I cry "Uncle!"

When I decided to let the clover re-establish itself in my lawn, I failed to anticipate how much it would infiltrate my flower beds. Also, spot treating the weeds in the lawn last summer was a piece of cake compared to now, when more unwelcome plants are taking root there. So I will cancel that experiment and let the lawn guys take care of the weeds for me.

I did manage to do a lot of weed spraying before the heat wave it. Temps in the 90's, heat index over 100, sunny to boot, but breezy, too. My daughter and I kayaked on Cedar Creek today. It's a good thing we got an early start, as by the time we came off the water, many more folks were heading in. We both did a good job applying sunscreen, so no sunburns. Also, very few bugs, so no bites, either.

We had even more rain before the heat wave, which brought down a limb from my elm tree. My theory is the tree is so leafy that the added weight of the rain water was too much.

I followed through on my threat to pick some of the fruit from the serviceberry bushes and freeze it, but just enough to experiment with, to see if anything is interested in the berries mid-winter. A few days later I noticed that the remaining berries were gone. More than just robins dine on them, but I failed to observe the feast.

I've seen yucca plants in others' yards blooming. About all that is colorful here is the penstemon. I watch the bees climb in and out of the blossoms, and a brief overview online indicates that Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus' is attractive to pollinators. I'll take that with a grain of salt, as it's difficult to find definitive information anymore on the Web, especially about cultivars.

Clio and I have been walking in the early part of the day (6:30am) before the sun becomes too brutal. Ordinarily, she likes to bake on the deck, then come in and flop onto the kitchen floor to cool off. Lately, the baking is short-lived. Not so for old cat Finn; I think the heat feels good on his ancient joints. Summer has definitely arrived.

Still not safe for elms

Ever since I planted a Triumph Elm (Ulmus 'Morton Glossy') in my backyard in 2016, I have been a fan. It's a gorgeous shade tree that grows relatively quickly and is resistant to the evil Dutch elm disease. Alas, that does not mean it is impervious to other ills.

According to a recent article in the Purdue University Landscape Report, the elm zigzag sawfly (EZS), Aproceros leucopoda, a non-native insect, has recently been detected in several midwestern states, although not Indiana (yet). Initially, the EZS larvae chew zigzag patterns into elm leaves, thus the common name of the insect; however, as it grows larger, it skeletonizes the leaves. While most trees will survive defoliation, years of feeding by EZS will weaken a tree and increase its susceptibility to other pests and disease.

If you suspect this pest is on your tree, at least in Indiana, please contact the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab for identification. There is still much to learn about EZS.

As if that were not enough, there has also been an uptick in reports of black spot of elm. It favors cool, wet conditions, so maybe our recent hot dry weather will discourage it.

On a happier note, the asters and goldenrod are not discouraged this year. Both are covered in pollinators of various sizes and types. I'm always happy to see that.

Halloween is coming. I'm not big on holiday decorations, but a few lights here, a seasonal flamingo there, is right up my alley.

Previously, our first frost date was October 6. That came and went with temps in the 70's. Today it is cooler, but still no frost in the forecast. I am SO done with summer. Bring on the hot cider!