It's been so mild this fall that many of the container plants are doing so much better than they did in
the hellish conditions of August and September.

@SpookyShoe those coleus look amazing! I am hoping to sprout some from seed and keep them on my shady patio.

Last rose. This poor little plant has had a hard life, but still produces the most beautiful roses. I moved it to the deck when we had our first 20 degree night and it's going to give us one last rose.

The excitement begins! This morning I found this monarch butterfly chrysalis attached to a panel of metal fencing. In 10 to 14 days I should have a butterfly. Later, I found this caterpillar making the characteristic "j" shape before forming the chrysalis. If you look carefully you can see the silk plug by which it has attached itself to the twig. They hang about 18 hours in the "j" position before forming the chrysalis. I don't know how long it has been hanging in the j shape so maybe the chrysalis will form today. I shall be keeping a close watch on it.

Really love what you're doing with the monarchs, @SpookyShoe

Weather has been so mild here, I went back to Mom's dogberries to top up what I harvested earlier for jelly and got some extras to dry for tea too. There were a LOT of critters in the first batch, more than usual, and not so many the second time, but as I was picking through them I spied this little ladybug lookalike scurrying around and got a few pics to try and identify - it is the Asian lady beetle I believe. Not too surprising since their native habitat is trees and orchards. They probably ate some aphids off Mom's apple trees too.

Things doing well so far. Nothing quite ready for harvest.

Those brassicas have grown up great, karstopography.
I have a few in the greenhouse that are doing nicely and growing a surprising amount for november, with less than 10 hours of daylight. I guess the warm weather makes more difference to them then daylength after all. If I could solve the aphid problem I'd be laughing.

When I checked the "j" shape caterpillar earlier this morning around 7:30, it was still in the "j" shape. When I checked it next about an hour and a half later it had already started transforming into the chrysalis. This is what happened:

Here's one from July 2021. I do not know my beetles. Anybody recognize this feller?
Edited to add: okay I searched and found it: White Spotted Sawyer Beetle - Monochamus scutellatus. Of the Long Horned Beetles. A borer of evergreens, perhaps a resident of the trellis.

Here's a longhorn of some kind from years ago. It was in the house on the sherry glass so I took it out and left it under the firs. Went back a couple of hours later and it was still there.

@Bower We are at 10 hours and 23 minutes of daylight today, will drop to 10:17:21 on the shortest day of the year. My brassicas have to get by with light that’s passed through a light screen of a few trees throughout the day. Call it lightly filtered with periods of direct sunlight. Some of the deciduous trees are more or less bare now, some like water oaks have most of there leaves still which is normal. The live oaks shed their leaves in late February, strange it seems, but that’s what they do.

I don’t know what is ideal for brassicas. I know they don’t like hot weather. Maybe mostly mild days with cool nights is ideal. Basically. that’s described November here this year. The long range forecast until Christmas looks similar. That’s will put the Napa Cabbage at over 60 days since setting out. I’ll certainly pick one or two before 2022. Hope to pick some spinach by then. Picked off a few buttercrunch lettuce leaves last night for burgers. The tuscan kale is ready to pick. Just waiting for some colder weather to make kale soup.

@Growing Coastal I believe that is a parasitoid wasp on the sherry glass. Some of them have a really long ovipositor, for reaching into tree cavities where their prey is boring. It looks like a 'stinger' but in fact they don't sting. I see these often here in the woods.

Pansies are not supposed to be a favorite of butterflies, however this Gulf Frittillary was interested in a grow bag of violas.
And a bee who is looking at me...

Yes! One year I had a swallowtail that liked a calibrachoa in the garden. Next year? Nada. They too have individual tastes.
Violas can have a lovely scent, too.

I found this guy yesterday morning in a very vulnerable position. He was in the j shape and it wouldn't be long before he pupated where he was. It was very windy and he was being blown around. If it had rained heavily he would have been done for. So I decided to move him, even though the internet says when they make the j shape it's not a good time.

I cut off the twig he was on and attached him with dental floss to a tomato cage underneath an open shed where he would be protected from the elements. I have had several caterpillars pupate and eclose underneath that same shed.

So I must have done the right thing because late afternoon he formed his chrysalis and looks fine.

@SpookyShoe; yer heart's in the right place!

The Gotch

I'm pretty sure many folks would disagree with you, but I appreciate the compliment.

"I'm pretty sure many folks would disagree with you"

That's beyond the realm of possibility...

The Gotch

My windbreaks are flowering

I built another bed. 4’x10’, 2”x 6” and 8” rough cedar. Yea, that stuff is not cheap. Seems to be holding up well though. The wife likes the look. This bed will get soil soon and then potatoes not long after that, around February 1st. That’s the plan. Pray no 15 degree freezes mid February for 2022. In May, Okra will go in when the potatoes are done.