Spider season

There are spiders in the yard all season long, but it seems like they are particularly noticeable as autumn approaches. The front porch is festooned with webs, which I don't mind as long as the resident arachnids stay outside. I'll sweep them down just before Halloween.

According to this site, there are reasons spiders seem more prevalent in the fall. For one thing, the spiders that hatched in the spring are now full grown, and the males are seeking females for mating. They also may be seeking warmer quarters, like near crevices and doorways. I've had to stop a few trying to sneak inside when I'm holding the door open for the pets.

This is the first year for swamp milkweed in my rain garden. Besides them surprising me with blossoms, they are forming seed pods.

Usually, yard waste goes into a compost pile by the shed, but this year I decided the weedy stuff should go elsewhere, along with its weed seeds. I thought the city would pick it up separate from the regular trash, but I was wrong. They say to just throw it into the bins, except for leaves which they do pick up. Hmmm.

The temps have been moderate lately, making for pleasant days, but we could use some rain.

Looking back

Today, with very little to report, I took a look at past Augusts. This blog is almost 19(!) years old, so that took a while. There have been a lot of changes over the years. It looks like I tried a little bit of everything. (I think my writing was a bit more creative in previous years as well.)

This little guy was on the storm door the other day. Google Photos Lens identifies it as Synchlora aerata, a.k.a. the wavy-lined emerald moth or camouflaged looper. Read more about it here (including videos of the larva camouflaged with plant tissue and fending off a spider attack).

From the top

From underneath

While standing out in the yard the other day, admiring the cup plants, I heard a chirping that was coming from a hummingbird. I had no idea they were vocal, as usually all I hear from them is a whirring noise as they buzz past. Learn something new every day.

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.

Not asparagus

I *thought* the tiny bit of asparagus that survived the landscape redo had reseeded itself into a dense jungle of asparagus. That patch had become so HUGE I decided to cut it back. After hacking away for a while, I came across the original bit of asparagus... and realized what I was hacking down was not asparagus. I don't know what it was (horse tail?), but it's out of there now. Jeesh.

There is a city park near me that is mostly a working 1930's farm, but there is a small rain garden near the trail. When walking the dog there, I check out what is blooming, and right now it is marsh blazing star. That would be a great addition to my own rain garden, so it is now added to Project 2026.

We are in another heat wave this week. I'm keeping up with the upkeep - watering, mowing, a bit of weeding, etc. - but that is about it. It's been dry, so fewer lightning bugs, but the cicadas carry on. Here is a presumably dead one, belly up, for a up close and personal look.

Meanwhile, it's a good weekend to just hunker down and stay inside. Keep cool!

What's it good for? Joe pye weed

The three moisture-loving plants I added to the edge of the rain garden bloom in succession: first meadow rue, then queen of the prairie, now Joe pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum).

It's tall but so far has not needed staking, unlike its neighbors. Like its neighbors, it will spread, so I hope I don't regret including it in my wild backyard. For general information on this plant, go here. For information on growing it, try this site.

While Joe pye has medicinal uses, I plant it for its benefit to pollinators and birds. Hopefully, it will attract a butterfly or two?

I did see a swallowtail this week in my backyard, on the coneflower. Alas, it did not linger. At least the bees are busy.

The weather continues to be weird. We've had enough rain this summer to bring on the fungi. July had some very hot days, but now that August is here, the temps are more moderate, even dipping into the 50's at night. It definitely does not feel like the dog days of summer.

On one of the hot but overcast days, family members visited the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend. There were flamingos!

Speaking of flamingos, I figured out why my recently purchased solar-powered one was not working: there is an on-off switch that I neglected to notice. Now it glows. If they go on sale, I may purchase a few more, just for kicks. One can never have too many pink flamingos.