End of Summer

August is my least favorite month. I don't like days that are so hot and muggy that I can barely venture outdoors--and get eaten up alive if I do. So I am relieved that the sweltering heat is over for now, hopefully for good.
Summer is winding down in our garden too. Yet, even flowers past their prime provide food and nectar for insects and birds. Goldfinches particularly like the seeds of coneflowers and coreopsis. Our butterfly weed and, to a lesser extent than we had hoped for, milkweed are again popular with monarchs. Every summer, they return unfailingly to our small butterfly garden as if by word of mouth. It is fascinating to watch how their larvae munch on the otherwise poisonous milkweed plants.
Zinnias and lobelias are again popular with insects. Not all our experiments worked out, however. The leaves of the New England Asters we planted in May to provide fall color were eaten by a stealthy thief, probably a groundhog. I don't know if they'll make it. The false indigo met the same fate. The cosmos looked very good, even though they all have the same color, orange, of which we already have plenty.
Now, I'm looking forward to my favorite season, fall. I expect to add some more birds to my stock photo list and hope for better fall foliage than last year. That shouldn't be too difficult since last October was the worst foliage since I've come here.