Los Muertos

Let's remember some souls recently departed from the garden:

EGG SAC SACKED
When I see ransacked green lynx egg sacs, the mother spider is usually not around; she was probably the victim of some predator, most likely a wasp. Female green lynx (Peucetia viridans) protect their egg sacs and young, so we assume the eggs are vulnerable to predation. I've seen ants and (believe it or not) a caterpillar entering the sundered sacs of these spiders but I did not see the perpetrator of these eggs' predation. Their are no survivors; donations in lieu of flowers are requested to your favorite unkempt garden association in the interest of promoting more spider habitat.

DEATH BY LIGHTSTICK
A wayward lightstick, left over and forgotten in the yard after our recent performance in a spook show, seems to have attracted this American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) from out of the bush to an unexplained death on the pavement. Actually, when this photo was taken the roach was still alive, its left foreleg occasionally twitching in slo-mo. It has since passed, likely and unfortunately survived by many offspring since we still haven't determined what aspect of our yard is supporting the newly arrived cockroach population. In memory of this we will be funding research into the use of lightsticks in roach control programs.

PUSHING DAISIES
This two year old marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens) was found malingering past its prime in an obscure corner of the garden so I yanked it out and tossed it away. It ended as it lived: The Garden Center selleth and the Green Waste Truck taketh away. In memory of the daisy's demise, we are requesting donations to our fall planting fund. By the way, I don't remember buying anything that cost $135 . . . that must be an old marking on that can . . . really!