Surviving Sizzling Summer

A wall of heat slams into me as I open the door to let the dogs out.  They trot, rather than run, to do their business while I walk to the garden, the brown grass crunching under my feet. The air is so thick it's as if a blanket of steam has settled above me.  I move the sprinkler to another part of the garden and adjust the nozzle; as usual, I wind up soaking myself, but the cool spray is a welcome relief.  Satisfied that the hose is positioned to water the garden and not the grass, I look for the dogs who are already at the back door anxious to return to our air-conditioned cocoon.

Normally, I am not a glass-half-empty kind of  person, but I can be prone to pity parties, and I am a total wimp when it comes to heat.  Day after day of heat indexes over 100 degrees have turned me into a full-blown whiner.  Nagging aches and pains seem to be exacerbated by the heat.  Inertia has settled in, as I postpone projects and plans, all of which seem to require more energy than I can summon.

Early morning and late evening are the only times I venture outside, other than quick trips to move the water sprinklers.  Even then, it doesn't take long before rivulets of perspiration are running down my face.  The picture above of my roadside coneflowers shows that even at 8 PM, the sun's rays are still strong, and the haze of humidity has settled even closer to the ground.  When my daughter lived in Arizona, I used to feel so sorry for her during the summer when temperatures often reached 110.  But Arizona doesn't have humidity, so a heat index (temperature + humidity) is more accurate in comparing our weather--I think right now we're much hotter than Arizona!

But you didn't come here to hear me complain, and I realize even as I write, that it could be much worse.  While my garden is suffering from not only the heat, but  the prolonged drought as well, farmers have much more to be concerned about as they see their crops shriveling in the fields.  There are no wildfires threatening my home, thank God.  And, unlike some areas hit by recent storms, I have power--which means I can always retreat into the comfort of air-conditioning.

'Dragonfly Corner,' a passalong from friend Beckie, is thriving in spite of the heat.

Instead of complaining, it is a good time to look at the positives. It has taken me three weeks, but I finally have the load of mulch I ordered spread over all the flowerbeds, with some to spare.  Hopefully, this will keep down the weeds, and I can spend some time on some much-needed deadheading--when it cools down.  The daylilies are all in full bloom, providing the usual riot of color this time of year, even though some of their foliage is turning brown and the color of their blooms seems rather washed out by the sun.  I keep waiting for an overcast day to photograph them at their best.

On the Fourth of July I looked around the garden to see if I could find a patriotic tribute.  Finding something white wasn't difficult, which is a bit surprising, considering up until a year ago, there was hardly a white bloom in my garden.  Now there are all kinds of white blooms--phlox, 'White Swan' echinacea, nicotania, annual salvia. 

Probably the best-looking of the bunch, though, is the 'Becky' daisy.  The original plant pictured above in Roco's garden was divided last year, and an even larger plant now blooms in the Arbor Bed. More divisions were taken this spring and shared with best friend Beckie.  Such a great plant--it seems totally unfazed by the heat and the lack of rainfall.

Finding red was a little harder, especially a true red.  But the first zinnias are beginning to bloom, and a bright red one opened up just in time for the holiday.

A blue to complete the patriotic theme was even harder--the pot in the shade garden is a little too blue.

Searching a little harder, I found this bloom which may look purple here, but in the right light it is the perfect shade of flag blue.  What makes me excited about this bloom, though, is that it's my first ever larkspur!  I've tried for several years to plant larkspur from seed with no luck. 

This year I have several plants popping up here and there in various colors.  I finally realized that larkspur needs cold to germinate, and in the past I had planted it too late in the season.  These seeds were scattered in February, while the ground was still half-frozen.  

Another success story--one lavender plant started from indoor seed sowing a year ago survived the winter.  Perhaps there will be enough to make one lavender sachet??

While parts of the garden are showing the effects of a stressful summer, the liatris seem to be energized by the heat.  I'm not sure what's going on with these particular plants--they're 5-6 feet tall and still haven't bloomed!

The first 'Stargazer' bloom opened up yesterday, with buds promising more to come.  Yes, there is much to happy about in spite of this miserable heat, and there's nothing I can do about the weather anyway.  I'll just view the garden from the cool comfort of the family room and keep repeating my favorite mantra for all unpleasant times . . . "This, too, shall pass."

Stay cool, everyone!

Mantis Survives Wall Street Crisis!

I thought I might have to come up with a clever title to get you to read one more post on the praying mantis. But if you can bear with me, I promise this is my last post on the mantis--at least until next year. And there is a brief comment about Wall Street at the end of this. When I pictured a couple of mating mantises last week, I received many comments that included some interesting facts about the mantis I wasn't aware of. So I decided to do a little research on my own to find out more about these fascinating insects that seem to love my garden. All information comes from Wikipedia, which isn't the most reliable source if you're doing scholarly research, but it's a handy resource for basic information.

There are more than 2000 species of mantises worldwide. The name for the most common mantis family is mantid, but because the entire order contains eight other families, the proper term for members of this order is mantis. Mantis comes from the Greek, meaning prophet or fortune-teller. The closest relatives of this order are the Isopteran, which are termites, and the Blattodea, cockroaches. Hmmm, I do hope the mantises don't invite all their distant relatives for a family reunion at my house.

Autumn is the time for mating, which may explain my good fortune in getting that photo last week. The female lays between 10-400 eggs, which are deposited in a "frothy mass" which then hardens, forming a protective shell. The egg case is called an ootheca. In a few species the mother remains nearby to protect her eggs.

Wikipedia included several photos, including one of the female laying her eggs, but didn't show a pregnant female. I spotted this large lady (I assume) two days ago. Notice her plump underbelly. The blurry photo below is an even closer look at her protuding belly. I can't be sure, of course, but I can't help but wonder if she is getting ready to lay her eggs. I will be scouring the flowerbed where I found her for an egg sac the next few days.

What many might find most interesting is the mating ritual itself. Praying mantises are cannibalistic, and as several of you pointed out to me last week, this predilection includes their male suitors. Scientists have studied mantises in captivity which are particularly prone to this behavior, and have drawn a few conclusions. Briefly, a wise male mantis will choose a female who has just eaten a full meal before mating, and, once he has satisfied himself, he should leave quickly!

The mantis uses camoufluage to hide himself from prey, which is why they are often difficult to spot. Usually brown or green, they blend in well with plants and are often mistaken for a small twig or stem. If you look closely at a mantis, it seems to be looking straight back at you. That's because they can rotate their heads 300 degrees, permitting a great range of vision, which also allows them a distinct advantage in spotting prey. Don't worry, though--they might bite, but they're not dangerous to humans.

The natural lifespan of a mantis is 10-12 months, but in colder areas it will die during the winter. During its lifetime, the mantis increases in size by replacing its outer body with an exoskeleton, molting up to 5-10 times. After the final molt, most species have wings. This was another new fact for me--I had no idea a mantis could fly. One day I was sitting on the porch swing when a strange creature came flying at me, veering like a drunken pilot. When he landed, I discovered this unusual mantis:

Yes, he is black. I couldn't find any reference in the article to a black species, and this is the only black mantis I have ever seen. However, in discussing the mantis' ability to camoufluage itself, the article did say some species in Africa and Australia have been found to turn black in order to blend in with environments plagued by brush fires. Could this be an exotic mantis come all the way from Africa or Australia to visit?? I doubt it, but it certainly was intriguing.

I've always thought of the praying mantis as a gardener's good friend; in fact, egg cases of native species can be purchased as a means of natural pest control. However, until some of you mentioned this, I didn't realize they also have a dark side. By nature predatory, the mantis eats not only pests, but beneficial insects as well, including butterflies sometimes. Larger species can also eat small lizards, birds, frogs, snakes, and even rodents. According to the article, they wait for their prey to come near and then lash out with "remarkable speed." I'll take their word for it--I've never seen a mantis move quickly, and I can't imagine them killing a rodent. (Maybe that's why I'm not bothered by squirrels??)

Fly, little butterfly, fly!! He's not as harmless as he looks!

So there you have it--everything you ever wanted to know about the praying mantis, and probably more than you cared to know! Despite its dark side, I'll continue to welcome him into my garden.

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Changing the subject completely . . .

I am really bummed today : Things aren't looking too good for my Chicago Cubbies today. And that's all I'm going to say on the subject. . .

And another bummer: I don't usually comment on politics here, but the current economic crisis on Wall Street has me steamed. Perhaps by the time you read this, Congress will have passed the $700 billion bailout. A recent article by an AP writer tried to make this huge number comprehensible to those of us who have never seen a million dollars, let alone 700 billion. What else could you do with this much money? For starters, it would cover"one year's health care bills for more than 85 million seniors, disabled people, children and low-income Americans..." It could also "ensure universal health care coverage for six years." $700 billion would go a long way toward developing alternate energy sources and eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels. Any of these would be worthwhile causes, but the fact is we don't have an extra $700 billion in our Treasury in the first place, let alone spending it to save greedy or foolish financial "experts."

Now before anyone points out my naivete, let me be the first to admit I know nothing about economics. Through all my years of schooling, I somehow managed to never take a course in economics. When I receive my quarterly report on my small annuity (which has been losing my hard-earned money, I might add), I don't understand the difference between a large-cap fund and a mid-cap one. I still don't know who Freddie Mac is, and the only Fannie Mae I know sells delicious chocolate candies.

I don't know who is to blame for the current crisis, though everyone seems eager to point a finger at someone else. But I have trouble relating to CEO's who make millions of dollars in salary each year and have "golden parachutes." I don't think I even have a parachute. In fact, if the state's Teachers' Retirement System goes under, you will probably find me spending the rest of my life smiling and saying, "Welcome to Walmart . . .would you like a shopping cart?" Heck, maybe even I am partly to blame. When my husband and I got our "economic stimulus package" in June, instead of blowing it on a new entertainment system or a weekend in Vegas, we put almost all of it in savings. Had I only known...

I am doing my part to keep the gardening industry afloat--I bought more plants yesterday.

Seriously, I don't know whether Congress should pass the proposed bailout or not. Either way, I know it's going to eventually trickle down and affect every Joe or Jill Average American. In some way we are all going to have to pay for it, or our children eventually will. I particularly feel sorry for all the innocent people who may lose jobs or those whose retirement savings may be jeopardized or even lost. In the end, it always seems it's the "little guy" who gets hurt.

Redbuds and Rants

I am constantly amazed by the people who manage to write a new post everyday and still have time to read other blogs. So today instead of lots of photos and trying to write anything profound, I will just share my journal entries so far this week.

Monday:

• Beautiful day. Cleaned up area near roadside for new flowerbed expansion. Tried to start new tiller to till up bed.
• Planted kohlrabi and sweet basil in vegetable garden which husband tilled on Sunday. Tried to start new tiller.
• Weeded back yard. Tried to start new tiller.
• Painted part of buggy seat which will sit in main flowerbed. Tried to start new tiller.
• Husband came home from work and started tiller on first try.
• Husband tilled up part of new flowerbed, then turned it over to me.
• Finished tilling flowerbed; no need to exercise today.

Tuesday:

• Another beautiful day. Planted new perennials in new roadside area. Storms forecast for tomorrow. Hope new plants don't get hailed on.
• Painted rest of buggy seat.
• Too tired to exercise.

Wednesday:

• Rainy day. Perfect for getting my hair cut and shopping for a new outfit to wear to daughter's graduation this weekend.
• Get hair cut--lookin' good for shopping!
• Visit major department store #1. Pass up the sleeveless dresses (should have kept up with those dumbbell exercises this winter). Pass up the bold geometric prints and baby doll dresses that look like something Twiggy used to wear. (For you young ones out there, Twiggy was the Kate Moss of the '60's.) Find one dress possibility and several jackets and tops. Head to fitting room with armload of clothes. (Experience has taught me out of 10 outfits tried on, I'm lucky if one looks good on me.)


• Try on polka dot dress with red shrug. Doesn't look too bad. Turn around for rear view. Never mind--dress goes back on hanger. Try on gray pantsuit--a definite possibility and on sale besides. Jacket fits, pants are a little snug--can I lose ten pounds by Sunday? Try to sit down and find that the pants are low-rise and fastener on waistband cuts into navel when I sit. Back onto hangar. After several more outfits, decide white trapeze jacket has possibilities. Will put it on hold.


• Visit two more stores. No dresses worth trying on, so settle for checking out jackets and dressy tops. Empire waist tops and floating tops should camouflage midriff bulge. Dressy blue top is very comfortable, but makes me look six months pregnant. Finally decide to buy two tops, but they're too casual for graduation.


• Finally go back to store #1 and purchase jacket put on hold. Today is senior discount day, and though I'm not a senior citizen, their cut-off age is very low, plus I have fake I.D. in case they question me. Nobody asks for I.D. I get the 20% discount.
  
• Final stop at Walmart for some basic necessities. On my way to pick up antacid and dental floss, I pass by dietary aids. I pause for a moment and decide to forego buying some Slim-Fast. The chocolate doesn't taste bad, though, when accompanied by a Big Mac and fries. I notice a new diet plan displayed prominently in center aisle. It promises to "flush" away pounds in days. After imagining for a few moments how this might work, I put box back on shelf. My digestive system is very delicate as it is; no need to invite more problems. Waiting in the check-out line I have time to peruse several magazines. I'm intrigued by the headline that promises a 30-lb. weight loss by Memorial Day (c'mon, who's that gullible?). I have time to read the whole article; the culprit apparently is high fructose corn syrup, and listed are many products containing it. I put back magazine and decide on a salad for supper.
  
• Stop to exercise at Curves before going home.

Author's commentary: Shopping for clothes used to be fun for me. Now it's a chore. When I find something I like, I usually discover that I am in the petite department or that it is only available up to a size 8. (I am neither.) When are clothing companies, other than a few more expensive specialty brands, going to realize that my generation--the Baby Boomers--make up the largest segment of the population? When will they give us some flattering choices other than clothes that make us look either like ridiculous teenage-wannabes or else frumpy matrons?

I think too many mainstream clothing designers are still following the Barbie principle. But Barbie is going to turn 50 next year! And even my "skinny" friends complain about their thickening waistlines; nobody I know has an 18-inch waist, for heaven's sake.

Thursday AM: Getting ready to go shopping again, but this time with Beckie and shopping for plants. Should be a good day. All plants come in my size.

Oh yes, the redbuds...As you can see, the blossoms are slowly giving way to green leaves. I am always a little sad to see the lovely pink-purple blooms go, but thank you to whoever told me to notice that the leaves are actually heart-shaped. Also when the tree is covered with leaves, that means the hummingbirds are on their way!

Have a good day, everyone!