Some Years Are Good

Clematis can be moody.   I have 5 of them against a tall fence.  Each year all the clematis are "nice," but every year one really outdoes itself.  This year is  good old Perle d'Azure's turn.  The plant is really magnificent.  Perle got the same treatment as all the others -- a good load of manure at the first of the season --  but for some reason it really is strutting its stuff.  The whole section of fence is aglow with blue.  If you ever are thinking of replacing an underachieving clematis, wait a year.  It just may surprise you.

Spit

Roses are most interesting to the bugs in my garden.  The sawflies, of course, love to crunch on the leaves and the petals of new buds.  The Leafcutter Bee takes portions of leaves to make its nest.  And the spit bug leaves its little puddle of spit.
Spit bugs are the nymph stage of a  little hopper bug.  The nymph covers itself with a froth of sap from the plant.  You can sometimes see the little bug in the froth.
This picture is from a spit blob at Wildflower Farm but is identical to the little bug on my roses.