blooms, basil, beetles, bees

It's midsummer, and the echinacea, balloon flowers, lilies, & phlox are in bloom. The early varieties of tomato have already paired with basil for one of the simplest & best home-grown treats, while string beans, okra, eggplant, & pepper contentedly ripen in the sun. The butterfly bush, bought as a Y-shaped baby last year, shot up eight feet high, has purple cones longer than a Dodger Dog, and daily hosts honeybees & native bees; monarchs, swallowtails, viceroys, & sphinx moths--and, of course, the attractively attired but unpleasantly omnivorous Japanese beetle. A few mornings ago it appeared that one of these unwelcome visitors was getting an early start on its gastronomic tour, but a closer inspection revealed a drowsy bumblebee who'd spent the night among the soft, scented flowers. The shiny black triangle head stirred at the human presence, decided there was no danger, then remained in semi torpor a while longer--after all, it wasn't a school day.