this is why i plant fennel

hello again! i am finally back here in blogland after a long summer off. i hope you missed me!

i just wanted to tell ya about my very small herb garden, it did not do well this summer, as we have been in a drought. dry dry dry-that's been our summer. oh, and hot hot HOT!! the gardens and lawns have surely suffered. however, my fennel did survive, and earlier, served the red wasp population in our yard.

click on images to enlarge

but now, the black swallowtails have taken over! i just love those green and black caterpillars! they are very cool, not to mention that they turn into beautiful butterflies! this is mainly the reason i planted bronze fennel. it is a beautiful plant but i like that it feeds these pretty creatures!

yes, and the wasps are sharing! i hate those creatures! they are aggressive and nasty. they seem to have taken over our yard. just the latest scourge of the hellhole!

but we also get these guys: orbweaver spiders. these are good guys, they eat insects. i like that! and they are also pretty and spin the most awesome webs! this one has attached his web to my cherry tomato plant. i hate to bother him when i harvest the tomatoes. but he just moves up the web away from me, and it's cool. we respect each other. just as mother nature intended...but, although i do respect the red wasps, it's for an entirely different reason!

grateful today:
1. for all that i have, and also for what i don't have
2. for interesting creatures in my life- both human and non-human
3. for the approaching fall season...LOVE it!