garden journal: it's a jungle out there

i love it when a summer bloomer gives out one or two lingering glorious flowers before the first frost.  these nasturtiums are amazing.  the orange is so intense.  this picture really doesn't do them justice.

we had our first frost warning last night.  i brought in my two new little herbs, but left the rest out there to fend for itself.  luckily, the frost didn't come to pass and everyone is still okay.  i was looking over my friends on the deck this evening and found three furry bees settling in for their evening sleep on the sedum that i bought earlier this fall.  

i think they are very thankful for this cozy resting place.

i found this super cute little buggy abode a couple weeks ago.  i tried to google it and it seems like it might be the residence of a potter/mason wasp larvae (probably not so cute).

be warned.  the following photos are a little on the creepy side.

i found this spider enjoying his dinner on my pepper plants.

even though he is creepy, i think he is probably doing a good job for me.  thank you mr. spider.  your services are much appreciated.

and this.  well.  i had to google it too.  i had never seen anything like it.  g thought we might win a nobel prize for discovering a new species.  but no.  this is apparently a crab spider (not to be confused with a spider crab which, trust me, is even more creepy.

the front two legs on each side are fused to create a pincer effect.  they hang out in morning glory blossoms awaiting tiny pollinators to eat.  it's a jungle out there!

linking up with manneskjur and "how does your garden grow?"