Actual Deer and Continuing Bloom September 13, 2014

Today I am linking with- 

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Mystical Magical Teacher

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Please pardon the poor photo quality, I carry my cell phone and it is handy in emergencies. It does well with still subjects but not with moving ones.  I've had a few strange encounters with a deer recently.   They like to come nibble my fallen apples.   Once I was standing near the apple tree and a deer I will call Dorene approached very tentatively wanting to go past me to the tree.   I waved the deer across and she looked at me then slowly went across in front of me 15' away to the tree, and ate apples while looking at me cautiously through a bed of raspberries, then went away to the woods.    Then possibly the same deer seemed to be headed into fenced territory under my ramp, I motioned for her to leave instead, she studied me a while then went the way I motioned.   I have no idea why this deer is not as skittish around me except that a group of deer ate apples last year not far from where I was working in the garden, so maybe she was one of them.

My latest adventure, a couple of smaller deer came around near where I was, then they retreated to the safety of a bigger deer, I assume Mom.   I tried to photograph them with my phone, cat Tortie was there with me.

 The deer retreated.  I then entered my big front fenced vegetable bed.  From there I saw a deer, possibly Dorene, coming across toward my front beds, following my cat.

Dorene kept following the cat until Tortie reached the edge, next to a trash can, and they appeared to sniff noses-

Possibly Tortie swiped Dorene on the nose because she startled backward and the cat dove into the bushes.  Very strange.  Then Dorene headed off-

One bed in which I have made some weeding progress is enclosed in deer netting and was planted with Amber Ghost Japanese maple and burgundy Heucheras.  It also had lots of very invasive plants, or weeds- Forget-Me-Nots, a small violet, grass, dandelions, Ajuga, etc.  It looked OK while the FMN were blooming, but then the weeds overtook them and it turned into a mess-

Recently I planted some Alpine Strawberries and Lupines. This spring it became engulfed in weeds, then I weeded the plants to the ground.   I put paper layers down then covered with chips.

 I think this is the first time this bed has been under control in a long time.  It has irises planted along the front edge, and some Monarda citriodora that has not yet bloomed-

and this year I planted Coreopsis lanceolata 'Sunburst', which took a long time to bloom and while pretty is taller than I would like.

I still don't know what I could plant there with so many invasive plants to fight.  I may start more Alpine Strawberies for a nice border and just leave the wood chips and Heucheras.

Evelyn, a fragrant Austin rose used for scenting soap and lotion-

A very fragrant tiny flower, Lonicera syringantha (lilac-flowered honeysuckle), is reblooming a little-

It makes a berry too-

A final square and  the whole quilt from the fair, made by someone else, as a gardener I appreciate all the artistic flower designs-

Just one week left of summer, how it has flown by except when the heat and drought seem to drag on forever!

Hannah                                                        or cameras are macro

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