Backyard Sights

Nightshade is a pretty weed, with purple flowers and red berries. It is a relative of tomatoes and potatoes, though its berries are toxic. I don't recall ever seeing it attacked and destroyed by pests as this plant was.

The culprits turned out to be these ugly gray larvae that methodically consumed the leaves.

Then the adults, handsome striped beetles, stripped off the outer layer of all the stalks.

Here is another weed, Flower of an Hour. It is related to the hibiscus. The flowers open briefly and then form papery, domed seed capsules.

The creamy white petals, dark maroon center and colorful reproductive parts are an unusual sight worth seeing, if you happen to be around at the exact hour when the flowers open in the morning. I tend to let this plant invade at least a corner of the garden, just to see the color combination.

--Bernice