new betta

After such a long time. The lady I gave my last few guppies to three months ago, brought him to me. She rescues bettas, but this one wasn't a rescue- a friend of hers had and decided didn't want him, so then he came to me. Hopefully without any major health issues.

I just can't believe how very blue he is! With scattering of paler blue and darker scales.

He's settled in very well already, exploring everything. Really personable- will emerge from wherever he's resting in the plants when I walk near the tank. Eagerly eats what I've offered so far.

He seems to like this corner where the rotalas grow to the surface- either because he can hide in the plants, or because it's the warmest spot, maybe both reasons.

The tank looks so vibrant with his bold color in there! Short end:

No matter where he is, instantly visible

even hiding in the rotala corner:

As yet unnamed. Maybe my kids will help me think of one.

angel tank cleanup

I've noticed the hornwort continues to struggle- not that it's my favorite plant, but I do miss the plumes filling up that side wall. I suspect it's because the pothos roots are growing and growing- taking up yet more nutrients. I missed the midweek water change both last week and this- yikes- and only did 36% wc on the usual day, but shouldn't have worried much, the nitrates were below ten (tested before the wc) in each instance. I like the pothos roots. Instead of cutting them back, or removing some of the vine, I decided to remove a few of the other plants. 

I pulled out the three medium-sized driftwood chunks (about as big as my two fists together). One had java fern on it, the others anubias- which did kinda poorly at the higher level to the light anyway- the ones on the tank floor fare better. Kept them in a bucket with tank water (refreshed daily) for a week, both so I could be sure I didn't miss having them in the tank before sold, also so I could pick off snails (most people don't want to get snails). I found I didn't miss them at all. A bit more open space for the angels to swim now. 

Tried to get a few fulltank shots after that, but my camera didn't cooperate well. This picture is too green/blue 

and this one too yellow! (photoshop has issues on my computer lately so I can't adjust) 

These closeups of the areas are better: far left, 

middle (where I still hope the crypt boliviana and aponogeton capuronii will eventually grow to fill in)

and right

I have other plans in the making- for subtle changes. To make a new planter basket for my vals americana, a slightly deeper one. And maybe a slightly shorter one for the crypt boliviana and aponogeton- so they are more or less all the same height.

hummingbird

I see it regularly now- a ruby throat female (or immature male?) If I catch the right moment, can watch it move from flower to flower among the cardinal climber vine. It also feeds on the nasturtiums. I actually got a few photos the other day- though they are not crisp focus because at a distance and through the window.

Here cropped, with the hummingbird at center:

So small!

clear panels

I re-skinned my tiny greenhouse. I was too late in rewrapping it in plastic sheeting- the temperature extremes had degraded it and was starting to shred. Realized my folly in using this for so many years- when it gets to the point of shredding, I can't gather all the tiny bits, and am probably adding microplastics to my own yard. Don't want that. 

This time, I took the trouble of finding some plastic panels- thin plexiglass or acrylic. Some I got that were scrap people gave away, some from taking apart picture frames I got at the thrift store for cheap. (Ugly pictures, or they had no picture at all). Pieces were all good size but none large enough to cover an entire side, so I layered them with an inch or two overlapping, bottom to top, to shed the rain.

Greenhouse looks much better now. Some of the plastic panels I'd put on the front this past December had discolored- I replaced those, too. None had broken or come loose, just yellowed some. So I think skinning it in panels will last longer each time than the plastic sheeting- in fact the roll of it I have in storage is aged enough I'm just going to toss what's left. 

I was really hoping to find an old storm door with a plexiglass pane to use- as it might cover one whole side of my greenhouse in a single piece. I've seen them before up for giveaway, but none now when I actually needed it. No matter, getting a handful of empty frames to remove the glazing, was still cheaper than buying new acrylic sheets at the hardware store. (I've looked before.)

green beauty

 Found another relative short, but fat zucchini under the broad leaves. Cooked it as a side dish last night. My youngest groaned: "Mo-om, I thought you said we with done with all the zucchini!" She thinks I serve this way too often, even though it's less than once a week. "I did! but the garden gave me another one! So we're eating it." Ha.

I really like the dark green and speckled skins of the variety this year.

brown mantis

I finally saw a mantis this year. 

A medium-sized brown one. On the window glass.

I coaxed him onto a leaf and relocated to the table where he climbed up the edge of a flower pot, 

to take a few better pictures.

caterpillars

Saw some bare stems in my carrot patch. Thought a rabbit had got into the garden, but the damage was too slight. Looked close and found a bunch of swallowtail caterpillars.

Funny that even so small, they put their 'horns' out to threaten when I gently pick them up.

I moved them the rue plant. 

They seem happy enough there.

One by itself on the lovage. 

I let it be- there's enough lovage to go around!

I did find one monarch caterpillar on the first sideyard, where the milkweed plants look scraggly this year.

late summer flowers

 Found one last gladiola blooming on the second sideyard, and brought it inside. Lovely pink salmon.

Tithonia thicket is doing great. Sometimes when I go out to deadhead them, I crouch down in the middle so the plants tower over me, just looking at a wall of green leaves, flowers, insects droning, and piece of blue sky. Even though there's the road and another house just a few yards away, it feels for a moment like a secret place. Like the feeling I'd get the other year when pole beans grew up to the garage wall making a green narrow space behind, to stand back there felt secret and peaceful.

A few very new-looking monarchs have appeared. There's one in the middle here on a tithonia but I couldn't get close with the camera, it kept flitting up. The few stalks of milkweed here are bare now, but looks like at least one caterpillar made it to pupate!

Now the borage is all pulled out and celosia "combflower" is thick around the mailbox. I didn't plant them this year, they just came up on their own from dropped seed. There was one plant with yellow that I cut the flower heads off (I prefer the red, pink and cream ones). In gaps I've put cuttings of cuban oregano. I do like to think it keeps the dogs away- the scent is very strong, almost unpleasant even to me. Sometimes I sit at my desk upstairs and glance every time someone walks by with a dog. Nine times out of ten now, they don't pause, and if they do, it's brief.

Beautyberry is starting to show off- its glowing purple fruit like jewelry on the stems.

other cicada

There are other cicadas this year, not just the swarm of seventeen-year ones that have mostly dissipated now. I hear others buzzing in a higher pitch, and they're much fewer in number. Must be one of the single, two- or three- year cycling species. Finally got a photo of one,

it's the dull green type with camouflage pattern.

spider zigzag

There is one of those large, brilliant yellow and black spiders in my garden- with a very interesting web. It has a zigzag right down the middle, like the arachnid was trying to make a zipper. 

The yellow garden spider.

Not sure why it makes the zigzag pattern. I guessed it was for adding strength to the web, my husband said maybe for camouflage- standing from one side it is hard to see the spider in the middle. Whatever reason, it's very cool!

some garden things

A tiny bug with warning colors. I don't think it's a wasp, though?

My cantaloupe definitely crossed with the zucchini. It will probably taste bad. Or at least bland. 

The cowpeas are thriving! It's lovely to see how healthy they are. In the same bed, barely noticeable, are the few bush green beans, their leaves sickly looking and wilted from whatever pest or disease gets them every year. Cowpeas are a win. So far, my family all likes eating them cooked as tender young 'beans'. And the few I miss when picking keep growing- there's several deep in the mass of plants dry and near to rattle now.

More tomatoes 

some picked early to ripen on the windowsill.

The cat sat with me on the garden bench.

cardinal climber

 The pretty vine is all over my deck railings now. I cut down the part of it that was growing up the vacant sweet-pea bamboo tipi. Because it was reaching up the house siding. Now I'm trimming tendrils off the top every other day, and training longer vines on one side to continue around the deck.

Yes, it's prolific. Already a few seedlings coming up down below, though they won't get far before winter.

Still wondering what the large attractive coleus-like plant is that swarms half my tomato bed now. It has a particular scent when I'm nearby. I keep waiting for flowers to appear, to see if they look like coleus. [Note added later: it's probably shiso!]

The bright pale green coleus in corner by the root bed is nicer with cool weather now.

Near it a borage has come up volunteer.