There is always a bit of magic in a September garden.

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As a gardener, it is always in my best interest to take stalk of the natives that actually love the environment my garden gifts them, so they may thrive and prosper and produce next years’ youngsters, whether plants or invertebrates.

It’s officially fall, but we all know here, in this section of the Earth, that’s just a number on the calendar.  As for me, fall began when the nights all of a sudden became downright chilly, while the days are still roll-up-your-sleeve weather.  That was two weeks ago.

Autumn always entangles itself with summer, a slow waltz of wondering begins for us humans, as to when leaves will actually begin to fall. 

Of course, a clever person has already noticed a few leaves falling  here and there for quite some time before they descend in larger numbers to interlock with each other, layer upon layer, as winter homes for invertebrates, a blanket of warmth on the earth, and fertilizer in next years spring.  What a wonderful cycle of life nature does on her own without much of our cooperation and plenty of our hinderance. 

Woodland goldenrod does well here in the back garden.  A demure plant that is agreeable with its surroundings, kind to the other plants that just want to be friends.  Much of the time, it pops up in its own space of bare ground, somewhat of a loner.

Wild petunias can hold their ground with aggressive plants, and bloom most of the summer in sunny patches of poor soil.  Did you know, the seeds literally explode from the plant, traveling upwards of 10 feet when fully ripe?

They get along well with their neighbors and are easy to control if you have the urge.  I never do.  Carpenter bees and hummingbirds adore them, a good food source when it’s sparse during the hot summer months.

We ordered the woodland goldenrod as I wish to keep the already established groups intact, but the petunias becoming overcome by shade will be dug up and transplanted to the old ash tree garden area.

It’s a slow process gathering all the bits and pieces after the ash tree was sawed into oblivion, limb by limb, showering the ground in sawdust.  Wind has blown and rain has pushed clumps of the retched sawdust into every nook and cranny of plants and rocks.

Whatever leaf mulch there was on the ground from the year before has disappeared into the garbage bin along with the sawdust and a thin coating of dirt, therefore, a thin layer of leaf compost and topsoil will be put on the ground, and probably a light coating of shredded wood mulch on top of that to keep it in place during the weather to come, and before the great falling of colorful leaves.

We can only hope all this work will be enough to keep all plants around the tree stump healthy.  Time will tell, and I have lots of it, (sigh)…

Vic’s been cleaning the overload of grass from the flower beds to make room for shrubs.  It’s a job that was best done last March, so he has his work cut out for himself.  Vic’s favorite mantra has always been, why do it today, if it can be done tomorrow.  More power to you, sweetie.  Per his request, the above photo is after he worked for hours in the weed patch... silly guy.

It is my feeling that I have lost that bit of magic from my writings that made them special.  I’ve changed, I guess… more like the shell of whom I once was, or maybe just struggling to not become obsolete when I am obsolete.  This is my third post, and I think I’ll just let it be, saving it from the recycle bin drama of the other two.

I never apologize when I dump an onslaught of photos upon you, and I’m going to drop a hefty load again, some worthy and some not quite there, but it’s all I have, so lucky you 😊.  I do appreciate every one of you, my readers.  Without you I would just be talking to myself, but then again, I’m a good listener.

Winterberry berries turning red 

and Clematis viorna growing through it with a seedhead.

Winterthur Viburnum berries 

turning from cream to pink to blue.

Red Viburnum leaves, Swamp Mallow leaves, and Oak leaf

nestled with Joe Pye Weed seed heads.

Newly planted Blue Eyed Grass in some of the pots.

Liatris Aspera

Clasping Aster, Symphyotrichum patens

With Common Eastern Bumblebee

Polistes annularis, a species of the Red Paper Wasp

on Swamp Mallow plant

These photos appeared fuzzed

because they were taken throw a screened window.

Female American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla

First one I've ever seen.

A cardinal, then a sparrow took baths 

while the Redstart looked interested for quite a long time 

before finally hopping in.  The water was a bit deep, 

so I think eventually it decided the level was low enough for a dip.

As you can really see in the last photo, 

what appears to be it's down feathers 

( I could be wrong on the feather type), 

were really fluffed out.

Female Cardinal

Looks like a Tulip Poplar Tree leaf.

The tree actually isn't a Poplar, but a member of the Magnolia family.  

Its leaves will quiver in the wind much like Poplar leaves do, 

but their shape is not the same..

Female American Redstart playing with the paraschute cords,

with much better success than the cardinals had.

Butterflyweed seedpod, Aclepias tuberosa

open with seeds exposed.

American Dogwood Tree, Cornus florida with its red berries.

You can see some of the flower nubs that weren't pollinated.

White American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana v. lactea

Pink Turtlehead with a bumblebee.

Large Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa

Carpenter Bees have learned, or maybe it's instinct, 

to cut a hole in the side of the flower near the base to collect nectar.  

The flower isn't pollinated when this happens, 

but some bees are too big to fit inside the flower.

These flowers have a lot of ripening seedheads in fall,

so it doesn't seem to be a problem, 

as they are also visited by Bumblebees and other bees.

This Bumblebee is also taking nectar from a hole near base of flower.

When the female flower pistil matures, the lips relax a bit,

and I have seen Green Sweat also enter the flowers.

American Dogwood Leaf

Young Gray Squirrel

 

Austin squirrel Watching

Almost stepped on this little creature navigating the carpet.

Jumping Spider

Exited glass on deck railing and disappeared over the edge.

It dropped by a thread to the bottom in about one tenth of a second,

and disappeared through the decking boards.

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus

With a female cardinal.

Disappearing Act

Blue-stemmed Goldenrod, Solidago caesia

Yellow is a difficul flower color for me to do close ups.

Sometimes I luck out, this time not.

Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus

Mud-puddling

The butterfly uses its proboscis, 

a long, straw-like mouthpart, 

to absorb essential nutrients from the mud.

These nutrients often include salts, amino acids, and minerals like sodium, 

which are crucial for various biological processes.

You can see this butterfly 

looks like it has been through hell to get here.