One of the virtues of the heat is that we have lazily allowed our backyard to run wild. Thigh-high grasses, thistles, strange forbs, all kinds of happy weeds are growing everywhere, and with them comes the fierce invertebrates. Welcome home, Argiope aurantia! The queen of our yard has returned, finding a bounty of grasshoppers and other insects thriving in her domain!
Our backyard is fenced off and isolated from the sidewalk and road, so I hope none of the philistines in the city works department are going to complain and order it all cut down. I like my personal backyard jungle.
He’s Back! (Alice Cooper)
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=jpoYR0dX2BI
Wish I could easily share a picture or two of my wife’s backyard garden where she recently found an Argiope aurantia. One garden fellow described it as “wild.” She has planted a lot of natives, and the birds have helped. It’s habitat for birds, spiders, and lizards.