A Second Look, August 10, 2011

During the doldrums of August, this week I got a pleasant surprise. I found surprise lilies blooming in one of my beds. I thought they were called surprise lilies because they only bloom every few years when the conditions are just right. We've had them bloom only 4 times in the 14 years we have lived here. However, that's not exactly what the rest of the world thinks. Surprise lilies' leaves emerge in the springtime and die off in the summer. But in July or August, flowers pop up. Surprise!

I also had a not so pleasant surprise. I am starting to see stink bugs on my plants. I have been hearing about them in other places, but this is the first time I noticed them here. Also, Japanese stilt grass is trying to take over our thistle bed, so named because the thistle are trying to take over the day lilies. It will be interesting to see which one of these invasive weeds wins out.

Here are a few things I saw in my Second Look around the yard this week.

Surprise lilies

Stink bugs on hosta blooms

Zinnias are faring well in the heat.

A squirrel got the first bite of this tomato and the stink bug is trying to finish it off.

Thistle growing among stilt grass