State of the Garden


Spotted in my backyard in the last month (in no particular order): carpenter bees (concentrated wintergreen oil spray works to get them out of the deck; no need to use chemicals), yellow jackets, wasps, mosquitoes, house flies, aphids, sparrows, pigeons, morning doves, starlings, cardinals, robin redbreasts, mocking birds, gnats, earthworms, cabbage butterflies, slugs. I have invited in praying mantis (hoping for the best). I choose to trap the rats and monitor for termites (or I would be seeing them). The ants are late this year.
Teeming with life or full of unwanted pests? It’s all a matter of perspective. What I do know is that the beings whose presence I welcome and enjoy would not be there if I just had a pesticide-laden chunk of concrete.
The rain started when I was about half way to Union Station to catch the metro to Takoma Park to teach the noon gentle/therapeutics class at Willow Street. Thanks to all the regulars, make=up students, and drop-ins for coming to practice to get ready for the storm. The rain was steadier en route home, but I made it home before it really was coming down fully as it is now and will only get fiercer for several more hours.