Last Day of Summer

Small parts of the garden are reviving now that Fall is almost here. I am finding surprises like this Nasturtium with variegated leaves that is now blooming after nothing all summer.

While I was unable to take care of the garden, great swaths of Virginia Dayflower flourished and overwhelmed the borders. Now that they are fading, I can use a tall claw-like tool to clear them out with a twisting motion. Due probably to the recent clear-cutting of some garden areas by a new landscaper, a lot of the Mantis population is missing. As a tenant, I have no say over such operations, but where the wild Snakeroot and Asters survived, I will leave them for the insect population.

A Blue-Winged Wasp was visiting last week, flashing his iridescent wings and looking all handsome.
I only see a few Praying Mantises lately and they too like the Snakeroot, as it attracts bugs they can catch and eat.

While looking up this large wasp, I came across the Urban Wildlife Guide blog, which has a very good photo of it. I also learned about curiosities such as the "spun glass caterpillar," which looks like something from Frozen, and was able to identify a garden visitor today as a "half-green sweat bee" based on another entry.

My interest in nature study began as a child in East Orange, where a vacant lot on Central Avenue held lots of flowering weeds and bugs. With books from the East Orange Public Library, I studied the ways plants spread their seeds and learned of the many adaptations that help insects survive and reproduce. Now on my block off Park & Seventh, I still enjoy knowing more about urban wildlife.

Today is the last day of summer. The birds are already flocking for their Fall migration. Their cheerful whistles and chatter remind some of us of the Wheel of the Year, that rolls on despite the sometimes perplexing doings of humans.

--Bernice