Category: FRIENDS

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A second cantaloupe and more sad caterpillars/happy wasps

Second Madhu Ras melon and there are more on the vine!!
The “cleaner” side of one caterpillar.
The more parasitized side of the caterpillar.
Now two angles on a second cat.
Note that the pupae have opened, because of the little can lid looking parts.
Last night I sprinkled some more basil behind the cherries on the ground and also in the planter.
This saguaro cactus was given to me and had been over watered, so it’s got some rot on top and near bottom. Hopefully it will recover now that I’ve put it in hot sun and just watered it once after transplanted. It should rarely get rain on it on the porch.
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Evening harvest and bean test

Tomatoes have started producing again a bit.
Checking to see if my guess that ugly ones are bad is correct. Seems generally so, if the idea that floating beans are no good is true.
Buckwheat flowers.
The Chef found a third egg case today. Our spider is working hard! Here she has a grasshopper.
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Surprises

Missouri Yellow Watermelon split open partially, so we split it the rest of the way to eat the unexposed part. Very nice!
Spider lilies started blooming today. Not native, never see anything on them, but they were already here and they’re weird!
Closeup of spotted euphorbia (Euphorbia maculata).
Paula spotted this exciting find: a hornworm with parasitic pupae on it!!
Dolba hyloeus also known as the pawpaw sphinx. One of the host plants is yaupon holly, which is where Paula found it.
Mom said to save it in a jar so we can see what kind of wasps come out. She recently had a parasitized tobacco hornworm from Judy.
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Holiday Sunday

An outdoor dinner. Garden basil and oregano.
Moved the chives and garlic chives that Judy gave me last year. Maybe they’ll like this spot better.
Uzbek golden, little, and New Kuroda carrots.
Gram helps me get seeds out.
Fall seeds planted of cabbage, mizuna, greens, and cauliflower. Tomatoes and peppers for overwintering. And a few pots of Roman chamomile for the front yard ground cover.
This is where I shall attempt peppers and tomatoes over the winter.
This goldenrod was already here and is doing very nicely.
A giant 1″+ horsefly on a backyard window sill.
Never going outside again.
I lied. Outside again. Chiltepin peppers.
Frostweed doing alright after it died back earlier in summer.
A little spider got this Eastern Tailed-Blue on the englemann daisy.
Texas mallow blooming!
The non native clematis. I’ll clean it out over the winter.
Okra flower
A bumblebee on the okra!
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Wild times on a Friday night

I am extremely excited to report that we have the first baby moon and stars watermelon!!!
Same fruit. The other side is almost half yellow.
A wasp mimic robber fly! Love finding predators in the garden.
Butterfly milkweed in rainbow garden has grown quickly.
Dog and I came back inside. Briar promptly sat by her little brother.
I don’t think he minded, but her settling in seemed to remind him he could go places.
Abandoned for kitty snacks.