Round Lake Nature Notes: July 2019

Friday, July 12, 2019

Out and About: I Turned Around and June was Gone!

June is always a whirlwind of a month for me with gardening and gatherings. Then it fast slips away and July is usually calmer. Vegetable gardens are in at my house and the children's garden. This season the two to five year old gardeners planted a Taco Garden. They put in tomatoes, lettuce, peppers,(both hot and sweet), cilantro and different peppermints. We will have a taco party at the end of August. We already had a lettuce tasting and then clear cut the lettuce. It grew back well and another tasting will happen this week. Our cherry tomatoes are ripening so we will give them a taste along with edible nasturiums and garlic chives. During gardening the children saw birds going into the nest box we put up. The birds were Tufted Titmice. I was at the garden watering one afternoon when the last baby was fledging. The parents were nearby in a tree calling to it. Finally it made the jump and crossed the street. Mama came down to feed it and then it walked and flew away. I wish the children had gotten to see this. We cleaned out the box the next week and looked at how the nest was constructed. Bits of cellophane and paper were included in it.
I was invited to The Round Lake School for the Painted Lady Butterfly release party. The students raised the butterflies from caterpillars. Some were sad to let them go. It always seems that one butterfly is reluctant to leave. The students had planted zinnias and hoped to see the butterflies visiting.
I have seen several Monarch butterflies in the children's and my garden and there are some eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves. An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has been at the milkweed too. The milkweed flower is extremely fragrant. Look for bees before taking a sniff! Make sure to take a look at the firefly display as it gets dark They are amazing this year! Enjoy these great summer days. And tell July to take it slow.