We've had a couple of deluges this week here in western Volusia -- more than 2.75 inches this week. It's been so very dry an August... no complaints... but my tomatoes and cuke seedlings have washed away. I guess that's why God made seeds cheap.
There's LOTS of weeding to do and so much of my garden has grown out of bounds that I've had to move the goalposts several times already this season...
But fall is nearly here, and I can already sense the changes: There was a relatively cool and dry breeze out of the north. The sun is intense, but the sunshine already looks autumnal -- the greens in my garden are a little less washed, and it's not painful to be in full sun.
It's a great time for butterflies, hummers, &c. I took all these photos in, maybe, 15 minutes this morning at 10am. I've never had this many butterflies. This morning alone: Monarchs (only a couple -- these are mostly late-spring visitors though some stick around all year), Fritillaries (the most numerous butterfly in my garden right now), three kinds of Swallowtails (the black Tiger, Black, and Pipevine), two kinds of Sulfurs (Barred and Little... and a third, a nearly-white Sulfur... maybe just a phase of the Barred?), Long-Tailed Skippers, Zebra Longwings...
Someone will probably correct me with butterfly identifications. I'm rotten at telling the difference among the swallowtails.
(If you have a reasonably fast connection, these photos are better in a slide show from my Google account.)
Gulf Fritillary on orange zinnia.
Black Swallowtail
Zebra Longwing in flight.
Tiger Swallowtail on Hamelia patens.
Black swallowtail on citrus.
Argiope spider.
A female Agapostemon splendens (aka green sweat bee)
Pipevine Swallowtail (I think!).
Russelia rotundifolia with a visitor... (look carefully). check out how popular that ruellia is!
A Long-Tailed Skipper.
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