Serendib Garden

Noticed a new butterfly on the ageratum — fiery skipper. V. cool. “The fiery skipper, the sachem, and the whirlabout are sometimes called the “three wizards,” apparently because of their zippy flying movements.”

Late afternoon pink & purple harvest, with a good dozen mosquito bites, sigh. Rosa “The Fairy,” common mallow, phlox, verbena, ironweed, scaevola, nepeta, geranium “Rozanne,” ageratum.

Afternoon harvest.

Morning harvest.

Transitioning to autumn.

I braved the oak mites to do some gardening, because it was too perfect out not to. Planted some fall planters, cleaned up half the parkway garden. Other half tomorrow. Came in, stripped down, threw clothes in laundry, showered. This is the new gardening routine, as long as the oak mites stick around.

Ironweed (native). I’m a little nervous that it’s going to get too tall for this parkway spot — it’s supposed to grow to 4-6 feet, and we’re supposed to keep parkway plantings under 4′. But at least this year (its second year in my garden, I think), it’s barely a foot tall, so that’s a

Weekly garden gather: • Canadian goldenrod (native)• ironweed (native)• Jeanne phlox (native cultivar)• Russian sage (hardy and easy for sunny, dry areas; prune once a year for neatness and otherwise ignore)• ageratum (I’m not sure if this is perennial or annual, but regardless, it came back strong this year)• feverfew (there’s a native American feverfew,

Native solidago / goldenrod.

Critter. Some kind of grasshopper?