Fall Findings

Monarch on the Buddleia

Not easy to see on an overcast day!

First spotted August 23rd

But this Monarch looks glorious

on the Sedum in the sunshine

a week later.

Other fall plants looking great:

Limelight hydrangea

New England Aster

Surprise!

Look what I found by the garage window

near the Russian sage!

A sunflower I didn't plant

but it looks great there!

Squirrels?

Early August in My Own Garden

Back from vacation, we're still having a wonderful summer with rain, and sun and gentle breezes.  It shows in the garden. It is as full and lush as it has ever been, especially in the past two years during the drought.

Froggie measured 3 inches of rain in the last week!

My neighbor did not have a lot of watering to do

while we were away.

The planters are overflowing.

And some vines are really growing--

now that it's late summer.

Black-eyed Susan Vine

The pansies are actually re-blooming with

the cool evenings, regular watering

and shade under the deck.

But the blooms of the Hellenium or Sneezeweed

shows that we're approaching Autumn.

Prince Edward Island Gardens

On vacation in Atlantic Canada or The Maritimes, we saw beautiful plantings everywhere, but this garden was uniquely spectacular at The Dunes on Brackley Beach.

Surprisingly, they had a vegetable garden

and a hay field on the property.

The water can be seen beyond the hay bales.

The flowers were inter-planted with the vegetables and herbs.

But there were whole beds of blooms too.

Striking colors against the green of the land and the blue of the sky

A pond with water lilies

and shady walkways were a welcome respite from the sun,

but the cool ocean breezes kept the heat away.

A rooftop garden with an infinity pool

to match the water in the distance

and a view of some of the property.

Even the parking lots and the restrooms

were splashed with color.

A true garden of Eden on beautiful PEI!

Thanks, Irena, for the tour of one of your favorite places.

Late Summer Flowers Appear in the Bouquet

In addition to the mid-summer flowers,

I now can stick some Black-eyed Susans

and Butterfly Bush in the ongoing

summer cuttings arrangement.

The Black-eyed Susans are making their way

up through the Daisies which are the last 

of the first blooming.  A second bloom will appear

below the Susans next.

The butterfly bush is attracting Painted Lady butterflies.

Also many hummingbird or hawk moths

And the stunning Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

Outside, that is!

Perfect Summer Day

Just before the thunderstorms kick in, I went out to the garden to cut some flowers to put in a vase.  Although we've had an inch already this week, we're going to have three days of rain to end the week.  I thought I would save some blooms from destruction by winds and heavy rain, maybe hail.

I love having a work sink in the walk-out basement so that I can condition the flowers.  I strip the extra leaves off outside and carry a jar around with me as I cut.  Then I soak the blooms and leaves in the sink of room temperature water for a bit before arranging in the vase (a Mason jar today).

I came face to face with a male Gyspy moth this morning!

He was on the patio door window.  Look at those eyes and "feelers"!

Haven't seen a female one (white) or any egg deposits yet.

Good news for next year, if so.

And more vases full of blooms and greenery to bring inside to enjoy

when we can't be on the patio.

Red, White and Blue in the Garden

It's the Fourth of July and the garden is bursting with color and bloom:

Red from a new Cone Flower 'Cheyenne Flower'

White from the Fairy Wings

and Blue from the Balloon Flowers.

Even the shape of the blooms reminds me of the starbursts of fireworks:

A newly blooming Cone Flower

A perennial sunflower (with visitor)

A newly blooming hydrangea

The first day lily to bloom this summer.

Even the tiny blooms and leaves of Thrift near the bench.

 seem to be "bursting in air"

in the early July garden.

Oh, say, can you see?

The grand finale--

From Sara's second-year flower garden!

Ready to Defend!

I looked through my arsenal of insecticides and found Neem Oil by Natria.  It is approved for organic gardening.  It will also solve some disease problems like rust and powdery mildew.  I'm going to use it on the Mandevilla vine that has been invaded by aphids.

This will be a step up from the Earth-Tone Insecticidal Soap I have been using.  I have applied the soap spray every 3 days for 10 days to no avail.  I hope the Neem Oil will take care of the aphids.

I also bought Earth-tone 3 in 1 Disease Control.  Both Earth-tone products are by Espoma.

I have had good luck with that brand and Bayer products also.  I especially liked the Bayer 3-in-1 but it is not available in Connecticut any longer.  It has a tobacco-derived product that some people think is harmful to bees.  The expert at my lawn and garden center does not agree!  I have used this product in the past and have many, many bees in my garden then and now. I think I agree with her.

The 3-in-1 product disease control I can spray on my roses.  I found at least a dozen Gypsy Moth caterpillars on my two plants this afternoon.  I need to spray them directly so I'm not sure if this is going to work. It is late to try to eradicate the caterpillars.  I found the soap spray kills them on the birch tree.  I stepped on a lot of them when they were small, but these are as big as your little finger now!  Too much squish!  My garden guru told me to prune back the roses and fertilize them with Espoma Rose-tone.

Poor roses!

Attack of the Moths and Aphids

They're ba-a-ack!

Those Gypsy Moth caterpillars

are eating my birch tree and my rose bushes.

This one above shows the typical red and blue spots (also below)

on the fourth instar stage of the caterpillar moth.

They will soon seek shelter and pupate

by the end of this month or early July.

Then the moths appear by mid-July.

Another invasion!

My Knock-Out roses have survived Rosy Rosette disease,

but now the leaves are all gone, chewed by the caterpillars.

Disgusting!

And then there are the aphids...

on my beautiful Mandevilla vine, 

a gift from a friend.

Will I lose these battles?

Stay tuned.