Fruit of my Labor

 We had strawberry plants when I was a child.  I bought a couple plants this year to see how it would go and so far I've been really pleased with the plants.  They are getting big and starting to produce lovely ripened fruit (as long as I get to them before naughty critters.)

They had a rocky start with some of the earliest fruit in June getting bug infested or chomped on by critters.  I'll get more plants next year and work harder to keep pests away.

Smokin'

 

This Too, Shall Pass

The first bird-planted Nyjer flower has opened!  When nature turns bird poo into beautiful flowers, everyone wins.

Bedraggled Butterfly

Thursday evening I was out checking my garden when I noticed a butterfly upside down in a cup of water.  I saw it struggling to right itself, so I quickly and carefully picked it out.  The poor, bedraggled, soaking-wet creature sat on my finger fluttering its wings and trying to dry out.  

I looked for a safe place to set it and found a nice milkweed.  It latched onto the milkweed and sat sunning itself in the evening glow.  It may not be able to fly with such tattered wings, but it seemed grateful for the helping hand.

Fuzzy