Flora and fauna (no Meriweather)

Early this spring someone remarked that we just don't see many rabbits like we used to.  I don't remember the "used to" part, but I agreed that we didn't see many.  But this summer, we've got an abudance of bunnies here.  There are all sizes of them scampering around the yard and garden.  After the early damage to my peas and beets, they haven't been eating anything in the garden.  I think it's because they get their fill of clover in the yard.

And they're not diggers, unlike those rascal raccoons.  I set my traps out in the perennial bed where they were digging up all my newly planted gaura and trapped one raccoon and one possum.  

The next night was July 4th, and the nearby neighbors had a big fireworks display going for about two hours.  Neither trap was bothered for the next three nights, and there was no sign of digging in the garden.  Last night, I moved the traps back up to the house and captured (and released) two more raccoons.   Fortunately, there still wasn't any digging in the garden. So far, that's seven raccoons and a possum in seven days.

Yesterday we had an unexpected guest.  For the first time since I've been back (that I've noticed), a wild turkey came strolling about the grounds.

I hope s/he's not lost.

The lima beans look like they ought to be flowering any day now, and the onions behind them are pushing up out of the ground and could be harvested any time.

The cowpeas were showing a lot of what looked like insect feeding, but I haven't seen any actual insects on them, so I guess it could have been a leaf disease.

The newest leaves seem to be less damaged, so I won't worry about them.

So far, the Japanese beetles have been somewhat sparse.  I'd like to think the exteme cold froze out some of the grubs and we'll have a lighter population this year, but I don't dare say it out loud.

It seems like we've had a lot more shield bugs (named obviously, for their shape, aka stink bugs - aptly named when disturbed) this year than previous ones, although they were particularly bad on the tomatoes last year.  They don't have chewing mouthparts, but everywhere they stick their needle beaks leaves a small dead spot, and enough feeding disfigures the fruit.  Even though they're a  large enough size, they're hard to see because they blend in so well and lay pretty flat against the plants.  They're also fast movers, which is why I don't have any pictures.  (They could be what was feeding on the cowpeas.)

Here they are on the internet at Stink Bugs Guide:

This is the first time I've spotted their eggs, and unfortunately, these had already hatched.  It's very neat how they cut a perfect circle off the top of the egg to get out.

There are two types: the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) and the green stink bug (Chinavia halaris).  I think this must have been the green ones, because the eggs are on an asparagus stem, and that's where I've seen mostly the green.

I'm afraid my prized little grapevine is going to be an insect magnet.  The new growing tips have been assailed by aphids, and this morning I found a caterpillar feeding.  I believe this guy is simply the grape leaffolder - Desmia funeralis.  The internet literature says they also feed on redbuds, which we have several of near the garden.  Oh boy.

UPDATE 7/13:  I spotted this lovely little moth on the grapevine today:

I'd never seen this moth before.  It's the eight-spotted forester (Alypia octomaculata).  According to the literature, as an adult, it feeds on flowers in the day, which is unusual for a member of this family - Noctuidae, the noctuid moths. It's also unusually colored, as most noctuids are dull browns and grays.  This guy is quite fancy with his shiny black wings, big yellow and white spots, and those very, very fancy orange leggings.  It seems backwards: this one feeds in the daytime in its evening wear, while the others feed at night in their camouflage.  Other members of the family are armyworms and cutworms.  The eight-spotted forester feeds on virginia creeper and grapes.  So, maybe my little grapevine really is going to be an insect magnet.

Speaking of damage, it's not all critters.  I snapped this picture at the edge of the soybean field that's next to the house and garden.  That's herbicide spray drift on the grass, which will die out in a large swath.  The field gets nearer and nearer the house every year because the  farmer plants to the very edge and then sprays herbicides just beyond that edge to keep weeds out of the crop.  One day, we'll be swallowed by corn and beans.  But this wasn't intentional.  It was a big mistake.

The last two surviving cabbages may or may not produce anything edible, but I'll leave them as long as they're healthy.  

'Violaceo di Verona'

'Kalibos'

Carrots are harvestable.  This year I planted 'Short 'n Sweet'.  They're short okay.  Not particularly sweet.

One 'Fall Gold' raspberry ripened.  They're very pretty and have a hint of a taste of honey.  I'll be looking forward to more of these.  

The 'Glencoe' red variety has stopped producing fruit, but is growing new canes that are taking up more space than I was expecting.  

Perhaps it's the copious amount of rain we got - two and a half more inches last week added to the toad stranglers we had all spring.

Hooray! I actually had success rooting cuttings of my climbing rose 'Moonlight', so if the raccoons find a way under the screen and bricks I laid down to protect it, I'll have a replacement.  I wish I knew what made it successfull, so I could get cuttings from the tea roses.  (I did finally get one from 'Julia Child'.)

It may have been the medium I used - playground sand and potting soil - which held moisture well.  Or, it could have been something else entirely.  I'll try some more using that same medium one of these days.  

It looked like my air-layering attempt to get a start from 'Shazam!' might be failing, but when I opened it up, indeed there were some roots.  I can't tell, but I don't think they're from the area that I scraped, but from a node, which means I didn't really have any success, just luck.

I potted it up and hope it can stay alive.  The leaves are damaged and won't be able to produce much food, if any, so I'm not feeling optimistic.

Wrapping it up, I offer you a Sun Ball (Craspedia)...

And a bouquet in honor of my sister's birthday.

Daylilies, Zinnias, Carnations, Roses, Gomphrena, Yarrow, and Marigolds