Black Widow

Do you have Black Widow spiders in your garden? I do, and have had for years. They live their lives and I live mine and I hope "the twain shall never meet" . . .

This one spun a web between a dish garden and two containers on my patio, all of which have overhanging edges; I think she spends most of her time under the 'lip' of the dish garden. She startled me, the first morning I saw her, but since then I have to tease her a bit from time to time. Early in the morning, when I am outside to size up my garden (wondering what the rabbits and the snails have attacked the previous night), I sprinkle a drop of water on her web and she comes out, thinking (that is, if spiders "think" . . .), I suppose, that a prey has shown up. The other morning, I was quick enough to take her picture before, disappointed, she went into hiding again.

Judging by the carcases on the pavement, she is not missing many meals.

The Bugs Have Arrived

For several days already, the Japanese beetles ("June bugs") have been in evidence in my garden. I've seen two Black Widow spiders so far, grasshoppers are everywhere, as are the little gray snails that are finding too many tasty plants to feast on, and this morning I saw this butterfly napping under a leaf of one of my Hyacinth bean vines.

Well, it's June, almost July, and we are in Georgia; what can I say . . .?