A walk in the woods

My SO and I took a little hike in the Lindenwood Nature Preserve this past week. I'm always on the lookout for unusual fungi. Most of what we saw we had seen before, but not this blue sample. I haven't been able to identify it. Any guesses?

We also saw some fruit here and there. This is white banebarry, a.k.a. doll's eyes.

Something unusual was this beehive in the ground. (If you look closely at the photo, you can see some honeycomb in the wall of the hole.) We were puzzled about the hole, but then noticed some honeycomb scattered around it, as though something (raccoon?) had tried digging up the hive.

Closer to home, the Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' goldenrod is peaking while its taller cousin on the other side of the house is past its prime.

I attended a harvest festival yesterday and could not resist this flamingo bird house made from a gourd. It will winter inside.

We have been having some rainy days plus lower temperatures, so it *almost* feels like fall. The lawn is happier, as am I, the master waterer.

Front porch menagerie and conifers at the mall

Speaking of spiders (as I was in my last post), my front porch and yard sport quite a few funnel spiders. From the Illinois Department of Natural Resource: "They have long legs and can move quickly. The body is light brown with some dark markings. These spiders sit at the end of their funnel-shaped web as they wait for insects. Webs are often seen in late summer and early fall close to the ground and covered with dew."

Every year I debate over whether to clear these webs off the porch before or after Halloween. If I wait too long, cold weather causes the spiders to try to sneak through the front door into the house.

Foggy dewy mornings are great for spotting the webs in the lawn and beds. I am fine with spiders being OUTdoors, not so much INdoors.

I used to have a lot of paper wasps making nests on the soffits and porch roof, but updating both mostly eliminated that issue. My son pointed out that this wasp nest is probably from a mud dauber.

New topic: miniature conifers at the mall. For some reason, one of the local malls replaced some of the indoor houseplants with miniature conifers. They are in pots they will probably outgrow, so I am curious to see how long they last.

My research has revealed that just because the name of a plant includes "miniature" doesn't mean it will stay miniature in size. Sometimes it means it just won't get as big as its larger cousins, which may still be too big for its intended location.

Today we *finally* got some rain. Not enough, but maybe the grass in the lawn will become less brittle. Lots of Canada geese have been using our neighborhood as a stopover on their way south; a few mallards do the same down by the pond. Even the starlings are beginning to change to their winter plumage. Winter will be here *someday*.

(If you miss seeing ice and snow, I recommend watching "True Detective: Night Country". It takes place in Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, but was filmed in Finland. Brrr!!!)

More August-like weather

The forecast is for at least ten days of 80+ degree temperatures, and no rain in sight. I've been watering plants that ordinarily are on their own, especially ones that look a bit peaked. At least the nights are (relatively) cool.

This past week I've been helping my daughter at her new house. The property had been uninhabited for a year, so while a neighbor kept the lawn mowed, not much of anything else was done. While daughter works on the inside (removing carpet, etc.), I whack weeds, then spray them. With this heat, I last about three hours before having to call it a day. I saw a couple of butterflies and a praying mantis - no pix because I am not fast enough - and spiders.

The yard contains "mature trees" which is another way of saying "call the tree service". They look like fast-growing silver maples and locusts that have been there for probably sixty years. My inclination is to get rid of all of them, but we'll have an arborist give us some advice first. I hate to cut down trees, but these are not exactly the most desirable ones to have, especially regarding sewer lines and electric service. For replacements, I'd recommend some elms in the front yard, Japanese maple and redbud in the back.

There are garden beds all around the house, just aching for something besides pachysandra. I'm pushing dwarf conifers for the front of the house proper, heuchera for a narrow bed that runs along the garage, hostas on the north side, then natives in the backyard, as we can source those from my yard.

I make it sound like this is *my* property. Right now my daugher is too busy with the house itself to give much thought to the yard. She likes to garden, though, so I know she will want to do *something* with the outside.

On my own homefront, there are still weeds to contend with, although they seem to recognize that the growing season is coming to an end. There have been some different visitors to the birdbath this week. A downy woodpecker has discovered the "wildlife" tree as well, but it is too shy to photograph.

Northern flicker

Blue jay

Something I have completely forgotten about are the wild strawberry and wild petunia seeds in the refrigerator. They never sprouted, so I think I will scatter them outside come December, and let Mother Nature have her way with them. Maybe I should put a reminder in my calendar so I don't forget about them *again*.

More autumn-like

The temps are moderating - again - but the forecast calls for another hot spell later this week. Last Friday we did get about a half inch of rain, which was welcome, but none is expected in the foreseeable future.

The other day I was examining the oak tree to see if there were any acorns. No nuts, but lots of oak galls. And wasps! That is a phenomenon that I had not observed before. Mother Nature is simply fascinating!

I mowed today, even though it wasn't strictly necessary. The past week has been busy, so I feel like I need to get caught up, or even a bit ahead of myself. Who knew retirement would be so FULL?

Changing seasons

August wasn't done with us last week, as the temps soared into the 90's with plenty of humidity. Today, it is more autumn-like. But it's not time to put the gardens and yard to bed for the winter yet. Rain has been scarce, so I continue to water, plus control weeds.

When my son and his girlfriend were here a few weeks ago, we strolled around the yard. She commented on the lovely scent of the hydrangea. I had never noticed it before - it is rather delicate - but now I sniff them whenever I am in the yard. As the blossoms age, the scent becomes less and less noticable.

Fruit on some shrubs is beginning to turn red. I was suprised to find some berries on the spice bush - it must be a female and someone else nearby must have a male.

Most of the winterberry holly is bearing fruit, but not all. Of course, the male bushes don't, but some of the female randomly don't as well. I noticed this phenomena last year. No real reason that I can discern.

Of course, the goldenrod is putting on a show. This tall variety which I have no memory of planting may be Solidago altissima, known as Canadian goldenrod. Or it may be Solidago gigantea, Giant goldenrod. I'm planning to swap the shorter fence in this photo with the taller fence around the 'meadow'.

The Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks', also known as Rough goldenrod, is a bit behind its big brother.

My daughter is moving to a new-to-her house that has not been occupied for a year. I asked if there were any way I could help that didn't involve stair climbing or heavy lifting. She suggested I take on weed control in the yard. That I can do!

Roundup on Roundup

In the not-so-distant past, I was adamently organic. Growing all the vegetables for my family meant protecting them from the evils of herbicides and pesticides, especially Roundup. Back then, organic produce was difficult to find, and when found, prohibitively expensive. Hence, my organic garden.

Fast forward to the present day, when I no longer grow food except here and there. Instead, I have a large yard with large beds that provide room for weeds to grow. I now resort to Roundup to keep those weeds under control, especially the perennial and/or prolific ones like Canada thistle, pokeweed, trumpet vine, mulberry seedlings, etc.

Glyphosate is a systemic, non-selective herbicide that is absorbed by the plant and moves throughout the vascular system, ultimately killing the plant. Roundup used to be synomymous with glyphosate, but that is changing. Recently, Bayer announced that glyphosate would be phased out of consumer Roundup products.

So, what do I have? The product that I have been using on weeds in the mulched beds is Roundup Concentrate Plus. I dilute it with water at the heavier concentration, as I'm dealing with perennial weeds, vines, tree stubs, etc. The main ingredient is glyphosate, isopropylamine salt, with diquat dibromide added for quick burndown of the weeds. It works well. I just finished off a container of it. Should I buy more this season or wait? The formula may be different next year.

For the lawn, I use Roundup for Lawns. It targets primarily broadleaf weeds, plus crabgrass and yellow nutsedge. I posted about my nutsedge woes several weeks ago, thinking there was nothing I could do for where it grows in the lawn. Now I will have to try treating it with this product, even if it requires multiple applications. It pays to read the freakin' label! (The label does not mention mulberry seedlings, but the product works on them as well.)

One more product I use, straight from the bottle, is Ortho Groundclear Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer. Its main ingredients are triclopyr, triethylamine salt and diquat dibromide. Triclopyr is a systemic herbicide that affects actively growing plants by mimicking a specific type of plant growth hormone. Plants rapidly take in triclopyr through leaves and roots, which causes uncontrolled plant growth and plant death. When trying to eliminate something like yucca which keeps popping up in the middle of my 'October Skies' aster, I trim back the yucca and brush on this product so it touches only the yucca. Ditto mulberry and sumac seedlings that get beyond the seedling stage.

It may sound like I'm just covering my property with poisons, but that is not the case. Periodically, I patrol the yard, sprayer in hand, on a search-and-destroy mission. I spot treat the specific invaders. I'm careful about exposure to both myself and the pets. These products are tools that are effective and relatively safe when used in their intended manner. However, I would still not use them around food plants.

On a completely different topic, I visited Arbor Farms Nursery the other day, as their pottery was on sale for 50% off. I was looking for some new pots for some houseplants. I also checked out the ginkgo trees for future reference. The pottery was on tables near the butterfly bushes. And there were butterflies! It was all I could do to keep myself from adding a butterfly bush (or two or three) to my shopping, but I held myself in check. I admit I'm thinking of adding some to the landscape, to see if I have better luck attracting butterflies, but that can wait until next year.


I repotted two houseplants today.

Aphids have legs?

My common milkweed plants, Asclepias syriaca, have aphids. They usually do, but this year it seems worse than usual. Should I be worried?

Common milkweed with a sooty mold outbreak

According to a recent essay in the Purdue Landscape Report, it depends. Oleander aphids (Aphis nerii), which is what I think my plants have, actually benefit monarchs by impairing the plant's defenses; larva will grow bigger faster. Oleander aphids are a bright yellow color and the hind legs are completely black.

Oleander aphids

In the past, I think I have also seen Aphis asclepiadis, Dogwood-milkweed aphid. They are slightly duller yellow than Oleander aphids, and the hind legs are not completely black. They are often attended by ants, which is what I have observed.

Oleander aphids, up close and personal

The good news for us lazy gardeners is no treatment is necessary. In fact, using chemicals will harm the monarch caterpillars more than the aphids. However, you can try to reduce the population by spraying with a stream of water. Or, like me, let the natural predators like ladybugs and wasps have their way with the aphids.

Some surprises

It's August, and one doesn't expect miracles, but there have been a few surprises in the yard.

You know the adage for perennials: First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap. So I rarely expect newly planted perennials to do much the first year. The Joe Pye is not very tall, but it has surprised me by blooming. And it looks like one that the rabbits ate is recovering.

Another first year surprise is the Rattlesnake Master. Several of them are "blooming". The spherical flower heads actually are many tiny white flowers that are attractive to insects. I'm pleased.

Two exceptions to the sleep-creep-leap adage are Rudbeckia and Coneflower. I planted them last year, and they are doing exceptionally well. Unfortunately, the coneflower and penstemon hide the rudbeckia. I didn't expect them to get so tall, and the 'Goldstrum' rudbeckia is a shorter variety.

Other surprises are: the Virginia creeper has recovered from the infestation of Japanese beetles; the common milkweed the rabbits ate has resprouted, plus more is coming up here and there in the "meadow"; and today I saw a monarch butterfly!

In the spending-my-children's-inheritance department, I had a whole house backup generator installed this past week. It doubles as insurance against the Trumpocalypse in case you-know-who is re-elected and rolls back climate change legislation (although I feel hopeful that won't happen now). We've lost power twice this summer, and I worry about an outage that could last days or even weeks.

As a gardener, I see evidence of climate change almost everyday, but it is difficult to complain when the weather is as nice as it has been yesterday and today. I've turned off the AC and opened the windows for some fresh air. And I'm sitting on the deck while I type this. Of course, it won't last, but I'm going to enjoy it while it does.

Dog daze

The light has changed and the humidity won't stop, so it must be August. My granddaughter goes back to school August 8(!) It just doesn't seem right to not wait until after Labor Day.

The Profusion zinnias are doing their thing, along with the nodding onion, so the front of the house doesn't look so plain now. I love zinnias, but I'm going to try something else next year.

Almost everytime I sit and gaze at the backyard, I see hummingbirds, mostly at the penstemon (which is just about done). Goldfinch are enjoying the coneflower and sunflower seeds.

I'm disturbed by the lack of butterflies this year. Perhaps it is just an anomaly. Fingers crossed.

Name that tune

Several years ago, I tried the bird identifying app Merlin and was not impressed. But I decided to try it again. It is much better. While I can visually identify most of the birds in my backyard, their songs frequently escape me.

It's no surprise that most of the birdsong in my yard is from sparrows. Merlin also picked up a black-capped chickadee's staccato cheeps; I located it in the (dead) tulip tree, feeding on bugs. Merlin identified the hawk I hear so frequently as a red-shouldered hawk. Mystery solved.

Of course, that is assuming the accuracy of the app. Ideally, one would visually confirm the link between the bird and the birdsong. A photo would be even better. But I'm lazy and don't want to move from my lawn chair. Or I just can't sight the damn bird. Or so many are LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs) and are difficult to tell apart.

My SO and I took a bit of a hike at Fox Island. Many (MANY) years ago, I participated in a ground water study there, which gave me an opportunity to view the wildflowers over several seasons. My tiny brain has not retained the names of those wildflowers, but we enjoyed them nonetheless.

I have a tendency to plan a project, purchase the needed supplies, then never actually complete the project. Yesterday I actually accomplished one: adding nonskid strips to the garden shed ramp. When wet, the ramp is slick, even moreso when covered with snow or ice.

The black strips were easy to install: remove backing and press. The narrow gray strips were a nightmare. The backing layers separated. My thumbnails are sore from trying to pick at the backing (I eventually resorted to using a box cutter). We'll see which ones last the longest.

This must be the year of the hydrangea. All over town, shrubs are dense with bursting blossoms. My own 'Limelight' hydrangea has joined in.

It looks like it will be a banner year for goldenrod as well.

Below is a photo of the morning sun. I took the picture because the sun was red, but it didn't translate onto the image. Too bad, because it was stunning.

While on the topic of photos, Dropbox no longer is working between my devices, probably because I have been using the free version which apparently is no long free, or free for only a limited time. How best to transfer photos from my phone to laptop now? Well, today I discovered I can link those two devices. It's not as simple to use as Dropbox, but it works fine.

Nuts to nutsedge

A weed is a plant that is growing where you don't want it. Yellow nutsedge is such a plant. It likes damp soil, so pops up in the lawn near the edges of the driveway. And now it is rampant in the rain garden.

It's Latin name is Cyperus esculentus. Nutsedge is also known as nut grass, chufa sedge, tiger nuts or earth almond. I've read that is is native to the Middle East and I've read that it is native to Indiana. Regardless, it has spread around the world. In some countries, it is used for livestock feed. Some people eat the tubers and/or make a drink from them. Ducks and wild turkeys feed on it.

I don't have any ducks or wild turkeys in my yard, so its value to me is minimal. I contemplated letting it grow in the rain garden, but decided that was inviting trouble. There are herbicides that target nutsedge, but they may damage turf grass and other nearby plants. I'll keep spraying it where I can, pulling it where I can't spray, and mowing it in the lawn.

A bargain

I took a sample of the skeletonized leaves from my 'Perfect Purple' flowering crab to the Purdue County Extension office. To have a member of the Master Gardeners examine them cost nothing, but I coughed up $5 for an expert to take a look and provide advice. They confirmed that yes, it is the apple-and-thorn skeletonizer, a.k.a. Choreutis pariana and provided several choices for treatment. What a deal!

While we were at the extension office, we took a stroll through their gardens, which consist of the usual suspects. A bonus is many are labeled, so if we were stumped over the identification of a plant, we just had to find its tag. Very helpful.

This planter design was new to me.

The past few days have brought morning fog, which highlights spider webs. At least I think they are spider webs. They could be a fungus. If I see them tomorrow, I will take a closer look.

The photo above highlights one of the things I don't like about the Packera aurea (Golden ragwort): the stems that remain after pruning the flowering stalks. I'm at the age where I don't like to do a lot of bending over, so I cut these back the best I could. Pulling on the stems, even when they look done, frequently results in uprooting the whole plant. In the sunnier areas, I plan to interplant one bed with a short variety of coneflower, another bed with a short variety of rudbeckia. That should at least disguise the stems.

We were lucky to receive almost two inches of rain this past week, which of course brought out the mushrooms. Perhaps these are a variety of Gymnopus?

I noticed that one cell in the mason bee nest is occupied, hopefully with mason bees. To read about their life cycle, visit this site.

The dead tulip tree is now a "wildlife tree" or snag. The other day, I observed a pair of sparrows stripping bark from one if the limbs, presumably to expose insects for the two youngsters that were with them.

The nextdoor neighbors have been making good use of their above-ground pool this summer. I'm almost tempted to get one of my own. Almost. It would have to come with a "pool boy".

Noises, noises, noises

When my children were young, I read to them a lot. One semi-favorite was called Noises, Noises, Noises, I believe. It was about an elderly couple. He complained about all the noises while she told him the solution was to eat his roast beef and wear his mittens.

Not a very interesting premise, but I could not help but think of that book while doing yoga on the deck last weekend. There were the manmade noises - airplanes and a medical helicoptor overhead, motorcycles and other traffic, the air conditioner cycling on and off, lawn mowers - and natural noises - the wind in the trees, birds (especially a wren and a hawk), Clio panting in the sun, and CICADAS in JUNE.

I have not seen any June bugs, but there is a plethora of Japanese beetles this year. The good news is they seem to be limiting their damage to the Virginia creeper. The vine is all volunteer and tolerated for its fall color. I'm not sure there will be anything left to turn red come autumn, though.

What eats Japanese beetles? According to the Web, birds like starlings, grackles, crows, robins, catbirds, cardinals, and meadowlarks. Also insects like spiders, assassin bugs, and predatory stink bugs. I wish they would come dine in my yard.

Something is skeletizing the leaves on the 'Perfect Purple' flowering crabapple as well. One online source suggests that this is caused by the apple-and-thorn skeletonizer, a.k.a. Choreutis pariana. The Midwest is not one of its usual territories, however. I may take some samples into the co-operative office and see what they say.

When I take the time to just sit and observe my yard, I see goldfinch in the beebalm and coneflower, hummingbirds tasting nectar from the blossoms on the penstemon and honeysuckle vine, young sparrows trying oh-so-hard to fly, rabbits hiding in the northern sea oats. Not very many butterflies, but for some reason dragonflies. Go figure.

Design flaws

When the Sanctuary Natives guy replaced the ailing ninebark, he took a look around the yard to see how things were doing. He was a bit surprised to see that the 'October Skies' aromatic aster in one bed now has a baby brother growing next to it; he didn't think that would happen. Now that the weather has cooled and I have been handweeding, I see that the aromatic asters are rampantly reseeding themselves. Argh! An online search validates my findings, with the recommendation that one prune the plants once the blossoms are done.

Two of the asters apparently don't get enough light and splay instead of growing more upright - the better to spread their seeds. I wrapped a bit of hardware cloth around them to prop them up (now they are shaped like sheafs of wheat), but I'm considering replacing them. (BTW, the blossoms of the aromatic aster are not aromatic; instead, its the leaves, which smelled wonderful while I was wrestling the plants into their new confines.)

BUT I feel bad about altering the landscape design. Or I did, until I read this article in the New York Times about the High Line in NYC. Piet Oudolf designed the High Line, but after fifteen years, plants grow - and outgrow their space. Ten horticulturists care for this urban oasis, trying to maintain the original vision as much as possible, but adjusting where needed.

Which brings me back to my yard. I'm allowed to make adjustments of my own when something is not working out. I will try to do it carefully and deliberately, instead of willy-nilly like I have in the past. Besides those two asters, the hairy beardtongue is not very happy in its somewhat shady location, so maybe I will move that and find a replacement. The status of the butterflyweed is also questionable; I've never had much luck with it.

The bluebird parents are busy feeding their young. A (presumably male) wren keeps singing up a storm around the wren box in the backyard, while I don't think anyone has taken up residence in the one in the front yard.

We've had rain (yay!) and cooler temps, so I've been working away on the weeds. Better get back at that chore while the weather holds.

Under the (heat) dome

The past week has been HOT. It's not so bad when there is a breeze or when there is a cloud cover. But when there is sun and no breeze? Ugh. And HUMID. And DRY - no rain. Tomorrow's high should be 80, which will feel chilly. There may be rain, which would be a relief.

My day used to start with coffee and news, breakfast, then dog walking. Then it shifted to coffee and news, dog walking, then breakfast. This past week each day started with a token dog walk, then coffee and news, then breakfast. Once we reach the driveway, Clio turns to go in because she is DONE.

I'm still a bit flummoxed about how few bugs there are this year. The bee balm is now blooming, which is attracting bees, naturally, but not as many as other years. I wonder if our crazy weather has thrown Mother Nature into disarray. Maybe that is why the robins did not eat the serviceberries this year - bad timing.

The coneflower I planted last spring is blooming, and so tall I can't see the rudbeckia behind it. Goldfinch love the coneflower seeds; we'll see if they show up. I'm losing faith in what's "normal" in the backyard gardening world.

I'm behind in weed control while I've been busy watering all the newbies (and a few oldies). Speaking of which, I'd better get to that right now.

Word of the day: foliaceous

I've complained here about how my native plants are not very showy. By that I mean that there isn't much color besides green, green, green. It turns out that green is not green is not green. There are shades of green and textures and shapes that, when combined, create interest.

Foliaceous means resembling or pertaining to leaves. Mother Nature is very foliaceous. (Photo by my daughter while we kayaked at Chain o' Lakes State Park.)

And so is my yard. You just have to look with fresh eyes.

I finished transplanting the seedlings. Well, sort of. Some Profusion zinnias went in empty spots in the beds in the front yard, some volunteer zinnias moved from a container to the coneflower bed, a dozen or so Profusion zinnias went into the containers, the amaranth is now in a bare area on the south side of the house, and the leftover Profusion zinnias are now in a bed along the driveway at my SO's house. All that remains are the wild strawberry and wild petunia seeds in the refrigerator that I have been ignoring.

Two of the 'Amber Jubilee' ninebark were replaced this week, as they were more than half dead. They never developed roots. It's a mystery why one is doing fine but two did not.

My neighbor's lawn treatment guy has been a bit too generous with the pellets he spews about. Enough landed under the 'Perfect Purple' flowering crab to kill one catmint and seriously damage two others. I talked to the neighbor and she talked to the lawn treatment company, but I decided to be proactive and protect the replacements. (Said replacements had been in a container, transplanted to the coneflower bed where they were seriously overshadowed, so they are happier now under the crab.)

It sounds like the baby wrens have flown the nest, while a new (or same?) pair of bluebirds is inhabiting the bluebird house. The coneflower is starting to bloom, which means it is summer. The weather certainly says so. We've had some delightful days, but a heat wave is on its way. All I have to do at this point is keep all the newbies watered.