The Maple Hill Hop 82

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

It's hotter than the dickens out there!

With temperatures feeling more like summer,

there's been less time spent in the garden.

We have managed to get a few things done

in the early morning or early evening hours.

The green beans are doing well.

This is the Slenderette variety that my garden coach Lynn uses.

They are stringless, tender and oh-so-good!

 Looks like we'll be able to harvest these yummy morsels in a day or two.

The broccoli is on its way out.

It's just too dang hot, even in the shady spot it is placed.

We will enjoy tips as long as we can

and make room for something else.

When you eat seasonally, it just goes with the territory.

The rest of the spent broccs are being left in place

to act as a trap plant.

The bugs eat these, and leave the string beans alone.

 The Canary Melon is starting to blossom.

We've never grown these before,

so we're looking forward to comparing them to other melons.

This one shouldn't mind the heat.

The dill has started to take off!

It's also attracting black swallowtail caterpillars.

There are a ton of eggs on the leaves,

as well as the cats I bring home from Faye & Lynn's.

Go forth and prosper lil' guys!

The passionflower vine is seeing more of these visitors as well.

The gulf fritillary caterpillars transform into a

beautiful orange and black butterfly.

We never tire of witnessing the magic of nature.

 The beautyberry is coming back into flower.

This weekend we noticed a lot of bees enjoying these blossoms.

Soon the flowers make way for gorgeous magenta globes,

which the birds readily savor.

 This is the beautyberry I transplanted a few weeks ago.

I am thrilled that it is coming back big time.

We've had enough rain in the past couple of weeks

and I think it really nurtured it.

There's just nothing like a good rainstorm.

 On Friday night, we had a whopper!

We got over 5 inches of rain and had hail 

for only the second time in the 10 years that we've lived here.

It was something to see.

Our backyard neighbors' lamppost was struck by lightening,

and knocked out their irrigation system.

Thankfully, no one was injured.

It was a real toad-strangler!

These crape myrtles keep popping up all over the yard.

I think I'm gonna pot 'em up and sell them.

Might as well make the garden work for us!

 This time of year is difficult for me

because I love being outside

and that's just not possible much of the day.

I'm thankful that I can enjoy beautiful blooms

and delicious home-grown food from the garden.

What's happening outside where you are?

HOP on!

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