Choice Morsels

I have a nice row of Dwarf Marigolds & Vinca out front that all the bees & butterflies have been loving.  These shots are from about 2 weeks ago, while it was still mildly cool and sunny out. It's the same Bumble in both shots. There were numerous honey bees and this one large Bumble. It's a Brown-Belted Bumble identifiable by the furry brown stripes from waist to tail and the fuzzy yellow thorax. Bumbles are always completely fuzzy; Carpenter Bees have a smooth rear end without any fuzz.  

Watching the birds at the feeder and suet cage that hangs on the feeder is always amusing. The suet I buy is full of dried mealy worms and seeds. I bought it in particular for Bluebirds, since mealy worms are their favorite---but until just this month, not a Bluebird has been interested. Then suddenly, within the past 2 weeks, a pair of Bluebirds discovered it and they've now become regulars at the suet-bar. Woodpeckers and all the other birds love that suet, too!  The other day a Downy Woodpecker was hanging on the front of the suet cage and a Mrs. Bluebird was sitting on the top edge. Mr. Bluebird flew in and landed next to her. The Downy promptly pecked at him to shoo him off and Mr. Bluebird flew away. It was hilarious. The Woodpeckers are quite possessive of the suet. The Downy Woodpecker is actually the most tolerant of other birds sharing his suit and he's intimidated by the larger Woodpeckers. Both the Red-Headed and the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers fly in and land...

Today I gave my garden plants a fall feeding with water-soluble fertilizer in a watering can. That way I get exercise walking about. (This also helps them prep for a good bloom in spring!) Picked up another 100 pine cones and cobs and pulled up any white Vinca flowers. They reseed themselves and I prefer the pinks. Today's Garden photo of the day is this shot of  Dwarf Marigolds highlighted in the last rays of the setting October sun! I took this photo last week.  So pretty! These Marigolds fill my veggie bed like a sea of bronze and will keep all the bees buzzing with joy until frost!

This morning I spent a couple hours updating search tags for my various Zazzle products in my store. Those are what help shoppers find what their looking for.  Better tags = more views. Then lunch, then outside to work. My veggie garden has turned into a sea of Marigolds: You can see a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly enjoying them. I planted for the sake of the tomatoes that drowned in too much rain, but the Marigolds live on. Their roots are supposed to kill off nematodes in the soil, so it could be a good thing. I'll pull them up after frost. This Weeks Project: Enlarging the Back Bed This bed is in the back corner of my yard. It's under trees and I've left it a sort of natural, woodsy state. It's full of vinca & liriope ground covers, daffidils, day lilies and shrubs here and there. A good fringe of grass was growing along it's border, crawling into this bed, while on the other side, was a huge bare spot. Typical. I decided to simply enlarge ...