What's happening in the garden this week? Well, in the bluebird box on the south side of the garden, my bluebird pair are
raising their second family of the summer. As I always say, you can't have too many bluebirds! In other bird news, the hummingbird traffic has picked up a lot this week. I think the fall migration has already started.
Elsewhere in the garden, as I reported in
my Bloom Day post earlier in the week, the
Duranta erecta has been drawing in butterflies by the dozens! The Tiger Swallowtails seem to be particularly attracted by the plant. I've seen as many as four of them nectaring there at a time.
The butterfly in the foreground has lost one of its "swallowtails," the one on the left. You can also just see the edge of another butterfly in the background.
The milk and wine lilies started blooming this week. These are a bit wilted from the heat and humidity because the picture was taken late in the day.
The first blooms of the
Clerodendron bungei, sometimes called "Mexican Hydrangea," have also started to open.
The 'Belinda's Dream' rose is blooming again.
And so is the 'Lucifer' canna.
In the nearby pond, a goldfish in the same colors as 'Lucifer' comes up for a look.
And he's soon joined by one of his mates as they enjoy the late afternoon sun.
Things are quiet in the garden this week, except for the song of the cicadas during the daylight hours and the song of the frogs at night. It is high summer here - time to kick back and take it a little easier. I can do that.
Dorothy,wow, I'm surprised about such early migration. It's not even August. Can only wonder if drought farther north might be driving movement?
ReplyDeleteWe've had swarms of hummers for a month now but I think ours are babies. Sometimes they still have cinnamony feathers from nest-color.
I've been surprised to see some adult male hummers already, Kathleen. I can only assume they are migrants, and I suspect you are right about the drought pushing them south early.
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