Fig overload!

I picked about 100 figs this week. Mom made fig preserves:



She ended up with six jars worth. I'm going to try making homemade fig Newtons next time there is a large batch!

More veggies!

Okra! This is an okra flower...



And the ready-to-pick okra!



Okra is one of my mom's favorite vegetables. It's good fried, or in gumbo.

More figs!

Here's a new "baby" fig tree grown from a cutting from the big tree:



A ripe fig still on the branch...



The first figs of the year! There are a bunch on the top of the big tree that no one can reach. When they get too ripe, they fall off the tree and make a mess. We still get more than enough figs to eat, though!

Flutter By, Butterfly!

Mom's butterfly bush attracts all kinds of butterflies!



Our library's summer reading for kids had a bug theme. One of the programs included raising insects such as ladybugs and praying mantis. Mom brought home a bug nursery with baby mantis- over a hundred of them. They were the size of a thumbnail last Friday...they've already tripled in size. They're eating the bad bugs, which is a good thing! I hope they continue to grow and eat...and reproduce!

Most of the flowers are done. There are a few stray lilies and dahlias left, and the roses come and go. There are a lot of sunflowers! These were actually planted this year...though there were so many, there will be seeds scattered all over by birds for next year.