Flowers, Bees, Finches and Moths

This morning was another hot day and I got to the garden early. Given the damage done to the large Plot Against Hunger garden, the rats, and the general end of season malaise, I just did a little harvesting (more arugula in my own garden and lots of squash in the large plot), weeding and thinking about when certain plants should come out in preparation for fall. In this annus horribilis of the garden, the flowers have been the saving grace. The zinnias that we planted after the installation of the new fence are providing bouquets for numerous gardeners.

The zinnias certainly are thriving on the sidewalk border.

They’re also attracting bees, butterflies–and today–a hungry finch, whom I was not able to capture well with my camera.

I zoomed in here so you could see the finch body, head obscured by the flower, center left.

I captured some morning glories.

I love the way they look lit from within, and these have a nice stripe.

And some that were closing, looking like luscious cherry swirl ice cream cones. (Did I mention it was hot?)

Okay, only two have the ice cream cone look…

A bee was doing gymnastics.

Flowers can be so hard to navigate…

And an Ailanthus Webworm Moth was partaking of the garlic blossoms. Striking creature. I had to look it up, as I had not seen one before.

See the orange, white and black creature lower right.