Blooms

 

Leaves on the sunflower are having a hard time but the blooms are beautiful. I had a season like no other with sap coating everything under the tree canopy. Only later to learn that those drippings are from aphids. It explained so many more lady bugs and lady beetles on leaves this spring and summer that helped eat the aphids. Nature is wonderful and will sometimes take care of insect problems without harmful sprays. There was also a lot of ants including the large black ones and small fire ants. Didn't know they also eat the substance excreted by the aphids.We had a drought followed by lots of rain which stopped the aphid problem. I'm seeing less lady bugs now but lots of different pollinating bees on the blooms. It's lovely to watch them.

Deadheaded spent blooms on the daisy today so a second blooming may occur. Not shown are white asters that have continued to bloom since spring after I cut spent blooms. I also deadhead them today in the hope they'll continue blooming into fall.

Lilies with their down ward faces are beautiful. Not native but still beautiful.