July in the Garden

Spring rains have given way to hot, dry summer

weather in southern Indiana. 

A couple of weeks ago a wild turkey paid

an unexpected visit to our neighbor's yard.

One day when I went out to pick some Italian parsley

for a dish, I found this black swallowtail caterpillar

on the plant.

One of these pretty guys can strip

a parsley plant in just a couple of days.

I didn't want to kill the caterpillar, 

but I did need to find a new host plant for it.

Black swallowtail caterpillars feed off 

plants in the parsley family.

This includes parsley, carrots and Queen Anne's lace.

I eventually found a Queen Anne's lace plant

that I had not pulled out of the garden

and put the caterpillar next to that plant.

Daylily blooming.

Bee on Echinacea.

Bee on Liatris.

The garden is growing.

The butterfly bushes are beginning to bloom.

This is a volunteer in my garden.

It is a thimbleweed or Tall Anemone.

This plant is in the buttercup family.

Dill plant in bloom growing a pot with Magellanica.

The volunteer onion getting ready to bloom.

Sweet potato vine in bloom.

The flowers close at dusk and open again in the morning.

Yesterday I went to my favorite antique store in town

and purchased this lovely old water pump for $45.

I will be building a base for it,

either out of wood or concrete block,

so it sits about three feet tall.

I love the open spout.

I haven't decided if I will leave it in its rusted state

or if I will clean it up and paint it.

The Foodie Daughter has even suggested 

turning it into a fountain.

I will have to think about that.