Invaders and Sweethearts

Like me, start your day with Knockout roses. Boom!

Knockout Roses

Then an egg layer drew my attention. It wasn't one of our chickens or ducks.

Colorado Potato Beetle

After the cool weather passes, I watch
for invaders from Colorado, Mexico,
Japan, in that order, my colleagues.
No longer aliens if they ever were,
they have permanently settled to winter
underneath our mulch like snowbirds
riding an HO train to Florida.
My plan relies on each season
squishing the first generation
before it lays eggs.

(from Conversations with a Garden, by this blogger)

Having spied one, I inspected all of my potato plants.  My fingers massacred about ten of the pretty fellas, but not this guy.  He's a member of the good team.

Look at what we found hiding,

 which meant we had this season's first strawberries for breakfast.

A few dwarf gray sugar pea blossoms welcomed me, too, not white like the Wandos I showed you earlier (see "Facebook and the Garden," May 7, 2010).

Dwarf Gray Sugar Pea

This peony (pee-OH-nee, they say around here) is about ready to pop.

"I hear you had giant sunflowers last year," says Virginia.  "Have you planted any yet?"

No, but that hasn't kept them from volunteering.