There’s always interesting critter activity going on in my garden. Last evening a doe paused outside my deer fence for a very long time. She gazed longingly at the purple phlox inside, one of her favorite desserts. I snapped four pictures before she decided to move on. I’m hoping she’s not looking for a way to crawl under the fence.
One of my favorite times of day is when a pair of sleek goldfinches visit my Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’ for an anise seed dinner. They show up around six o’clock every evening for the “early bird special”, dressed in vivid black and gold. Aren’t they gorgeous? They’re within easy viewing distance--only a few feet away from my kitchen window. I’m always captivated by the sight of the birds floating gently up and down on plant stalks as they pick out seeds with a stab and twist motion of their little beaks.
Speaking of winged wonders, this year I have a resident hummingbird moth—a first for me. Have you ever seen one? I thought it was a baby hummingbird till I moved close enough to see its antennae. It even had a little fan-shaped tail, a long, slender "beak" and a blur of motion for wings.
Lots of fascinating wildlife close-up---that’s one of the reasons I have a garden.
Would you like to increase wildlife sightings on your property? It’s quite simple to do. Just provide food, shelter, water, and a place to raise young. Go to Garden for Wildlife or call our Master Gardeners hortline for more information.
Do you have a gardening question? Call our Delaware County Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.
UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS
September 8, 2007: Gourds & Birdhouses
Learn how to make birdhouses and other useful items from gourds you can grow in your garden. This is a hands-on workshop.
September 29, 2007: Master Gardeners Fall Fest & Plant Sale
We've planned a great day for you--interesting workshops, self-guided tours of our beautiful display gardens, our spectacular fall plant sale and our popular frugal gardener sale.
Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website
