Late summer lull

With the removal of the spent melon cages, the snack peppers are finally getting the sunlight they need.  Maybe they'll produce something now.  

I've planted peas in the space left by the melons from which I hope to get a bigger supply of seed for next spring.  (If I can refrain from eating them raw when they're juicy and small.)

The purple hull cowpeas have virtually finished producing, but the plants still look pretty.

Same goes for the 'Henderson's bush' lima beans.

Over in the purely ornamental sector, the perennial bed is starting to actually look like a perennial bed.

I'm getting anxious to get in all the tulip and daffodil bulbs I ordered, but in the meantime, I did get a bleeding heart in the mail.

I'm feeling a bit skeptical.  But I planted it.  We shall see.  I've gotten other things by mail that looked doubtful, but which nevertheless grew.  So far, the only thing I ordered didn't make it was a fern.  They always seem to be iffy for me, even when I buy them in pots.

The roses, finally having been relieved of the Japanese beetle scourge, are blooming without the buds being "bagged".  It's not been a good year for them at all, but a few are doing well in spite of it.  Not the 'Razzle Dazzle', unfortunately, but it recently did produce this beauty:

 'South Africa' is one that has managed to fair well enough: 

And 'Grande Amore' is growing to an unusual 7 feet tall again this year. 

Unusual as far as the literature for them goes. I guess for this one, it wasn't a fluke last year when it grew to such heights when the weather was perfect for the roses then.

Now, what's this all over the milkweed pods? 

Why, yes, it's milkweed bugs.  Juveniles.

When I was seeing one or two of the adults around, from my old memory banks I was seeing them as boxelder bugs.  Here's a Wikipedia picture of an adult milkweed bug with a couple young:

And here's the boxelder bug:

My memory was a bit off.  As it may often be.

Til next time.