Around the garden: Ladybugs, sunflowers, and happy plants

I can’t explain why, unless a neighbor bought a box of them and released them, but ladybugs have been everywhere lately. I even found one in my hair the other day in the shower (never fear, I saved her and put her back outside ;) ). While wandering the garden today, I saw one on one of the pepper plants, and got that shot above.

We had tons of rain all day yesterday, and today all the plants were joyously happy. I swear I could hear singing, and they all seemed to have grown a foot overnight. I could see from the kitchen window that the sunflowers had opened, so I went outside to get some pics. Here’s sunflower 1…

And sunflower 2 (as in only two that are open right now) hasn’t opened its last couple of petals…like it is using them to beckon to anyone who walks by…”Come closer…come see…”

And look! Pumpkins are sprouting! I’m soooo thrilled; I’d saved and buried two pumpkins from last fall, hoping they’d grow. Sure I could have done it the easy way and taken the seeds out and planted those, but where’s the fun in that? ;) This way the seeds have instant compost to help feed them, lol. And so far it’s working! After the rain, I saw these poking up from the dirt:

Two lil pumpkin plants, and a third, yellowish and not yet fully emerged, on the left of the middle one.

And another pumpkin…

The jalepeno plant has started making peppers by making a little stunted one…I know it is merely practicing. Gearing up for the deluge of peppers it has planned.

The pole beans seemed to have grown the most; they’re twice the size they were two days ago:

Here’s hoping for more rain!