October Wildflower Wednesday

We were busy today, getting in the last of the frost sensitive harvest.  I picked some kale, but what's out there should be fine with lows in the 20s tonight.  I just got a few photos taken for today's Wildflower Wednesday post before our granddaughter came over, and took a few more with her here, so decided to include some of her.  Gail, from Clay and Limestone is the host.  It's always fun to see what all wildflowers people have growing.

Most of the plants are finished blooming for the season, but there are a few showing color.  It was good to still see a bumblebee on the New England asters that are still blooming.  This is the only clump that still is.  I don't remember if it started blooming after the others.

The Mexican hats are still looking good, but I do not see much insect activity on them.

Granddaughter is 16 months old now!  I watch her four days a week, from 12:50 pm to 9:15ish pm.  The seedheads on the right are ironweed.  The grass is a cultivar of switchgrass.

I believe she is going to be a gardener.  She loves being in the yard, and likes to point out blooms and insects.

I was tickled to see a skipper today, too.

 Some of the pitcher sage blooms are still blue.

She loves to pick up things from this area, and carry them around.  The grass on the right is a different kind of switchgrass cultivar than the one on the other side of this area.

The gray headed coneflowers still have some color.

Here is today's harvest.  Sage usually survives in the garden at least until Thanksgiving, but I like to dry some just in case it doesn't.   Pole beans do much better in my garden than bush beans.  I have been able to make lots of soup with them and other veggies.

Most of the food here is from farmer's markets, but a bit is still from our garden.  We have to keep our dog's water dish on the counter while Granddaughter is here, so she can't play in the water.

One of these days, I will spend less time on FB, so I can catch up on my blog reading.  I hope all is well with you and your gardens.

New England Asters

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that it is October.  I am thankful for having blooms this time of year that are having so many insect visitors.  I am also glad that I did not thin out all of the volunteers that are around the yard.

I am seeing more sulphurs than usual this year, I'm not sure how many different kinds.  I like this kind with the black on it.

We are still seeing more than one size of bumblebee. This looks to be the smaller kind.

I'm not sure how many kinds of skippers have been visiting, but there have been a good number of them this season, too.

I'm not sure if this is the same sulphur shown earlier.

I always like to get more than one insect in a photo.

These two New England asters are the original ones, whose seeds have ended up in different parts of the yard.  I moved them from where we lived before here.  The stems get diseased late summer most years, even though I cut them back a few times in the spring and early summer.  That does not stop them from having loads of blooms with pollen for the insects.

We are still seeing monarchs each day, but not as many as a few weeks ago.  I counted 7 insects in this photo.  Is that how many you see?

When I saw this at first, the wings were out, like a butterfly, but like this, it looks like a skipper.  Do you know what it is?

Here is another skipper, a sweat bee, and I'm not sure if that is a bee or hoverfly on the right.

I am pleased to be seeing a painted lady or more most days.

I've been seeing a buck eye or two off and on for awhile.  This poor one's "eyes" did not fool some bird or other.

I like the little green sweat bees.

Here's another view of a painted lady.

I decided to add a few more photos, these taken today.  I've learned this is a tachnid fly.

I am not sure what kind of wasp this is.  I've also had yellow jacket hover flies this year.  I didn't even know there was such a thing, but I'm thinking this actually is a wasp.

This clump, in the area where the tree used to be, mixed with some rigid goldenrod, is one I did not plant.  I like where it chose to grow.

This is a different kind of sulphur than the one I showed previously.

I thought this was an interesting looking critter.  I was glad it came to a spot where I could take a photo of the rest of it.

I am not sure what it is, though.  If you know, please tell me.  It's about half an inch wide if my memory is correct.

I have not yet visited those who left comments on my Wildflower Wednesday post.  I am spending too much time on Facebook!  I need to make an adjustment so I can get more blogs visited.  Have a great fall, all!