Mornin' Petunia

It's about time! Late in the summer my dwarf petunia put out its first bloom of the year.  

I needed some purple. 

I don't have a lot of time as I am leaving in the morning for a few weeks at my sisters with her new babies. I can't wait to see what flora can be found in zone 4/5 this time of year! 

See you next summer, Texas heat!

A bird on the Hand

This cute young Mockingbird and I had a run-in at my front door and poor little thing was too scared to move! He stayed still as a statue perched on my gloves laid out to dry.  I actually took these photos from behind my glass door to try to avoid any further scare, but his mom was flying around squawking incessantly as if to tell her babe to "Get a move on!" (or warn us to stay away!)

Since he didn't move at all, we went out through the garage. It had occurred to me that the mom may attack us and I am never really OK with that situation. Bird attacks = not cool. 

Either way, they were both gone when we got home that evening, and can now be found in the backyard, where the baby is learning how to fly. How sweet! His hops are adorable. I hope to one day capture nature like that on film. 

Beneficial Bugs

Spiders can be some of the best natural predators to have around...provided you know where they are and steer clear of their webs. This garden spider is using a patch of monkey grass to spin its home in a nice out of the way place low to the ground.

The zig zag pattern in the middle alerts us that this is an Argiope spider, not a European garden spider.  Similarly, Argiope spiders are usually strikingly yellow and black whereas the the Europeans are gray and tan. Don't worry, there won't be a test over any material covered here.

I was shocked when I did my morning plant inspection and noticed this:

My dragon's blood sedum was covered in bugs! Yikes! I hurriedly snapped some photos for identification and went inside to research.  My anxiety lessened as I quickly learned this probably wasn't a bad thing, and in fact, could be a good thing.  These strange guys are assassin bugs, and I have actually blogged about their kind before here and here! I learn something new all the time. Anyway, assassin bugs are good in the sense that they eat/kill/assassinate pests from plants, and since my succulents seem a little susceptible to caterpillars lately, I am leaving nature as is. I am sure it will all balance out.  Gotta love good ol' Mother Nature.

NOTE:

The lovely Priscilla from Blossom Hideaway informed me that my comment section was not accepting comments. I reverted back to a simple boring template for now just to appease the comment Gods and plan to have a permanent solution sometime in August when I get back from vacation. Or maybe September. 

another Wordless Wednesday

[Albeit I have a lot to say, just not about my yard. ]

snail on watering can

dragon's blood sedum

Zwartkop aeonium

I have made it!

To the blogroll on Blotanical, that is.  Blotanical is a site that lists tons of  gardening blogs and such.  I joined a while ago, but just received word this morning that all was approved and Yard Day's Night is currently listed as a new blog.  I started this blog for myself, mainly, so if others actually enjoy it, that would be a total bonus. Happy reading everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

Interesting insect on  New Gold Lantana

Wisteria arbor April 2010

Pink Autumn Sage

Echeveria Afterglow hybrid

Aptenia Cordifolia (dew plant, heart leaf ice plant)

A fungus among us

I have two oak trees who started showing signs of fungus about two days ago.

This particular tree stump has it the worst, and I wonder if it has to do with its recent chopping.  I don't know what effect, if any, would be had, but it was chopped down about two months ago and left about 4 ft. tall.  In total we have had about five inches of rain in just a few days and NOTHING will dry out at this rate. They say the rain is over for a while, but who really knows any more.

Some of the photos ended up looking like underwater scenes. As if the tiny mushrooms were all waving with the current of the water.

Let's hope this 3 day weekend brings us more sunshine!

Lots O' Rain

I think sitting on the porch listening to and watching the rain is quite the reward with which to end a long day.  The other reward, of course, is photographing it. This week's rain has given me an excuse to post more rain photos...and take even more.  


Raindrops can be like diamonds to the open mind.

I'm not even sure what weedy grass thing this is, but today it was beautiful.  Every raindrop a sparkle, every sparkle unique. Sounds a little dramatic, I know, but it was really something in the sunlight.

These little dots are posing on the pointy tips of rose leaves.

Nerium Oleander blooms pink.  This bush is at least 10ft X 10ft and full of blooms. Well was full before all the rain...but always holds up well.  Did I mention it's extremely toxic? It is. bad. So beware and be safe if you have kids or animals who like to eat foliage.

White Rose of Sharon is also now in bloom.  Related to the hibiscus, the flowers are short lived but plentiful. My tree doesn't get all the sun it truly needs to bloom fully, but is very nice nonetheless.  It is also a wonderful butterfly and hummingbird plant, which you would know if you already clicked that link.

Purple Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi) is the hardiest version I know of the neat family of succulents.  I have several other colors, but this one is nearly unstoppable.

Thank you for indulging me..if you did.

I hope you enjoy your own raindrops on roses!

Life goes on...for some

The circle of life can be a nasty one. Just ask this fly.

predator and prey on  Variegated Aenoium Arboreum

Things like this normally don't bother me, but after reviewing the pictures close up, I found this to be a little creepy.  Vampire-ish if you will.

Closeup of this mutant bug's sucker sticking right into the face of the fly. Perhaps through his eye...hard to tell

.

Don't worry, no flies were harmed in the making of this blog. They were killed. Sucked bone dry. And good riddance.