Wild Summer

unidentified spider from genus Auraneus

This has been the year of the insect...and nearly everything else. In our pond frogs and turtles are prolific with bullfrogs staging impromptu concerts any time of day (while the herons aren't lurking). Over the last couple of days this year's red-tail hatch-ling has been calling for its parents to keep providing meals, competing in loudness with the bullfrogs.

The winter was so warm there was no winter kill...seems every weed seed and insect egg survived. We saw several kinds of aphids in record plant-destroying numbers. Deer flies have been lurking in the shade for weeks and have bitten all of us ~ they are especially cruel to the dog. I know more people who have had Lyme disease this year than any other year previously, including me. Considering I spent a good portion of the summers of my youth where the disease was discovered I figured with smarts and caution I would continue to beat the odds. No chance, not this year.

A record dragonfly hatch brought hundreds of swallows gorging on an easy meal for several evenings. I have seen more kinds of insects I have never seen before. After Donna and I walked the dog last night I wondered about spiders. By now there would generally be several large webs in the garden. Don't get me wrong...they are there...just not the same types in the same places. Donna found the one pictured today.

tomato "cat-facing" 

Truth be told I have somewhat surrendered to the pestilence and vermin that are proving to be the scourge of the garden. Drought followed by 2 2" each rainstorms split most of the tomatoes which were already cat-faced. Patient trimming of tomatoes can yield edible fruit but hot humid weather gave insects a chance to occupy those yummy cracks and spoiled most of what I had. This year I changed types of plants on my father's advice but now this is the second year in a row with a poor yield I am not sure what I will do next year. Heirloom varieties are not always known for disease resistance and the plants were place improperly for irrigation through the drought. I gambled my garden and lost! I found the cutest little bunnies just outside the garden fence...and watched them zip right on in to the garden through tiny holes. They ate down favorite herbs and even nibbled the tomatoes they could reach. A rabbit now and again...yes...but a dozen? Really?!

The most surprising problem we had was with plants inexplicably dying. Turns out the black walnut and butternut trees my father planted years ago have put on just the right amount of root growth to touch the garden, destroying new asparagus plants and tainting a portion of the tomatoes. The trees put out a toxin in the soil designed to reduce competition. I dislike the bitter flavor of the valuable nuts...and now I have a new reason to scowl at these woody giants. I was already criticizing them for cutting down on morning sun in spots.

Time to get new bug books and figure out new gardening strategies.