Harvest Time and Garden Visitors
Just as soon as it arrived, Summer is escaping. Kind of like a good friend whose visits never seem to be long enough. I think we have a wonderful Indian Summer coming, and some warm days ahead. That said, Fall is creeping up on to the back porch like a stray cat. There’s no denying [...]
My Fave :)
I was lucky enough to be visited by my favorite exo-skeletal, ectotherm a few days ago! I found him sitting in my sweet potato plants in my back yard garden (Or, as I like to call it, my Yarden…)
A praying mantis!
These are probably my favorite bugs of all time. So cool looking, so [...]
Back Yard Shenanigans
It may be the hurricanes on the East coast of the US, or Fall may be just around the corner. Or maybe it’s a little of both… It feels like I just got the garden off and running, and the first frost could very well be just around the corner. I’ve been eating well from [...]
Backyard Biters
Dear Ivy,
Are these black and yellow spiders you’re always writing about biters?
-Worried in Wisconsin
Dear Worried,
I would like to put your mind at ease. These garden partners are shy and would sooner skitter away under a bush than stand and fight, so to speak. I often get questions about the aggression levels of this spider, and [...]
Bugs Are Some of My Favorite People
One of the things I love about Summer is the influx of life into my little world. Spiders and bugs and their whole miniature food chain, acting out their life cycles right in front of my eyes! Birds swooping in and out, rodents scuttling under the fence to look for shoots and leaves to eat. [...]
Beans, beans, the magical fruit…
Oh, Summer camp. The valuable songs you taught me…
In spite of the recent high temperatures, my garden has finally started pulling its weight around here! In addition to the salad greens, radishes, sunflowers and raspberries, I now have delicious and nutritious green beans! I used plain old fashioned elbow grease. Also, compost and manure! I [...]
Garden Defense Allies
Here’s a photo of another of my favorite garden defenders!
A dragonfly! They are members of the family Odonata, and they are always hungry! A dragonfly can eat its own body weight in bugs in an hour! They help control the mosquito population, which gives them big points in my book.
This one is an exception to [...]
Bugs of Summer
I’d like to introduce you to some of your best friends
This is a Flat-Backed Millipede, from the order Polydesmida. This little guy is an integral part of the food chain and the Chairmen-of-the Board of the Decomposition Committee. These arthropods do not bite or sting, and are a big help to have in [...]
The Fruits of My Labor :D
I’ve been harvesting quarts and quarts of raspberries over the last few weeks! A couple times a week, I go out in the back garden and pluck a few quarts of the delicious fruits. The plants I have are called “Everbearing”, and they should produce all Summer. I pruned them back really heavily at first. [...]
Reader Mail
Dear Ivy,
What is Argiope Aurantia?
-Intrigued in Indiana
Dear Intrigued,
Argiope Aurantia is the Latin name for the common black and yellow garden spider. All organisms are classified by a Latin, or scientific name. This is their “official” name, since common names can often be confused. This spider is a beautiful and helpful addition to any garden. The [...]