Bert and Ernie or Berta and Ernietta?

Just a quick post on the monarchs arrival on 7-15-15.  I checked them in the morning and could barely detect the wing, and when I checked again around 3pm they were out!  It is really amazing.  We had some stormy wet weather that day but the sun was coming out so I set them outside in the sun to help dry their wings.  After a couple of hours I opened the coop, and Bert didn't hesitate.  He flew straight up and zoomed over the evergreens, gone in seconds.  Ernie took a bit longer and hung around for awhile.  Today a monarch was in the yard, laying eggs... here we go again!  These will be the 4th generation monarch that heads back to Mexico.

Ernie on left, empty chrysalis, Bert

Ernie drying wings, slight tear on right rear.

Ernie ready, set, go!

another rest in the evergreens

Greenie

Some Like It Hot!

Like it or not, Hot is what we got!  I do like a few days of really hot weather-I think it is necessary to remove the previous winter's cold from the bones!  Plus it is fun to see plants grow right before your eyes!
The garden is growing- some areas better than others, and as always I find areas that need a tweak here and there!  It also seems like the bug population is bigger than usual, and I'm getting new insects.  This is usually not a good thing.  I've discovered a new bug I call the ladybug on steroids, but she's no lady, it is a milkweed leaf beetle, and all I've seen it eat is the plant.  The milkweed stem weevil is also pretty destructive to the milkweed plant- she lays eggs in the stem of the plant.  So it's easy to see she is in the yard, not always as easy to find her.  I've always had a kind of "live and let live" attitude about bugs, but not this summer!  They are destroying the brussel sprouts, weakening the milkweed, invading my apples, and chewing on my grapevine.  I've overcome my squeamishness, and I'm committed to squishing!  I encountered a new insect today, and didn't even realize it was an insect until I looked at the photo on my laptop.  I'll see if the U of M extension service knows what is-good bug or bad bug?  It is a pretty cool looking bug.  The good news on the insect front is about all the bees in the yard, big bees, tiny bees, definitely hungry bees!  Bert and Ernie should be emerging soon!  Greenie

cool looking insect! Bee on top.

tiny bees on prairie clover



wasp or bee? on butterfly weed

large Bumblebee on Monarda

Bee heaven

another pretty face



porch vines

Bert's closeup



The Clueless Gardeners - A Garden Blog: How much milkweed can a woodchuck chuck?

The Clueless Gardeners - A Garden Blog: How much milkweed can a woodchuck chuck?

The Older You Get, The Faster It Goes.

The older you get, the faster it goes, especially a Minnesota summer!  We are heading into July, and my goal is to really enjoy the garden.  Everyday I'm reminding myself that it is not about all the weeds, and the variety of bugs eating my plants.  It is about the big picture!  We are providing a haven for bees, butterflies and birds, with a few tasty treats for us.  That was my goal, and it has been achieved.  Working on the visual makeup of the gardens, and the perfect mix of food plants for our friends, and what works best in what area of the garden, will always be a work in progress.  Of course the weeds will continue to be happy about our non chemical yard, and so will all the other creatures!
July's bounty will be savored!
I'm raising Bert and Ernie in the house in a pop up butterfly hutch.  I believe the next stage will be happening soon!  I did find more monarch eggs outside on the milkweed, but when I went back to check, it was all gone.  Glad I found these two to bring inside!  We saw just one other monarch last week, but I haven't found more eggs. 

 

 

Bert-the biggest

Strawberries slowing down now- good crop this year!

Eclectic vines collection: Hyacinth, cucumber and bean

Ernie- trying to catch up!

 

The peas are aplenty!



Seems early for the red lilies, and lots of phlox this summer

 



disco ribbons to repel the birds from the cherries

Back of house filling in with milkweed, grasses, sage, ninebark, wild petunia, Echinacea....

slowly coming together...

decisions...

Hyalophora cecropia.  Largest North American Moth-no mouth!

They're Here!

The first monarch to be seen by me, here in Minnesota, was today in our garden.  Larry spotted it first, and we didn't see it land on any milkweed, but I'll probably start checking the milkweed for eggs and caterpillars.
So, I really cannot believe it is June already, summer has decided to fly by again, but I'm determined not to miss any of it!
The crimson clover I planted last Fall survived the winter, even though it is an annual, and it looked gorgeous, so I scattered more of the seed.  The bees really love it, although most of it is done flowering now, I hope the new seed planted will bloom before a frost and maybe most of it will survive the winter again.  Quite a few plants did not survive the winter, or came back in poor condition.  Even my Pasque flower which is an early prolific bloomer barely survived and no flowers have bloomed, but it seems to be rebounding.  The trumpet vine is leafing out earlier with more shoots from the old wood so I'm hoping for more flowers.  My new grape vine is slow and I'm sure most of that is my fault for not pruning it this winter, but I'm sure it will survive.  The snowsweet apple tree has quite a few apples this year, and the cherry tree is loaded with cherries.  All the tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, peas, and beans are planted, and look pretty good.  We've been enjoying lots of salad greens, a few strawberries, a bit of asparagus, chives, and dill so far this season.  I planted more asparagus but if it doesn't improve production within a few years I may pull it all
out.

Woodland Phlox

The projects for this year are to fill in the redbud circle and add a bit more to the quaking aspen area.  I've already divided and moved some perennials and strawberry plants and added some more native plants.  A couple of surprises with woodland phlox and a pretty red daisy.  Time for photos!


crimson clover

surprise!

lots 'n' lots of cherries



A different perspective



poor little Redbud, but better than last year!



native prairie violets

More photos soon!
Greenie

Fred and Ethel Have Arrived!

It is officially Spring now that Fred and Ethel have arrived to test the pond and scope out the yard.  The last several years this couple have come to our yard and tested the digs for what I can only assume is for a possible nesting site.  We fail the test every year, but they do give it a few days of a thorough tryout; swim in the pond, waddle about, eat any scraps of bird seed, sit on the lawn, and on the dock.  Maybe this will be the summer we pass inspection!

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