Failures of the Gardening Year

While the successes outweigh the failures, we had a few duds in our garden:

Annuals
We purchased salvia for the first time this summer and, while they added a splash of red to our flower island, they did not attract any insects at all.

Perennials/Shrubs
A spicebush had been on our wish list for years. This year we finally found one at a local nursery and planted it in our backyard. Here it receives shade in the morning and then full sun. Its leaves are now black around the tips and edges and the whole shrub looks sickly. We don't know whether it is getting too much sun in this location and are considering to replant it in a shadier spot. Or perhaps it needs some nutrients and a dose of fertilizer would help. Or--it has just been too dry this summer to support a newly planted shrub.

Hummingbird Air Combat

Every year in late summer there are aerial battles going on in our backyard. Before they head south for the winter hummingbirds like to gourge themselves on syrup and nectar. Our syrup feeder is therefore more popular than ever. When one hummigbird approaches it carefully checks out its surroundings and then sits down on the perch to drink. Its caution is warranted, because soon another hummingbird - usually a male - arrives and drives the first one away from the feeder. Other times, the first hummingbird perches on a tree branch and waits for another hummingbird to land on the feeder. Then it takes off and chases the second bird around our yard. As if there isn't enough syrup for everybody! This goes on until it is dark, and it's much more entertaining than anything that is on TV.

Successes of the Gardening Year

It is time to take stock of the successes and failures of gardening year 2010. 

Annuals
The winners are: Zinnias. Even though the first growth was eaten by rabbits the zinnias made a nice comeback and are clear favorites with insects. Whether they're cabbage, eastern tiger swallowtail, black swallowtail, or monarch butterflies, or bumblebees, they make a bee line (pun intended) to the zinnias and ignore every other annual on our flower island.

Perennials
It's a tie between common milkweed/butterfly weed and Joe-pye weed. Besides the fact that milkweeds are the only host plant for monarch butterfly larvae, they are also very popular with insects. During their bloom they were literally covered with flying objects all day long.
Our Joe-pye weed (a cultivar named 'Little Joe') has grown much taller than last year. It is, in fact, taller than me. It enjoys a long blooming season and is a great draw for insects. And it doesn't look like a weed at all.

An Amazing Hummingbird

While we were out on the wetland trail at Raccoon Creek State Park we were able to see a hummingbird up close and personal. It drank eagerly from a swamp thistle, oblivious to our close presence. Its wings rotated at such a speed that we were unable to see them. Even though I could have touched it, the hummingbird did not see us for quite a while. At one point it was almost right above me and I had to crane my neck to observe it. At last it stopped its motion for a moment, apparently noticing our presence. It flew off, leaving us behind as we marveled at the closest encounter with a hummingbird we had ever witnessed. Unless one lands on our hands we will probably never see another bird this close to us.

Summer at the Wetlands

After weeks of humid, hot weather we finally had a nice weekend. We celebrated it by going for a hike at the wetlands trail at Raccoon Creek State Park. We enjoyed many butterflies - mostly Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, and Questionmarks - and the wildflowers of summer: Joe-pye weed, various sunflowers, jewelweed, and the very popular thistle. The trail was often overgrown and we were thankful for our hiking staffs, which we used to blaze our way through the wilderness. We watched a female mallard and her grown chicks on the lake and listened to numerous bullfrogs. Countless catbirds made it clear that they did not like us being around. After ducking under several fallen trees we came to a challenging tree and decided it was time to turn around. We observed the following wildlife: a blue heron at the spillway, catbirds, a hummingbird, mallards, a water snake, and a shorebird (possibly a juvenile Greater Yellowlegs).

New Addition to Our Backyard

For years we have been talking about how nice it would be to have a pond in our backyard. Finally, we decided to turn our dream into a reality. Of course, when our contractor could fit us in it was a bit late to find a good selection of pond plants locally. We ended up ordering submerged plants and a water lily by mail because we wanted to buy native plants. That way we won't have to worry whether our plants will survive the winter.