Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Bugs and blooms and berries, oh my!

The awful heat and humidity continue, but I'm still tending to the gardens, and making new friends along the way.
I wouldn't have see this enormous Carolinian grasshopper if I hadn't disturbed his resting spot by the butterfly garden. You can't see them, but he's got some awesome wings. I just couldn't get a shot of him in flight.
This little Emerald Spreadwing was so tiny he would have been easy to miss if I hadn't been in the right place at the right time. And he didn't stick around long
While the butterfly sightings aren't as frequent as I'd like, there's no shortage of bees in my yard. Big bees, little bees, almost microscopic bees. I think I've built a decent pollinator paradise.


They seem to love the raspberries too. And so do the robins and the squirrels, both of which I've caught pillaging the bushes (though sadly, not on camera - the squirrel is especially cute when he's doing it.). I don't mind so much because I get a nice handful to eat everyday
They are small this year, but bountiful. Sadly, the blackberries are not doing so well. Shortly after I posted that picture of them the other week - the berries started to turn brown and dry. Some internet research has me pretty sure it's a mold/fungus issue. Not surprising, considering all the humidity. It doesn't look like I'll be able to salvage them.

Oh well, there's always next year.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll bet those raspberries didn't hang around long! A little Greek yogurt, a few berries, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a topping of agave and you have a little bit of heaven!

Araignee said...

I wonder if that's what happened to our blackberries. They were green one minute and gone the next. I blamed critters and neighbors but they wouldn't have gotten every single one before I saw any. Hmmmm....

The Well Fed Wheel said...

The one thing I have noticed after moving here to North Carolina is that the few bugs we do have are huge. If you think that Carolinian grasshopper is big, you should see our spiders. They are darn near as big as my little Louie!