Tree Toad and Grasshopper At Home In the Daylily

I have been thinking about the mission statement that Helen Yoest suggested on her site http://gardensgardens.wordpress.com/ . I have decided that my mission in 2009 is to "Emphasize plants that will attract winged creatures to the garden and to take time to pause and enjoy watching them". The birds and bees are always there, but often I am so busy doing things that they are just in the background, and I don't really see them. Once in a great while I sit in the Adirondack chair and really look at what is happening in the garden. Those are the treasured moments, and I want to experience more of them in 2009. The picture above is an example of what you might see if you take the time to really observe your garden. the little tree toad moved to a new daylily blossom each day. Perhaps the flower was attracting insects for the toad to eat. Catching the toad sharing the flower with a grasshopper was a bonus.

I am being selective in saying that I want winged creatures as this omits many of the visitors to the garden, but I will have to admit that it is hard to enjoy the beauty of animals like deer when I see them munching one of my prize hostas. I was aghast a year or two ago when a rabbit chewed off my clematis about two inches above the ground. It didn't eat any of it, but the clematis was done for. That rabbit also chewed off my amsonia and left the stems lying on the ground. For the most part the critters with wings don't destroy anything, so I welcome them. Oh yes, I don't hope for any Japanese Beetles to visit my garden, but they seem to prefer my neighbor's garden as she is growing plants more to their liking.

With the temperature at 3˚ the Adirondack chair is currently empty, but it will be waiting to be occupied next summer. I can hardly wait.