There’s a New Bug in Town

| Flower Roberts

I finally hobbled down to my vegetable garden. I wanted to investigate what was ravishing the zuchinni leaves.


This was not the usual culprit. Instead of finding the golden eggs of the squash bugs, I found a cluster of yellow eggs.
I hoped these were ladybug eggs, so I left them.

Squash lady beetle eggs


Then I saw things that looked like corn kernels with whiskers hooked on to the leaves like ticks on a dog. These were not moving, so if they had eaten the holes in the leaves, they were finished.


I did find elongated, yellow, spiky larvae which moved quickly to get away.


This is my first infestation with these whiskered- corn critters. I am a pesterer of pests, so finding any new insect is of interest.


I fear I should not have let that volunteer butternut squash vine take over my small garden.

Big ole butternut squash vine


The shade and lack of airflow cannot be a good thing.
There is a lot going on in my tiny plot. Stay tuned for birds, butterflies, snakes, squash and pumpkins.

FLOW

The Transformation of Flowers

| Flower Roberts

It is an unusually wet July here in North Carolina. All the rain has kept plants green longer, but the flowers are transforming.

Lablab purpureus blooms

Flowers are not the end of the garden. There is one more phase before the life leaves it.

Lablab purpureus pods

Flowers have a purpose you see. They are more than pretty faces. All that flash is for attracting pollinators. Then the petals fade and fall and only the seeds are left.

Blackberry lily bloom

Sometimes seeds are in fruits and other times they take the form of nuts or pods.

Blackberry lily pods

That is where my garden is now. The colorful curtain has closed. Transformation abounds.

Magnolia macrophylla bloom

Not having flowers is a bit sad, but a future is being left behind.

Magnolia grandifolia pod

Those fruits, nuts and pods hold promise. They are the gardens of the future. They should not be ignored just because they are not big and bright.

Those seeds are the most valuable part of the story. They are the gardens of tomorrow and next season and forever.

I have faith in those seeds.

My beautiful friend, Sandra, left us last week. Sandra has transformed from being a beautiful mortal.

She leaves behind two girls and two grandchildren. It has been quite a shock to the people who love her. I will miss her being here with me, but she left things behind for the future.

Treasured memories of laughter, love and grace; as well as two more generations…a beautiful past and a beautiful future.

FLOWER

An Enlightening Book of Botany

| Flower Roberts

I just finished this fascinating book investigating the possibility of plant intelligence.

It is written by a curious reporter who left her job to follow leads all over the planet so she could interview botanists in the field and in their labs.

What a dream, to mix a passion for writing and plants into a grand adventure.

BRAVO ZOE! You are my new hero.

Flower

The Old Umbrella

| Flower Roberts

It is older than I am. There are mud dauber nests in it. There is rust. It should have been tossed while cleaning out the house on Enwood.
I even placed it near the trash cans several times. Every time I moved it around I thought of sand and waves and the green Cox camper.
In the end I just couldn’t let it go. It was such a loyal guardian on all those beach trips.
I can still see my daddy pushing it around and around to get its point deep into the sand.
So here it is now, in my garden, protecting the fish from cooking in their pond on these hot days in July.
It still has a job to do. It is no longer pretty, but still sturdy and useful.
It still has value. I am grateful for this umbrella and the memories it holds and the protection it gives. My daddy is still helping me in so many ways.

FLOW

Pineapple Lilies

| Flower Roberts

When other lilies start to wither in the heat, the Pineapple Lilies look lush. A stand of Eucomis adds drama to the garden.

PINEAPPLE LILIES


There are many types but this is one is one of the largest. It’s tag said ‘Sparkling Burgundy.’
Eucomis grow from large bulbs.


Bumble bees love the blooms. They get totally dusted in pollen as they move from bloom to bloom.

Eucomis


This is a very easy plant. They have thrived anywhere I have placed them, even in pots.

FLOW in the garden

Surprised by a Lily

| Flower Roberts

I have been gone again. I cannot bend to pull weeds, so they are large and numerous.


I almost missed a new lily blooming. This is its first appearance.

Lycoris squamigera


It is a Surprise Lily, Lycoris squamigera.

Glad it is tall enough to be spotted over the weeds!

FLOW is home.

The Junk Bug

| Flower Roberts

I saw this tiny pile of debris trundling along the deck railing.

Junk bug


The trashy pack on its back is made of lichen, leaves and dead bodies.


After it sucks the life-blood out of a victim, it stacks its body parts on its back to use as camouflage.

Junk bug


The messy mass moves along slowly searching for its next meal and fashion accessory.


I have to admit I think they are cute once you get past the extra legs sticking out of its back.

JUNK and FLOW

Spider-to-Fly Will Stay Put

| Flower Roberts

I planted this beauty in a hurry. I did not have time to pick the right spot. It had been out of the ground too long and was a shriveled, brown clump.


I dug a hole by the steps where I could easily watch it and keep it watered. It was a gift from Rumple-Rowe, so I did not know it was a giant. My only thought was to revive it.

Now it is thriving. Spider-to-Fly is a gorgeous, happy giant. It is so close to the steps that I must trim its leaves to prevent tripping. When I walk past it my mind says “Move it!”.

Spider-to-Fly

I woke up sad this morning. As I walked through the foyer and peeked out the door there was a giant daylily full of happy faces looking back at me, bright and big and beautiful.

Spider- to-Fly must stay where it is. I will trim it. I will put in railing on those steps.

It must be close to me so it can help me revive and thrive. That is the power of flowers.

FLOW