Reaping the Rewards

 A handful of tomatoes today but many more to come!

Drying Rosemary, Lavender, Cilantro and Parsley for future culinary meals.

Onions, Peppers and Potatoes!

Zucchini and Summer Squash 

Mojito Mint

I must give credit to the creatures helping everything thrive. A Bumblebee on my Bachelor's Button flower also called a Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) helping to pollinate.

Red Shoulder Hawk (Buteo lineatus) who eats the voles and squirrels. Yea!

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), male, a strong preference for seeds from the Asteraceae family particularly thistles, sunflowers, asters, and coneflowers. Thistle seed and a feeder are expensive. I found they also like cornflowers so for .50¢ I bought a seed packet and started them myself. I have my very own "charm" of goldfinches and they visit every morning. They also eat massive quantities of seeds from unwanted plants like dandelions and ragweed, of course they are pollinators as well.

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), male, pollinator, weed killer and just overall majestic!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) feasting on Million Bells (Calibrachoa) a helpful pollinator and so fun to watch flutter.

Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) who eats slugs, snails, and black soldier fly larvae as well as other things.

Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) who eats beetles, ants, flies, spiders, plant lice and snails.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) sadly has mange and we are working on capturing it so we can take it to a rehab to get antibiotics. She is a great hunter and loves the squirrels, voles, and moles in our yard. She sleeps in our woodpile and says hello every morning.

And need to call out the not so nice creatures that eat my plants! 

Squash vine borer (Eichlinia cucurbitae) eating my squashes and cukes.

Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta) eating my tomatoes.

I love my morning routine of a 5K walk and then tending to my garden! Life is Good!