The bad news is I've fallen off blogging now because of work.
The good news is this new sand coreopsis (C. lanceolata) is blooming.
The bad news is that something has been eating the petals.
(Who could be the culprit? Earwigs? Slugs? Japanese beetles? Hard to say!)
The good news is that my garden was well watered in my absence.
The bad news is that earwig season is in full effect.
The good news is summer is here!
The bad news is it's bloody hot.
The good news is this big-leaved aster (Eurybia macrophylla) is budding.
The bad news is that this one is not.
(Note to self: part shade is all these asters can handle, so don't push your luck.)
The good news is that I've already written about the whole aster-genus-name-change thing here.
The bad news is that I now have to look up the genera of my asters when writing about them.
And to leave things on a good note, here are some dianthus that are doing better than ever. It's as if they're showing this oppressive heat what they're made of! There's no bad news about that!
(The hot pink blooms on the right are a novelty this year. Until now this had only bloomed the light pink with dark eyes seen on the left. Is it hybridizing itself?)
4 comments:
This is true of life in the garden, isn't it? For every beautiful blossom there's a pest or a patch of weeds to contend with, it seems. Your dianthus is acting like a supertunia I bought--it's a "Raspberry Blast," which is a variegated light pink, but in the middle of the plant it is now sprouting solid fuschia blooms. At least they are color coordinated:)
Just noticed your header...I wonder if that's the same swallowtail that visited me:)
I keep a file on my computer of all the botanical name changes, including a list of all the former Asters. Eurybia macrophylla is one of the few Asters I haven't grown. I keep thinking I need to add them to the woodland garden. Your petal damage is probaly due to slugs, as all the rain & cool temperatures have produced a bumper crop of them, although earwigs would be my second guess. I detest them. They are my nemesis.
Why is it there is so much bad news to counter good news. The good news is that good news usually outweighs the bad news. And by the way, isn't this an incredible butterfly year!
Rose--I think it is the same swallowtail! He stopped here a while back when the lilacs were blooming and then made his way to your garden!
MMG--You are so organized with the botanical names! That damage might be slugs; they were curling like that right when I planted it, so maybe it was damaged even before I got it. :(
Commonweeder--It's been a slow start to the butterfly season here but it's picking up now! Once my Joe Pye weed starts blooming there should be more activity!
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