Late Summer Garden

September has been drenched in glorious, golden sunshine here in Abbotsford, bringing out deep rich colors and scintillating scents. From our top balcony I was able to capture the view of the side garden. Those long-lasting wave petunias, vibrantly fuschia-colored, have been a constant source of color delighting the eyes time and time again. I've noticed the wave petunia, smaller than the classic petunia, although rich in color and easy to care for, is not fragrant. I usually like to have at least one old-fashioned petunia plant in the garden just for the scent.

My three little cherry tomato plants out along the sunny back fence are quite prolific and tasty.

My dinner plate dahlia did not come up this year and I resorted to buying two container mini-sized dahlias. I was smitten with their color and simply added some bacopa hi-jacked from another planter and have been enjoying this splash of color throughout the summer.

What is a summer garden without a spider or two or twenty - whose often invisible webs stretch across walkways, becoming so annoying. This interesting fellow has been hanging out above a front window box for the last two or three weeks. I've tried to agitate the net a bit to see him scuttle up and curl up into a ball. My pics aren't good of this but it is intriguing to watch. I'm thinking it must be a female and she's waiting to lay her zillion dozens of eggs soon.

There are many poems written about spiders including pertinent information about these amazing creatures, like Eric Carle's beautifully illustrated childrens' book

"The Very Busy Spider"

Then there's the song my grandchildren love to sing:

"The eensy weensy spider went up the water spout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out!

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,

So the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again!"

Spiders

Spiderlings hatch from eggs

Each one has eight tiny legs.

A spider has more eyes than you-

Most have eight and you have two.

A spider has two body parts.

Across its web it quickly darts.

From a spider's spinnerets Sticky, spider silk jets

Spiders feel the frantic tugs

Of their favorite food - it's bugs!

by Janet Bruno

Spiders

Clever spider spins a thread

To make a trap we call a web.

Clever spider knows that she

Will have some insects with her tea.