Begonias Do Not Like Full Sun and Intense Heat

It took most of the summer, but the Begonias finally decided to bloom.  They do not like intense heat and full sun blazing down on them all day.  While they arrived full of buds in the late spring, they never bloomed well. I think I saw one or two at a time throughout part of the summer, even when I shaded them.  I eventually moved them under a tree where they receive partial sun in the morning and dappled sun in the afternoon.  After a few days, the buds burst into lovely blooms.  I haven't decided whether I will plant these again in the spring.  I may try for a hardier variety that is a little more drought-tolerant.  Since our average first frost occurs from late October through early November, these have plenty of time to grow.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies fascinate me. I have seen more this summer than in past years. It may be because I planted flowers. From my office window, I can watch them darting back and forth throughout the day.  Early this morning, I went out to water the flowers before the heat index reached DEFCON scorched earth, and I saw this fellow on the side of the house.  I saw a second one on the pavement that was a beautiful green.  That photo didn't come out as well, but I'll share it anyway. I hope to get a better one soon.

Isn't he a beauty?

Of course, an added benefit of attracting dragonflies is that they eat mosquitoes.  If you want to attract dragonflies to your yard, consider planting Yarrow, Milkweed, Back-eyed Susan, Meadow Sage, or any other number of pollinator-friendly plants.  It also helps to have a water feature in your yard, such as a birdbath or pond.  Since dragonflies are aquatic and begin their lives in water, this will give them a place to breed.  If you're worried about attracting mosquitoes, mosquito larvae can't thrive in water that's two feet deep, but dragonfly babies can.