Summer Sun

A variety of pollinators enjoyed my Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) in full bloom, as one of the resident rabbits watched the garlic harvest dry.

Eastern Swallowtail
Brown Swallowtail
Eastern Cottontail

Hardneck Garlic
Monarch
Silver-spotted Skipper

Flowers and Fresh Veg

Visiting woodchucks, rabbits, a racoon and even a bear made gardening more difficult than usual this year. Still, on a sunny July day, it seems worth all the extra effort.

Lillies overlook the beans, squash and hydrangea.
Basil is easy to grow from seed.
Tomatillos are a new veg for me this year. Salsa Verde recipes, anyone?
Hydrangeas sport a deep blue because of my slightly acidic soil.
Lady Belle Sweet Peppers growing on the deck.
Zinnias hiding from rabbits in the pots of Swiss Chard.
The parsley usually lasts right up until snowfall.
Perennial flowers topped off with a hanging basket of marigolds and nasturtium.
Salad Bowl Lettuce doesn’t seem to mind the heat.
Potato flowers emerging from grow bags.
Boston Pickling Cucumbers are a New England favorite.
Tall Phlox and Scarlet Emperor Beans share a trellis.
Basil and marigolds used as companion plants with tomatoes.
Carolina Gold Tomatoes
Eggplant, Cosmos and Zinnias
Hoping my French Haricot Vert Beans are “woodchuck proof”!
Annuals grown from seed.
Green and Yellow Beans With Marigolds
Luckily, I Planted Extra Marigolds!

Close Up and Far Away

Female, Male and Juvenile Hooded Mergansers on the Wildlife Pond
Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal Near the Bird Feeders
Gray Squirrel Swinging in the Copse Near the Bird Feeders
Common Grackle Hunting Seeds on the Ground
Female and Male Mallard on the Far Side of the Wildlife Pond
Eastern Cottontail with a Gray Squirrel and Sparrows Near the Visitor’s Center
Eastern Towhee and Blue Jay Under the Feeders
Eastern Cottontail Close-up
Eastern Towhee Under the Bird Feeders

Did You Hear?

An Eastern Meadowlark, which is becoming rarer in many parts of Massachusetts, visited the Audubon Sanctuary recently.

“There’s a Meadowlark in the South Meadow!”
“Heads up, Painted Turtles!”
The Red-winged Blackbird, Mourning Dove and Northern Cardinal have a plan.
“Let’s go check it out!”
The Eastern Meadowlark rests in the grass.