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.