great week!  

do the dew

 The back flower garden is finally coming into its own.

I weed the holes at the base of the plants occasionally, but mostly I just stand back and let it sprawl!

I make big bouquets once a week for the house and the porch.  Cheerful color everywhere.

Lots of company in the garden.  The usual birds...

ruby-throated hummingbird, female

goldfinch, male

both!

wood ducks...momma has left, just the little ones remain!

And so many butterflies, of course. Just too many to list...there's a constantly-fluttering cloud over the garden rows.  At least twenty-five...thirty?...forty...at any given time!  They even share.

one...two...three.

I've found so many interesting insects lately.  The banded tussock moth caterpillar...

...and the parent moth!

A mating pair of eremnophila aureonatata wasps.

The eggs are laid in the ground, and the female includes a paralyzed caterpillar so that the newly-hatched larvae have a nice snack right away!  

Sweat bees sting...

augochlora

...but they're great pollinators.  And despite the tiger bee flies, we still have plenty of carpenter bees!

still shaking the morning dew from his eyes!

Check out that pollen pack!

We're getting pretty regular rain in between our hot, humid August days...and the dew is really heavy lately.

dew-covered leaf hopper

...so pretty.  We're both loving the natural beauty here!  So much color this time of year.

our daily morning hike path

celosia leaves in the garden

fallen sunflower petals

Looking forward to more discoveries in the last two weeks of August.  Have a great week!