Just when I was thinking three would be all there was this summer, a fourth lily has burst out of the ground. It's really amazing how quickly these things emerge--just the other day, I was weeding this section of the bed and didn't feel a thing under there...now suddenly it's over an inch out of the ground. How I love the lilies.
So that plant in the lower left hand side is that butterfly plant I wrote of the other day. Now that it's just a little bit larger, I think I can confidently identify this one. Looks like it will be a nice clump of stems, as well.
To celebrate the newest lilies arrival, I figured I'd check in on how the others are progressing. The light was just a little strong and the angle of my camera less than perfect, which is why this photo's a little overexposed...but still, you can see that these two, which emerged together are doing nicely, probably about eight inches tall.
Down below, you can see the oriental "Casa Blanca" lily has already reached the lower rail of the fence. And, I'd like to point out how nicely the rose canes are responding to being trained along the fence. Oh, and while I'm being prideful...to the right is one of those early sunflower seedlings, looking pretty strong and growing well, also sort of over-exposed.
The late afternoon sun reflects real nice off the sunroom windows and gave me some nice surround lighting for this photo of Em as we sat together when I got home from work.
All along the front border, the dianthus plants are setting buds. A few are even revealing what color they'll be.
There's quite a collection of them spread around out there, so I'm looking forward to them all starting to bloom together.
On another front, the creeping phlox near these blue pansies has renewed its efforts at blooming, following the nibbling that occurred a few weeks ago. Great color contrasts, eh?
This flying insect was battering itself against the side of the house under the porch light this evening. So far, it's the only bug buzzing around out there. I've uploaded a few different shots of it at BugGuide.net for identification, and I'll update with that information when it's available.
EDIT (5/30/08): This is an Ichneumon Wasp. There are 3100 species of them in North America(60,000 worldwide), so its hard to say anything too specific about this particular one. The larvae feed on a great variety of hosts, though most species attack only a few types of hosts; some ichneumons attack spiders. Most are internal parasites of the immature stages of the host. Many Ichneumons are of value in the control of noxious insects.
Ichneumon, wasn't that Jerry Seinfeld's neighbor?
6 comments:
Nothing wrong with being "prideful." The color on those pansies is so vivid it's almost fluorescent. How you felt about your lilies is how I first felt about my hosta. One day they were barely emerging and by week's end they were huge! Have a fabu weekend! :-)
I don't think those pansies could be bluer, really striking! You were able to capture the contrast with the other flowers in the same picture not losing one from the other.
I thought that was a wasp. I've watched the animal channel so much I'd started to recognize some of the bugs! ;-) Doesn't sound too bright if it continues to crash into the house, or perhaps, it doesn't learn from its mistakes.
I suppose not, Afod. I *am* certainly pleased with how well those sunflowers are growing.
And that an unexpected lily has appeared gives me hope that others will, too. There were more under there somewhere.
Butch, those really are the true colors. I don't think I've ever had pansies in this shade of blue before this year.
That is one of those photos I laid right down on the ground to take, so I could get a nice close shot using just available light.
I was thinking it was a wasp, too, the way its long bod comes to a point at the end (and the Connecticut accent) gave it away. ; )
i saw this year's first mosquito tonight. of course, it's not the very *first* one, but it the first i've seen. i avoided being snacked on by a thin margin and am now ensconced on my couch avoiding them entirely.
The wasp caught my attention because I thought it *was* a darned big mosquito. It's getting to be that time of year when Deep Woods OFF is my friend!
Awww. Emily Grace looks tres cute as does the smoky grey cat. I am awash with cuteness.
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