October 11, 2012

Around our (Maryland) Yard in October 2012

October 11, 2012/ Gwen Morrison

October is the key fall month in Maryland. The leaves are turning and falling. The onions blooming in September now have seed heads. The dahlias are still going strong and there are more puffballs that ever. There were lovely pink mushrooms growing in the grass. There is a new group of caterpillars on the parsley that may not get to chrysalis stage before it gets too cold. Enjoy my October slide show below!

Shelf fungus

Puffballs

Tulip poplar leaf

Sycamore leaf

Hydrangea

Pink mushroom in the grass

Maple leaf

Pyracantha

Dalhia

Black swallowtail caterpillar on parsley

Posts from previous months are here.

May 11, 2012

Around our (Maryland) Yard in May

May 11, 2012/ Gwen Morrison

May is a ‘between’ month. Many of the spring blooms are already over and the summer ones are up but not quite blooming - with the exception of the iris…which are truly glorious in our back flowerbed.

The summer bulbs are up - dahlias and day lilies and blazing stars. Fortunately the deer have not decided they are delectable.

I have some stakes around them to discourage browsing but they didn’t keep the deer from the day lilies last year about the time. I’m keeping by fingers crossed.

The pyracantha is blooming. It will have a lot of orange berries in the fall.

And last but not least, the maple has a lot of leaves still unfurling that are reddish before they enlarge and turn all green. Many of the stems that held the samaras recently are still attached to the tree. They’ll be falling off soon.