Garden Log 14072024

Heat Lovers

July in Texas is a hot, dry, long month. I’ve been neglecting my garden journal, but today decided that as I have new glasses, with progressive lenses, I really had to take the camera out and see how they work with it. So far, so good. I think the old camera forcing me to use the viewfinder for fiddly focus was part of the problem with eyestrain while conducting prolonged macrophotography sessions. This one, with the focus peaking, will likely be better. Another, longer, trial is warranted. Today it was just too hot and I wound up sitting lazing in my hammock chair in the shade and capturing what wandered into my viewfinder.

In part of the front hedgerow, I created a particularly nice combination by planting a Portulaca and Catmint in close proximity. The Portulaca is a heat lover and is blooming like mad with very little water, and the catmint isn’t near any of the drip points either and is thriving. I must do more of both next year.

I really love how the flowers have this gradient from lemon yellow to hot pink.

Shows how lighting affects color, doesn’t it? This is shot backlit.

The mosquitoes have been dreadful this year, with the wet spring, but by now the dragonflies are on patrol. There are many garden sentinels in front and back, keeping the pesky bloodsucker population down to a dull and ominous hum.

Of course, dragonflies aren’t the only predators. Here, a crab spider lurks in the ruffles of the big Marigold bloom. I planted the tall marigolds, and some of them are more than waist-high to me, which is lovely as they bring warm torches of brilliant oranges and yellows into the hedgerow.

The catmint was athrill with bees, mostly honeybees, but this little silvery native was busy gathering as well.

A true bug didn’t seem to be bothering anything, but they can be pests, sucking the life from plants. I don’t mind them as much as the daggone grasshoppers, though. The grasshoppers eat everything. They had stripped almost every leaf from my gooseberry, and we will see if it survives.

The garden is quiet at this time of year, as it’s too hot for pollination in most cases. I harvested a lot of peppers, and a few eggplants, and a fragrant melon… and the central plant in that jungle is a big basil I may make into pesto. Pecan-basil-parmesan pesto?

There are several species of dragonfly. This one in emerald green may be my favorite. So pretty and shiny!

This guy is Not Welcome in my pecan tree. Those are my nuts, Mr. Squirrel! Go find another tree!

Not a lot I can do about him, though. Cheeky beggar.

It is supposed to get cooler (only in the nineties, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to considering that a cool spell) this coming week. I’ll try to get out and test the macro lens with the new glasses. Would be great if I can see the focus peaks better and get sharper shots. I’m still adjusting to them, it’s weird to have zones where my eyes focus at different lengths. It will be good for reading, though, that had been getting more difficult and tiring.

Not just grass. Lemongrass! It’s getting big! I should figure out how best to preserve it, and harvest some. I planted ginger in the same bed, but the tomatillo has really taken over and I’m not sure how it is doing.