Sunday, June 29, 2008

Family portrait


I have a love-hate relationship with my garden.
I love the idea of having herbs just outside my back door, a pretty plot with stone shelves and brick walkways separating my carefully placed occupants--but the constant care required to keep it looking tidy, I dread.
As a result, my herbs hide beneath tangles of uninvited guests until I miss seeing them and undertake the massive chore of restoring order.
Yesterday, I dove in—and spent the afternoon deep in green.
Party-crashers thrown in a heap on the grass.

There’s lavender, oregano, sage, thyme, and chives—with each, a magnificent aroma.
Bee balm in the shady corner, its glowing red fountains for sipping.
Sweet white succulents to tumble over the rocks.




And a very irritated wolf spider, taking her children somewhere even more tangled.
Where a creeping, crawling large creature will not disturb them.

Family portrait
Wolf spider carrying young on back

(Click to enlarge photos)

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13 comments:

NCmountainwoman said...

I'm not a spider person, but that is one fantastic shot. I'm glad she was getting out of your way, rather indignant that you messed up her domicile.

I love the bee balm. Such a great and sturdy flower.

Cats~Goats~Quotes said...

What a great picture of Mom Spider and her BabySpiders!

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Cats-Goats-quotes--thanks for stopping by! I did a double-take when I found her--she almost looked fuzzy--all those legs piled on top of her! Imagine..dozens of children...

NCMountainwoman--I'm not really a spiderwoman, either, but how cool is she!

Unknown said...

Nice pics Nina Good find. Lovr the bottom one

Anonymous said...

Your garden, and approach to gardening, sound a lot like mine! Great spider photos!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I am the same type of gardener Nina. I love having a garden but hate the work. Ha... I do really good until it gets hot. Then I hibernate until cooler weather comes back. Love the spider.

Rebecca Clayton said...

These baby pictures may not be as immediately endearing as your previous set, but they have their own charm!

I've begun to use my garden as a procrastination center. When I want to put off until tomorrow what I should do today, the garden always needs a little attention. It's more pleasant than housecleaning and other indoor chores, and I can't hear the phone ring from there.

Pat - Arkansas said...

Spiders "creep me out" but I actually enlarged and examined the wolf spider with her brood on her back. Fortunately, I am too far away for her to bring herself and her children to my yard. Unfortunately, she probably has relatives in my neighborhood.

Your photos are amazing!

KGMom said...

Oh Nina--so totally cool.
I am a spider person--in that I rescue them when I find them in the house--if they are badly located. I wrap them in tissue, and deposit them outside. I am sure they don't appreciate my gesture, but I keep at it.
Just amazing that you saw Momma with a back full of babies.

Susannah Anderson said...

That's a great spider shot!

I noticed that the babies' colours are variable. One even looks pink. A pink wolf spider? I wonder if she will turn black with age.

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Yes, I'm sure you all have her relatives as your neighbors--in doing a little homework before writing this, I found an article from a university website that estimates the numbers of spiders in an acre of grassy field to be 1,000,000. Not hard to believe, considering I have 50+ in a square inch!


Wouldn't it be cool to see if that strawberry-colored baby changes??

Kerri Farley said...

Fabulous shot of the spider! I am NOT a spider person...in fact I have quote a phobia about them...but that is one amazing shot!
Nature at its best!

Anonymous said...

great spider shot..i have a love ship relation with beautiful gardens.:)