Garden Fun: Beauty and the Beasts

 Welcome back to the garden and happy September! How are things growing for you this month? I am getting tomatoes (finally), but no where near the number of tomatoes I would normally have. Cucumbers and beans are still producing, but the cucumbers are definitely ready to be done. More on harvests in a different post.

Today I want to focus on the "beasts" often found in the garden. Sometimes it is hard to deal with the fauna among the flora. September ushered in a considerable amount of mosquitoes making it hard to spend a long time in the garden. Mosquitoes seem to love me a lot and I have not found a way to keep them at bay that is non-toxic yet. I will happily take suggestions on ways to keep from getting bit so much.

One afternoon while I was digging up potatoes, I saw a squirrel take off running across the yard. Coming up behind the squirrel was a rabbit. I wish I was quick enough to get a picture of this chase, but I wasn't. I think the squirrel was too close to the rabbits hiding spot and the chase ensued. The squirrel was able to climb the tree to safety. It was a funny sight to see.

Normally, squirrels are a pain to my garden. Typically the squirrels use my garden as a space to bury the treasures they find around the neighborhood. When prepping garden beds for spring planting, I have found peanut and walnut shells. I've also had squirrels take bites out of vegetables in years past and observations made in previous years I believe they are looking for water rather than food. This year hasn't been too much of a problem due to how often it rained.

There is one squirrel that has captured my heart. I first noticed this squirrel last year. It was so chunky and little. What makes it so different is the short tail. I don't know if it got attacked by something bigger and lost part of its' tail or if it was born this way. I've tried making this squirrel less scared of me by giving it (and the other squirrels) peanuts, pumpkin, and a few other snacks. So far, it is not trusting enough to come closer to me. I ended up naming this squirrel Tubby. Pictures below.

I've been able to capture some other amazing pictures. One need only to be quiet and still in the garden to  see what comes to visit. I've had cardinals in the garden, but not usually when I am in the space. I've also had at least one hummingbird taking a taste of the nectar in various flowers. I haven't been able to get a picture because hummingbirds are so fast.

We had a week of cooler nights which gave me a chance to get some pictures of bees. The first time I saw a bee laying in a flower, I wasn't sure it was alive. I touched it gently and it raised a leg, so I knew it was fine. What I discovered is that bees will sleep in flowers for many reasons - too far from the nest to return in the evening and male bees not having a home to name a few.

 I also watched a monarch land on a zinnia and was close enough to see how long its' proboscis is as it fed from the zinnia. 

Bees sleeping in zinnia and cucumber pictured below.

Spiders are another common beast in the garden. You could say I am a bit of an arachnophobe - I'm not deathly terrified of spiders, but I am also not a huge fan. Despite my mild fear, I do understand the importance of spiders in the garden. Many spiders are in the garden due to pests that want the plants. The spiders are helping by trapping and consuming the plant pests. I'm happy enough to let them do their job. 

Spiders on sunflowers and a spiderweb in tomatoes below.

 

Can you see the spider in the sunflower below on the left? I circled it in the picture on the right.

 

As I was working on this post, I was lucky enough to find a monarch caterpillar happily hanging out on the milkweed I have in the front yard. I hope this is a good sign of more monarchs next year. I will keep an eye on the progress and if this caterpillar happens to use my milkweed as a stopping point on to its next stage of life, I will be sure to get pictures.

While these are not the only beasts in the garden, these are the ones that I have been able to observe, photograph, and share my space with. I invite you to share what you have seen in your garden. And, if you have any home remedies that deter mosquitoes, be sure to let me know!

I'll be back soon with a full September garden update to show you what else is growing and what I've been harvesting. Until then, happy gardening!