Just wondering if we should designate a thread for just garden guests , critters, bugs, you name it, or anything that fits the gardeners description from raccoons to butterflies? I think fall is a superb form of art designed by Mother Nature. It’s always time to sit back and enjoy the show. Chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis breaks down due to shorter days and cooler temps, revealing the yellow and orange carotenoid and xanthophyll pigments already present in the leaf. Some species, like maple trees, also produce red anthocyanin pigments from trapped sugars, which are stimulated by bright, cool, sunny days and chilly nights, creating a spectacular display of fall color. Did I mention ‘Fall’ is my fav time of year. These little tiny bright pink flowers always brighten the end of the season. Pink Surprise Lily is as fun as it is lovely. Smooth grey-green foliage arrives in spring and dies back by summer. Then, later in the summer, almost as if by magic, slender stems arise bearing clusters of fragrant, delicate, star-shaped flowers. Yeap… Surprised… every year. Honeybush" can refer to two different South African plants: Melina thus major also called Honey Bush is a large ornamental plant with blue-grey, serrated leaves and aromatic foliage, a shrub harvested for a naturally sweet, caffeine-free herbal tea with a honey-like flavor and beneficial antioxidants. While Melianthus major has a fragrant, honey-like scent and toxic parts, Cyclopia intermedia is processed into a drink and is known for health benefits. Vinca minor Periwinkle an evergreen cold tolerant ground cover, blooms sporadically summer thru frost. Deer, gopher, ground squirrel proof… a plus in my area. Several colors of blooms from blue, burgundy and purple. Once established drought tolerant . Great for slopped terrain. In the crocus pic a pincher bug is seen…Forficula auricularia. YIKES one pincher bug got in my ear last spring... a friend advised to put baby oil on a cotton swab in my ear and that bug that was buggin me , was toast. Awful feeling. Of all the years of gardening , I will admit that experience of having a pincher bug in my ear was the worst feeling ever. You can hear it moving and it almost drove me nuts… well more nuts … than usual… “Autumn Crocus” a species of the genus Crocus, part of the iris family (Iridaceae), that bloom in the fall and other fall-blooming bulbs that have the word crocus in their common name. In the U.S., the commonly called “Autumn Crocus” is not a true crocus but a species or hybrids of Colchicum, a group of fall-flowering bulb in the lily family (Lilaceae). Other common names for these plants include meadow saffron, naked lady and colchicum.
Thanks @Oreti, just dumb luck that I noticed him and he stayed there while I ran inside to get the phone !! Gorgeous pics @Pacnorwest
