Bees, Bugs & Butterflies

My garden has had it’s share of bad bugs this year, spider mites (the worst infestation I have ever had), aphids, japanese beetles, slugs… the list goes on. But, right now, my garden is also filled with good bugs, including gulf fritillaries, bees of all kinds, soldier beetles, lady bugs.. here are a few photos. Click to enlarge.

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Gulf Fritillary

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Soldier Beetles

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Soldier Beetle on perennial Ageratum

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Lady bug on marigold

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Bumble Bee resting on a coleus

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Bumblebees on Dahlia

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Early Flowers

I wandered around the garden for awhile today looking at (and fussing about) all the deer damage to my hydrangeas and the constant rain and wet soil this winter, and was cheered by the flowers blooming now— daffodils, crocus, miniature iris.

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Crocus

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Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’

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Daffodil

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It’s so nice to see the garden coming alive again!

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Burning Bush Shrubs – Great Fall Color

We had our first frost here on Halloween, but it was patchy and light enough that I still have some blooms in the garden right now. It’s cold here tonite though and we’re supposed to get a heavy frost. Maybe now I can finally start cleaning up the beds and then get all my bulbs planted at the end of the month. We still have a little fall color around, and the definite stars right now are the Burning Bush shrubs (Euonymus alatus). These shrubs are a gorgeous deep red in full sun, but near the gazebo I have three shrubs that are in mostly shade. These are always a little later to change color in fall, and turn a pinkish-red color. Here’s how the largest of these shrubs look from my yard today (click on photos to enlarge):

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_{Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
(Cedar to the left, viburnum in back)}

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_{Closer look at fall foliage of Burning Bush}

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Trees

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October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came.
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,
And leaves of every name.

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The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

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The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses maple
In scarlet looked their best.

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All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

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The leaves are changing early this year.

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Views from my yard yesterday and today, poem is “October’s Party” by George Cooper.

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