This account is focused on my efforts to grow things in support of the humans and animals living around the house.
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2026-07-30T09:03:11Z Event JSON
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"content": "{\"name\":\"Marie Kung\",\"about\":\"This account is focused on my efforts to grow things in support of the humans and animals living around the house.\\n\\nHeader pic: a grouping of crocus flowers, five purple-and-white striped and one white, in a leaf-mulched bed\\n\\nProfile pic: Me striking a casual explorer's pose- flat hand up, shading over the hat brim to look out into the distance- next to a Thomas Dambo wooden troll sculpture so large only the legs are visible.\\n\\nLocation: Northeast Illinois US\\nHardiness Zone: 5b\\nLand: Suburban yard\\nExperience: 6th season\\n\",\"website\":\"https://growers.social/@mariekung\",\"picture\":\"https://assets.growers.social/accounts/avatars/111/095/102/018/649/151/original/3a23535070fcb7d3.jpg\",\"banner\":\"https://assets.growers.social/accounts/headers/111/095/102/018/649/151/original/d8bfb355733e0bc8.jpg\",\"nip05\":\"[email protected] \"}" ,
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Last Notes npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung My local indie family-owned nursery is celebrating a big milestone with free hotdogs. Just another indicator of why I vibe so well with them. 🙂 #gardening #food npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Looking forward to hearing your experience. They help fill out a spring part-shade area here. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I've tried to solve the Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) flopping over challenge for a couple of seasons. They tangle up and the flowers aren't as accessible that way. Last fall, I close planted some (Carex blanda) sedges, who are totally doing the job. Credit to Benjamin Vogt for recalibrating my thinking about #NativePlants #gardening. #BloomScrolling npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The library plant swap resulted in some surprises. Guess I'm going to attempt celery and asparagus for the first time this year too. #gardening #GrowYourOwn npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung People are constantly surprised at how well I know the extended forecast. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The baby rabbits in the compost bin are so much bigger in just a few days. Eyes still closed but a lot more hair. And did I mention bigger? #BackyardHabitat npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung oh, dear 😄 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Went to turn #compost bin A but found a rabbit nest. Guess it will stay unturned for the next week or two. 🙂 #BackyardHabitat npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Thanks! They are new to me and I'm not sure what to expect yet. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm definitely seeing the self-seeding in action. I was hoping for ground cover so it is still okay for now. 🙂 I have plenty of undesirable weeds to push out. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I only see two potato tops so far but I'm excited! #gardening #GrowYourOwn npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The wild geraniums (Geranium maculatum) are 3x larger than last year. I'm also finding their catapulted seeds germinating all over lol. I'm glad they're in a happy place. Such lovely color and doing great in part shade. #gardening #NorthernIllinois #NativePlants #BloomScrolling npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Last year, I added some woodland sedge (Carex blanda) to help the Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) stay more upright. It's working better so far but there's still a lot of growth to come. #gardening #NativePlants npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I didn't listen to the good advice. Next time. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung One neighbor is dropping off fallen tree branches. The other neighbor contributes coffee grounds and banana peels to the #compost. #Gardening is contagious! 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Sharing a new Anjou pear tree this #ArborDay weekend. I'm trying for a backyard #orchard following Grow A Little #FruitTree by Ann Ralph. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Amazing! npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Do you use the white flags as garden markers? npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I probably should have gone that way, but I have Russet Burbank, standard brown, instead. 🙂 They're roaring for soil. I'll cut some up tomorrow for the weekend trial planting. Please let us (me) know how the bag method works for you. #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Thanks to everyone for the good advice! I have reserved a loose soil area for the potatoes experiment so I'll try putting some in this weekend. Perhaps I'll hold back some of the seed potatoes just in case a replacement batch is needed. 🙂 #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Seems like everything in the #garden shot up by inches over the last three warm and rainy days. Feels nice to have some spots of color around and the rain barrels filled. #BloomScrolling #tulips #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Requesting #gardening advice. I want to try potatoes this year but it has been so rainy. I'm reluctant to put the seed pieces in. Am I being too cautious? More storms are coming in this week. #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The more intense storms this year have brought down all the squirrel nests in my neighborhood. (And sent plastic up there instead) With otherwise bare trees, they're using the soft evergreen leaves of arborvitaes (Thuja occidentalis) for temp housing. Unsightly for the yard, but I'm glad the ecosystem provides. Sometimes I forget #gardening with #NativePlants is more than flowers for pollinators. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung A weekend of almosts in #NorthernIllinois. Hit 80F and the bees are out but the plants aren't ready for them yet. Pictured: marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) and tulips. #gardening #NativePlants npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Michigan State has plant lists split by geography. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung A DIY #RainBarrell system waiting. The garbage cans, bungee cords, and screening material work so well together that I'm not bothering to "upgrade." Eventually, they'll all be right-side up with the downspout redirected over top. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Still with freezing overnight temps here in #NorthernIllinois, but the #perennials are doing well. Re-located and re-spaced the green onions (yes, perennial in my #Zone5b) today. Also found the second flower of the yard: a small bit of yellow on a Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea). The 2025-added Carex blanda sedges seem happy and are expanding. #NativePlants #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Will our mysteries be solvable? We'll entertain ourselves staring and wondering. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm happy for the garlic. I'm sad for my brain. 😄 Maybe this will be the year I label properly. Ha ha npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Garlics are coming along. I didn't record my fall plantings correctly and now I have a section of mystery #garlic plants I have no memory of putting down. Note to #NewGardeners: You will not remember, no matter how "obvious" it seems that you will. 🙂 #gardening #GrowYourOwn npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I now know the plantain-leaved sedges (Carex plantaginea) will provide the first flowers of the #garden. Eventually, the rabbits move on to other meals but these sedges are very popular right now. #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois #BloomScrolling npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Took off some leaf mulch layers over the garlics about two weeks ago. Put a layer or two back today. Here comes a freeze. #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Oh, yeah, absolutely. I really hope nothing starts sprouting in this hot week. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Greetings from an above 50 F February weekend here in #NorthernIllinois. Had it on the schedule to prune the pear tree anyway, but I sure wasn't expecting to not need a jacket. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung In past years, I've been thankful for the winter #gardening break and don't get antsy to get back at it until later in February. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung So the leaves turn into soil, like compost? 🙂 I'm glad I don't have to plant a lemon tree first. :) npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm going to try potatoes next year. Besides the hill-ing, is there more I should keep in mind? npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung One of the nice things about the increasing #NativePlants market is having a selection of spring plants available at the end of the season. I added some marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) and nodding onions (Allium cernuum). npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Activity from an almost-70F mid-November Saturday: emptied and spread the rest of the finish compost, finally put the tulips and final garlics in, finished planting the clearance #NativePlants... npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung We'll check in on results next summer. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'll be curious on the results because space is limited for me. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Great point! It's prime on-sale time. I could do with another one. Hmm npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung You have the same reaction as I did when getting the recommendation to plant garlic. 🙂 Really? That's how it works? It did turn out to be as easy as they said it would be though. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung This is the third year for #garlic and I may be overreaching, ha. I think I did 8 inches apart before but I'm going 6 just for the sheer number of cloves going in. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung It is the Fiskars garden basket. I use it all the time so was worth the higher price to me. Holds a lot of weight, very sturdy, and the three compartment system works well. Two of the sections have holes to handle wet things. Could definitely use to rinse outside but overall too big to put under a sink inside. #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Closed up the 2025 veggie season this weekend. Here's my final harvest basket. Plus half of the garlics are in. #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung There are still more out there but I cleared some areas for garlic. Intake pic from this weekend. #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The selections are few out there. The hoverflies are finally resorting to the unpopular pink mums. #pollinators #BloomScrolling #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung There's a declining maple tree in the yard that was hosting #woodpeckers. Unfortunately, their diligent home building weakened this junction, and a storm toppled that whole section. I hope they are doing okay without their shelter. The marks are fascinating! #BackyardHabitat npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm finding out these cooler-temperature grown beans are more tender than the summer ones. Really delicious! The fall radish was also a welcome peppery hit. #gardening #NorthernIllinois #GrowYourOwn npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung We're not quite done yet. Harvest basket from this weekend. #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I believe the perennial mums get labeled "hardy" or the tag will note the temps. Reliably available at the end-of-season clearances happening soon for me. Even if they don't look great when I buy them, things go well the following year. 🙂 #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Yes, the mums are perrenial where I am. They're great ground cover in the spring, and then they flower after the goldenrods are done. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung One wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) flowering stalk deciding to bloom with the mums. #gardening #NativePlants #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Life's been busy. A quick catch-up post with harvest basket pics. (Right, this past weekend. Left, two weekends ago.) Thus ends the yellow squashes. Still cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, and peppers out there. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Wow, that is some dedicated problem solving. Is the shark one working better? npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The cat tribunal is not going to have any mercy on whoever came up with that collar. 😄 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung That's a jalapeño? 😯 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung That's great! This is the first year there is a nice flush of those. They do seem pretty sturdy and it is good to know they'll be around for a bit. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm impressed with the long-blooming season of the false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides). The yellow started peeking out late June and new ones are still opening now. The purple/pink around them (wild bergamot, blazing star, obedient plant) cycle through. Yet the yellow remains! #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Harvest basket picture from this past weekend. Lots of beans. Yikes! I like the little teeth marks in the rejected pepper. #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm flattered to be considered knowledgeable but I think the details will make a difference. What kind of flowers, seeds or starts, how big are the rocks... that kind of stuff. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Ha, as much as I enjoy being out there, I am gloved and in long sleeves. Too many jump scares. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung An experience of biodiversity connectiveness- A society of house sparrows lived near by, centering on a nest hole in a neighbor's garage. That garage got repaired and now the sparrows are gone. It's noticeably more quiet. Even the other birds aren't around as much, which was a surprise to me. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Dr. Internet 🙂 says the large milkweed bug basically slurps milkweed (the sap and through liquefying), but this doesn't really do any damage. From what I'm seeing, this is true so far. It's nice to be able to leave things alone. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm blurring this one because it is a lot of milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus). Nothing wrong with them, of course, but a lot of something, especially insects, can be a bit... sensation-inducing. The nymphs remind me of football players. #insects npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Do you also give the neighbors the prettier ones? #gardening #GrowYourOwn npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Couldn't find the swallowtail butterfly #caterpillars on the carrots today. 🙁 Hope they are doing okay under that mess somewhere. Found two #monarch ones though. 🙂 On swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). #NativePlants #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I've been checking for swallowtail butterfly #caterpillars on the golden alexander plants (carrot family) all season and coming up empty. But on the garden carrots, all of a sudden, there are some nice fat ones. #gardening #pollinators npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Sounds like you are doing a lot of things well and according to advice. One thing that helped me with root vegetables is to really make the soil fine. Not just loose but extra worked through. It made a difference. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung That's wonderful! Thanks for letting me know. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Looking forward to a weekend when the heat index is not over 100 F. This is the scene that greeted me as I opened the door and managed to snap a quick picture. #Hummingbird visiting cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) admist the gone-to-seed golden alexanders and the up-and-coming mums. #gardening #NativePlants #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Yes, I grow in the backyard. Thank you! npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Spent a bit of time in the #garden today because a couple of really powerful storms came through. Most things are now topsy-turvy out there. The fabric I put up as shade covering for the hostas shredded away. Metal supports tipped over. Plant stems snapped. I need to further adapt my stuff for #ClimateChange. #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The speed at which this happens continues to catch me off guard. I'm in anticipation mode since I've seen the cucumber beetles around now. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm in awe that you keep up with your journaling. I wish I were as disciplined. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The heat has sun-scalded the Early Girl tomatoes. I think they're going into a less exposed position next time. #Garden basket from this weekend. #gardening #GrowYourOwn #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung That's so great to hear! I hope today continues to go well. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The difference in the eyes of that last photo is so stark. I'm glad things are turning around. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I think my experience will match both of yours. The bush beans produced plenty. I'm going to rethink next season. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Yes, I will need to make a better trellis next time. I only have one metal pole and it is not enough. I underestimated these beans! npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Instead of bush beans, I thought I'd try pole beans this year to save space. Ha! The now invisible trellis is falling over. I'm sticking random poles wherever to spread things out. I have to cut constantly to expose the flowers. This is fun but a lot of work. #gardening #GrowYourOwn npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung He's lucky to be neighbors with you. TNR 👍 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Too dark to see who found a tucked-in napping spot underneath the nicely curled coneflower petal. #gardening #pollinators #NativePlants npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I'm glad I like them because they're the captains now. High heat, windy storms, and tall plants make for a lively, topsy-turvy view. #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Aw, bummer. A family member used some scent sprays, I think, on their roses. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The first ones that didn't split. 🙂 The rain also busted a bunch of tomatoes. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Harvest basket this weekend- Cleaned up the garlic. The cucumbers got a bit out of control. These are going to be over ripe. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung It's a challenge because they are only an inch or two and dart through the flowers so fast. Their wings are blurs already. The automatic focus doesn't know what to do and I'm not good enough to do manual focus. I basically click a lot and look at the results later. 🙂 npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung I keep trying to photograph this year's hummingbird clearwing moths but only managing blurry takes so far. Resharing this lucky snap from last year instead. #NativePlants #pollinators #moth #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung It's nice they are easier to spot and so pretty, isn't it? A change from all the camouflaging that goes on. 🙂Great looking petunias! npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Black swallowtail on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) #NativePlants #pollinators #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung Summer veggies hitting the kitchen now #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung A photo that's making me laugh- the bumblebee makes me think of Gonzo shyly peeking out from behind the gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnatal) stem. #NativePlants #pollinators #gardening #BloomScrolling npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung White for the summer #NativePlants #pollinators #gardening #NorthernIllinois npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung The wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) decided to vigorously kick off this week. I'm glad I tried the Chelsea chop. Even had a too-fast-to-photograph hummingbird stop by for a taste. #NativePlants #pollinators #NorthernIllinois #gardening npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung FWIW, I also wanted to avoid the soaring stems and test shortened some last month. Didn't affect the blooming at all. They're going gangbusters. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung They have no shame and no fear. npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung You have a nice amount in the picture and I thought you may have found the elusive answer. 🙂 I don't know how asters survive in the wild. Ha npub1n33veuw4nyxht0emshagglhde9av3jzk669rzlufl9xtzf5xp2esw87n3j Marie Kung How do the asters escape the rabbits?
