Excavators at Both Ends of the Yard.

9-25-19 VERMONT: I didn’t mention in the last post that I weeded a large section of the upper terrace bed, which was overgrown with ferns and other stuff. I dug up one section and pulled all the roots out of it to create a weed-free planter in the bed. I used seeds from hollyhocks, some that Val gave me, and some from a hollyhock that I planted this year.

This year’s hollyhock, like those of other recent years make seeds but not seedlings. It used to be that hollyhocks, which are biennials, would flower in the summer, make new seeds after the flowers were pollinated, and drop those seeds at their roots. New little seedlings would grow from those seeds during the summer and fall, which then became next year’s tall, flowering plants. None of the hollyhocks that I’ve bought from nurseries in the past few years have reproduced. Are they too hybridized?

While cleaning up the pile of weedings, I got stung by a wasp and buzzed by another one. That usually means a nest is nearby. I looked all through the apple tree by the deck, under which I was stung, without getting too close. I found a huge nest hidden in the tree. It was positioned over the old steps by the deck. The next night I sprayed it. I’m OK with wasps living here, but NIMBY. No one was stung during the summer so I wonder if the nest is new this fall.

The work on the new pond has started with clearing the site. The barn repairs are progressing well.

We finally had some rain over a couple days, some of it was hail, the size of rice grains. There was a total of almost an inch.

New blooms: red asters, purple asters.


Red asters in the garden are just starting.

Wild purple asters grow in the pasture. They stand out vividly at this time of the season. The gray stuff is golden rod after the blooms are finished.

Monarch caterpillar. It looks big enough to form a chrysalis soon, but will its hatch time, two weeks or so, be too late to join the party?

The paper wasp nest is in the apple tree by the corner of the deck above the old stairs. I got stung while cleaning up a pile of stuff I weeded from the terrace beds. I sprayed the nest the next night. I am fine with live-and-let-live as long as they aren't a threat to us in the house or garden. The nest is the size of a volleyball, I wonder how long it has been there? All summer?

Maple color is developing.

Barn work continues.

The work on the new pond site has started.