#phlox david

[inthecityofgoodabode]

June 2022: Around The Backyard & Plot 420

Sunday blueberries: 

We sowed some bush bean seeds next to these squash plants out at Plot 420 so two out of The Three Sisters: 

We also laid down some straw to help retain moisture, discourage weeds & encourage earthworms: 

Monday berries. Of course, one of the strawberries is slug munched: 

A row of barn swallows out at the community garden: 

[inthecityofgoodabode]

Sunday Blossoms

It is a little early for this Phlox David to come out of dormancy: 

Our fragrant tea olive is putting out blossoms: 

This dianthus is tough as nails: 

I think this is an Asiatic lily:

The mystery bulb has put out some nice growth. I can’t wait to see what the blossom looks like: 

I don’t know what eating potassium nitrate will do to a rat but it ate two containers worth of stump remover: 

My camera was convinced it was this azalea’s leaves rather than its blossom that I wanted in focus: 

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Lots Of Raindrops

Thursday’s backyard garden harvest: 

I made breakfast this morning for us: 

The weather has this Spring-blooming clematis confused: 

The Autumn Dawn is starting to bloom again: 

We had steady rain all yesterday & intermittent shower today: 

This bumblebee was a bit unsteady. One of her rear legs looked like it had fallen asleep which could mean a spider bite or the cooler temperature was messing with her circulation: 

I let her warm up on my hand. After some seconds, she recovered & took flight:  

Our Summer-blooming clematis is done flowering for the year and is going to seed: 

[inthecityofgoodabode]

Compost Bin Companion & Other Sights

Compost bin slug on the job: 

This Better Bush tomato plant is really taking off: 

Tiny bee: 

Spider facing the sunset: 

Mason Wasp: 

We’ll see how long it takes for our volunteer tomato plants to disappear: 

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Yeah, I Kind Of Got Obsessed With This Moth

Sleeping bumblebee trying to warm itself in the sunlight: 

This would have been a great photo of the moth but this bumblebee crashed the party: 

The irony of the Red-bellied woodpecker is its red belly is its least noticeable feature to a casual observer:  

[inthecityofgoodabode]

Big Saturday Post

Another story that didn’t end well: 

Now that the temperatures are a little milder, our tomatoes in the backyard garden are starting to produce fruit again: 

I planted some seedling potatoes early in the week and they are already sprouting: 

Saturday’s backyard harvest. I love when those banana peppers completely ripen to that orange color: 

We went to Plot 420 today. These morning glories are pretty but, between them and the cockleburs, pulling up our fencing at the end of the season will be a pain: 

These beautiful coreopsis were a surprise: 

Asian lady beetle on my arm: 

Doe & fawn: 

Here is where the fawn got spooked: 

Saturday Plot 420 harvest: 

The male ruby-throated hummingbird moved on with his lady friend. This little female is a new migratory arrival. She’ll probably hang around for a day or two before moving on towards Central America. Vaya con Dios, senorita: 

One of our volunteer eggplants is starting to make: 

I thought the two rat-bitten watermelons would start to rot but the wounds scabbed over and they are still gaining in size: 

Slug-chewed mushroom: 

An arrangement of Plot 420 zinnias: 

Another arrangement of our limelight hydrangeas. Both arrangements are the artistry of my wife: 

I used to not like walking barefoot but over the past few years I’ve started to like it. I can feel the warm of the sun on the soil, the coolness of shade on stone, the moisture in the dirt that would go unnoticed if I was wearing shoes & the slight give of the soil under each footstep letting me know our soil is loose & not compacted: 

Cheers folks! Hope y’all are having a great weekend: 

[inthecityofgoodabode]

Home Garden - Last Day of June

This footpath in the backyard is a delight to the sense of smell. It transitions from green onions to tomato plants then Phlox David: 

Our mouse-ear hosta has blossomed:  

Scarlet Emperor pole bean buds: 

Bumblebee on echinacea: 

Black soldier fly larvae. For the curious, the bronze material on the left is an onion peel and the stuff that looks like hair on the right is dog hair. Our Lhasas produce a lot of hair that needs to be cut & combed out so we compost it:  

Larvae on the cob:  

Crepe Myrtle in bloom: 

Bumblebee on our speedwell: 

This is a different bumblebee. I don’t know where this lady goes before she comes to our yard but she always has those thick orange thighs: 

Our limelight hydrangea is blossoming out. That’s a neighbor’s house in the background: 

This is what worm castings look like in the wild: 

[inthecityofgoodabode]

Bee, Swallowtail, Watermelon & Dinner

This is our biggest watermelon so far & it is sporting some scars from rat bites: 

The Lemon Boy tomato & the purple hull peas are homegrown: