A first in the garden, I see a mild infestation of mealybugs. While I plan no action to be rid of them, I shooed them away from buds of lilies ready to open as a precaution. I see they have taken residence nearby, and I’ll be curious to see if a predator moves in. For several years, an infestation of aphids that appeared as flowers faded on milkweeds was quickly followed by a small beetle that feasted until few remained.

No insecticides are applied in the garden, and while there are periodic infestations of one beast or another, none do any significant harm. A vigorous colony of yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’, below in better days) beneath a dogwood in the front garden is regularly invaded by small white caterpillars (most likely sawfly larvae), decimating foliage of plants that border in part sun. This summer, the larvae moved beyond into the shade to consume every leaf. Oh well, the clump is barely seen. A smaller clump in the rear garden is not bothered.

Again, this summer, an extended drought and temperatures regularly in the mid and upper nineties (Fahrenheit) are stressing the garden. The local water authority has set mandatory restrictions, but this garden is not irrigated, and only new plantings are watered a time or two before turning irrigation duties over to nature.

I’ve never been tempted to add automated irrigation to the garden and expect that more extensive roots have developed to allow plants to thrive through heat and dry periods. Certainly, our current dry spell is unusual. I curse weather radar that shows storms parting just before reaching the garden, and while this isn’t unusual, hopefully, storms the following day will part to miss someone else. This summer, there’s been hardly a drop until a lifesaver earlier in the week.

Drought, heat, and bugs. There’s not much else to be bothered by. A few nuisance weeds keep me busy while strolling the garden, but certainly, there are fewer today than in a typical summer with regular rainfall.