Arthur in the Garden!

So I was over to Kim’s house helping with some Fall clean up. The ornamental sweet potato vines had grown to kudzu proportions! They must have been 7 to 8 feet long! When she pulled the vines up they were attached to large, white sweet potatoes. I was not sure if they were eatable so we tossed them with the vines anyway.

Our day began at Cup-A-Joe for a latte. We then stopped by a local garden center to purchase a few mums and pansies for some Fall color.

While working on cleaning the yard we were carefully watched!

Underneath him this white euphorbia (Euphorbia hypericifolia) was beginning to bloom.

Her begonias were still blooming strong.

The nights are continuing to cool with temps in the upper 50sf but the days still reach into the 70sf. Plants will continue continue to bloom as long as we do not have a killing frost. Many blooming plants may make it to Thanksgiving!

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We have experienced our first frost. It was very light and a only few plants were affected.

The morning glories leaves were wilted but the passionflowers were unharmed.

The pyracanthas are loaded with berries.

They are not a favorite with the birds so they last on the plants until Spring.

Around Downtown Raleigh:

A few yarn bombs have appeared around Downtown Raleigh. They are cute and add some whimsey to downtown.

This one has a tag: Drop Stitch Duo. They have a Facebook page.

It is great to live in such a dynamic city with an active art scene!
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Humans are not the only animal to raise other animals for food. Amazingly ants will raise aphids for a secretion called Honeydew which is produced when the ant rubs the aphid sides with their antenna.

Below are black ants attending their aphid herd on a lily.

The ants will move the aphids around the plant to the newest growth as aphids feed on plant sap and also protect them from predators and parasites.

Below are the aphids feeding on the seed pod of a lily.

Some species of ants will take the aphids underground in the winter to feed on the roots of plant and to protect them from freezing. Other species will save the eggs of aphids underground during the winter months then move them back to the grazing plants in the spring to start a new “herd” for honeydew the following spring!

Amazing!

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