More climate weirdness

I must sound like I complain about the weather a lot. Today's temperature is expected to be in the high 80's and that is just plain WRONG for this time of year. It is also dry and sunny instead of cold and rainy. The "normal" frost date is in about a week, but we are not going to hit that.

Spider condo 

I don't do a lot of fall cleanup as a rule, yet there are a few things to address this time of year. It's just too hot, though.

Coneflower cultivar outlasts straight species

One thing I definitely want to address is the dead tulip tree. I left it as a "wildlife" tree, but decided I would have it taken down once the plants around the rain garden died back. The other day I noticed that the tree has developed a definitely tilt, toward the house. So it needs to leave sooner rather than later.

Listing

Getting someone out here to provide estimates is another matter; all the woodcutters and lumberjacks are busy this time of year. For my own reassurance, I attached a dog tie-out to the tree, in part to discourage it from falling on the house should it give way, but also to have a visible cue as to whether it is getting worse.

Volunteer zinnia

Then I inadvertantly hit the tie-out with the lawn mower. I'm surprised the mower still works. I'm also impressed at just how damaging mower blades can be to human limbs. An excellent safety reminder.

Golden arches

Other areas of the world are dealing with floods, typhoons, mud slides, earthquakes. So I keep telling myself, "Things could be worse."

Bugs

I often feel like I live in an insect desert. But there are a few that show up and hold still long enough for me to photograph.

Mystery bug

Grasshopper

My daughter placed a basil plant where the drain from the HVAC exits her house (constant drip irrigation) and this fine specimen showed up. She suggested a water feature might attract more insects in my yard. I have a small, poorly designed fountain I rarely run, but in the past, insects have paused there for a drink, so maybe she has a point. She also has loads of crickets.

Praying mantis

Pineapple sage was an impulse purchase. I forgot how long it takes to bloom. If it weren't for our extended summer weather, it might not have made it.

Pineapple sage

I was under the weather this past week, but once I perked up, I managed to finish deconstructing the pile of not-asparagus that has been ruining the view. Today's outdoor activities were curtailed by some much needed rain. And so it goes.

Easing into autumn

After fall-like weather in August, it feels more summer-ish in September. But the sun is at a more southern angle, the sky is a paler shade of blue, and the nighttime temps are in the 50's and 60's, so it feels rather delightful. Not knowing how to dress is an issue I can live with.

The yard is easing into autumn as well. The lack of rain is causing some leaves to fall from dryness, and the lawn is on pause. The riot of summer is over, but a few things bear observation.

The Canada geese are migrating.

I love a parade!

Despite my neglect, this sweet potato vine is hanging in there.

Goldern arches

'Blue Muffin' continues to disappoint, but 'Chicago Lustre' is making up for that this year.

Bird food

I can barely get through the areas north (hostas and goldenrod) and south (norther sea oats, bee balm, goldenrod, rudbeckia, unwanted lambs quarter) of the house. I can't view the north side from inside the house (it runs along the garage), but I look out on this mess from bedroom and bathroom windows.

Bee Alley

Today's "word of the day" is "pensive" - and that is how I'm feeling.

So tired of summer

I have abandoned fall planting of anything because I am just so sick of the yard by September that I fail to provide the care fall-planted plants need.

In the spring, when I see all the tulips, hyacinth, snow drops, etc. in the yards of others, I think I will plant some come fall. But I don't. The only fall planting I foresee is some garlic I purchased at a farmers market, expressly for planting in the strawberry bed. If I fail to do that, well, I can eat the garlic.

In past years, the common milkweed has been overrun by aphids, but not this summer. Those little critters did notice the new-to-this-year swamp milkweed in the rain garden, however. Interesting.

While the weeds are mostly under control, this one corner has been neglected. It continues to be neglected because some wasps/bees/something-that-stings have built a nest under the compost bin. I can (quickly!) dump kitchen scraps in the bin, but that is about all I dare try.

All the winterberry holly shrubs are loaded with fruit this year. If we get some snow, those red berries will look lovely against a white background. At least, until the robins strip the plants. But that is what the winterberry is there for.

There has been just enough rainfall to keep the lawn growing, but the forecast for this week is dry, dry, dry. It's all I can do to force myself to water the container plants. I welcome a hard frost.

Spider season

There are spiders in the yard all season long, but it seems like they are particularly noticeable as autumn approaches. The front porch is festooned with webs, which I don't mind as long as the resident arachnids stay outside. I'll sweep them down just before Halloween.

According to this site, there are reasons spiders seem more prevalent in the fall. For one thing, the spiders that hatched in the spring are now full grown, and the males are seeking females for mating. They also may be seeking warmer quarters, like near crevices and doorways. I've had to stop a few trying to sneak inside when I'm holding the door open for the pets.

This is the first year for swamp milkweed in my rain garden. Besides them surprising me with blossoms, they are forming seed pods.

Usually, yard waste goes into a compost pile by the shed, but this year I decided the weedy stuff should go elsewhere, along with its weed seeds. I thought the city would pick it up separate from the regular trash, but I was wrong. They say to just throw it into the bins, except for leaves which they do pick up. Hmmm.

The temps have been moderate lately, making for pleasant days, but we could use some rain.

Looking back

Today, with very little to report, I took a look at past Augusts. This blog is almost 19(!) years old, so that took a while. There have been a lot of changes over the years. It looks like I tried a little bit of everything. (I think my writing was a bit more creative in previous years as well.)

This little guy was on the storm door the other day. Google Photos Lens identifies it as Synchlora aerata, a.k.a. the wavy-lined emerald moth or camouflaged looper. Read more about it here (including videos of the larva camouflaged with plant tissue and fending off a spider attack).

From the top

From underneath

While standing out in the yard the other day, admiring the cup plants, I heard a chirping that was coming from a hummingbird. I had no idea they were vocal, as usually all I hear from them is a whirring noise as they buzz past. Learn something new every day.

Year of spurge

Spurge is everywhere this summer. Unfortunately, a lot of it is in a bed in the front yard, a bed that is supposed to be full of ragwort and coneflower instead. Alas, the temperatures and the humidity have been rather discouraging this past week, but I shall get back to weeding someday.

The swamp milkweed I planted in the rain garden this past spring is actually blooming! I did not expect that. The nodding onion I transplanted from the front yard is also blooming, another pleasant surprise.

I'm not a fan of 'Goldsturm' rudbeckia since it does not attract polinators, so decided it should be sacrificed for the dye pot. The instructions stated that the blossoms should be harvested when they are past their peak. Last night I took a look, and they were WAY past that. So, despite the heat, I did just that.

Before

After

While walking the dog, I came across this excellant specimen of dog stinkhorn, a.k.a. Mutinus caninus. I've never seen it in the wild, only sprouting from store-bought mulch.

This summer I have seen a few more butterflies than last year, although none have found my garden worthy of providing sustenance for their young. As Cubs fans say, There is always next year.

Not asparagus

I *thought* the tiny bit of asparagus that survived the landscape redo had reseeded itself into a dense jungle of asparagus. That patch had become so HUGE I decided to cut it back. After hacking away for a while, I came across the original bit of asparagus... and realized what I was hacking down was not asparagus. I don't know what it was (horse tail?), but it's out of there now. Jeesh.

There is a city park near me that is mostly a working 1930's farm, but there is a small rain garden near the trail. When walking the dog there, I check out what is blooming, and right now it is marsh blazing star. That would be a great addition to my own rain garden, so it is now added to Project 2026.

We are in another heat wave this week. I'm keeping up with the upkeep - watering, mowing, a bit of weeding, etc. - but that is about it. It's been dry, so fewer lightning bugs, but the cicadas carry on. Here is a presumably dead one, belly up, for a up close and personal look.

Meanwhile, it's a good weekend to just hunker down and stay inside. Keep cool!

What's it good for? Joe pye weed

The three moisture-loving plants I added to the edge of the rain garden bloom in succession: first meadow rue, then queen of the prairie, now Joe pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum).

It's tall but so far has not needed staking, unlike its neighbors. Like its neighbors, it will spread, so I hope I don't regret including it in my wild backyard. For general information on this plant, go here. For information on growing it, try this site.

While Joe pye has medicinal uses, I plant it for its benefit to pollinators and birds. Hopefully, it will attract a butterfly or two?

I did see a swallowtail this week in my backyard, on the coneflower. Alas, it did not linger. At least the bees are busy.

The weather continues to be weird. We've had enough rain this summer to bring on the fungi. July had some very hot days, but now that August is here, the temps are more moderate, even dipping into the 50's at night. It definitely does not feel like the dog days of summer.

On one of the hot but overcast days, family members visited the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend. There were flamingos!

Speaking of flamingos, I figured out why my recently purchased solar-powered one was not working: there is an on-off switch that I neglected to notice. Now it glows. If they go on sale, I may purchase a few more, just for kicks. One can never have too many pink flamingos.

Aging well

Somewhere I read that one secret to aging well is to have something to look forward to. This past year I created Project 2025, all the things I wanted to accomplish in the yard, and those have come to fruition one way or another. A list for Project 2026 is already started, with 14 items (so far). Sometimes I wonder why I just didn't turn the whole yard into lawn - it would be much easier to take care of - but then how would I keep busy and active? Successful old age is not for couch potatoes.

I have tried several times and in several places to get some butterflyweed established, without luck. And yet here is a volunteer plant growing amongst the aromatic aster. No butterflies, though.

The ironweed on the south side of the house is starting to bloom, as well as the rudbeckia. Ironweed likes it wet, so maybe I will plant some by the rain garden next year.

This is a typical daily harvest from my food plants, just enough for me. One problem with growing yer own is it almost always tastes better than purchased, even from farmers markets.

Otherwise, not a lot going on around here. It's still hot and humid, with enough rain to keep the grass growing. I am looking forward to autumn already.

What's it good for? Queen of the prairie

The first time I saw Queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra), I was in love. Although it tolerates clay soil, it likes to keep its feet wet, so it seemed like an unlikely candidate for my yard. Now that I have a rain garden, though, it's been added to the fringe. However, it may be a useless beauty unless you are interested in some of its medicinal uses. (I'm not.) I noticed a few pollinators on it.

I installed only one plant, but the clump it eventually forms may become quite large (4 feet across). Also, it spreads by seeds, which I hope does not become a problem. We'll see. Meanwhile, I will enjoy it - pretty in pink.

Elsewhere in the yard:

The strawberry patch looks very healthy. I've been able to pick a few berries from it every few days. Very tasty!

My granddaughter and I painted some small rocks to look like strawberries, to fool the birds. The faux berries need to be sprayed with fixative before I set them out. So far, the birds have left the harvest alone.

I keep trying to get a good pic of the "meadow". This one has the plants labeled, so if you enlarge it, you can at least tell what is there. Like many things, the meadow looks better in real life.

Up close and personal.

I don't think this Canada hemlock is going to make it. It looks peaked compared to its brethren. If it goes, a gold mop will replace it.

The latest addition to my flamingo collection. This one is supposed to glow, but it is either a dud or else just does not get enough sun. I'll move it and see if it does better elsewhere.

Another useless beauty, but I love the bright orange.

The first harvest from the green bean plants!

Cicadas! And crickets! Songs of summer

The name of the game this week is maintenance, as in weed control, watering, and gutter cleaning. It's hot (again), but I try to work one hour a day outside, usually in the early morning or evening. If I do have to be out in the noonday sun, I wear a neck gaiter that helps immensely. I bought mine at Dick's Sporting Goods; they are near the checkouts.

I stole this image (but its frequent appearance on various sites makes my thievery seem okay). Despite their aggressive behavior, carpenter bees can't hurt you, which was news to me. I have been stung by paper wasps and yes, it hurts! Yellow jackets are mostly benign until autumn, when they get cranky as their food sources disappear.

I've been dipping into How Can I Help? by Doug Tallamy. It's written in question/answer format, and the questions are based on audience response after lectures. Most of it is spot on, but I have a few quibbles with him, specifically regarding mulberry trees. They are the bane of my existance while he considers them part of nature's food network. By his logic, those awful ornamental pear trees that are taking over undeveloped land everywhere are okay because the birds eat the fruit, ditto burning bush, both invasive non-natives.

His take on goutweed is making me rethink its presence under the hydrangea.

It too is an invasive non-native; its sale is banned in several states. An alternative is wild geranium, which I have in my front yard and that I notice is spreading, so there are candidates for transplanting. But first, I would have to wipe out the goutweed. No easy task.

I abandoned my idea of planting a butterflybush, but perhaps I could squeeze in a bottlebrush buckeye behind the oak tree. They have a tendency to spread via rhizome, so I would need to install some edging around it, not an easy task in my clay soil. I'll put it on the list for possibilities for next year.

Sunflowers and cup plants are starting to bloom, along with the 'Goldsturm' rudbeckia. Yellow!

Also, what I call "ditch" daylilies. Orange!

Then there are a couple of surprises. One of my goals for this year was to let some of the amaranth reseed itself. I forgot about that idea, found myself spraying what I thought were seedlings from the long-gone smoke bush, then realized those purple things were amaranth volunteers. They are popping up all over the place, so maybe I will try dyeing yarn with it again, in hopes of better results than I got last year.

Another surprise is this flowering plant. It is safflower, a volunteer growing under the birdfeeders and another candidate for dyeing. Exciting!

While taking photos, I spent some time just standing in the "meadow". Bees, bees, bees! Also, Japanese beetles, again decimating the Virginia creeper, which is okay as long as they leave everything else alone. Still no butterflies, let alone monarchs, but one can hope.