The Dude Abides But Mankiness Abounds ...

So I headed outside this morning, intent upon attacking the chaos that the corner bed has become after the hottest August in Houston's recorded history, during which only trace amounts of rain fell here at Wit's End.  The Zinnias are blooming as bountifully and as colorfully as ever  ... but oh, the unsightly mess that is their foliage!  Mildew and rust spots and drought, oh my! 

The Butterfly Weed (Asclepias curavassica) has been stripped of its leaves by Monarch larvae and is a less than sculptural arrangement of sticks.  And the Bright Lights Cosmos are going spectacularly to seed, when they're not drying up and turning into crispy critters. 

Did I mention the weeds?  Dallasgrass, Nodding Spurge, Leafweed/Gripeweed and Leaf Mulberry/Devilweed/Pigweed ... why can't weeds give up and die from drought?   I feel like I need to hang an explanatory sign up for neighbors and passersby (and probably the yard police), letting them know why I allow that bed to remain in such unsightly shape.

Because, you see, here's the thing: the butterflies don't care if the foliage is manky.  As long as there are blooms from which they can feast, the butterflies will keep on doing what butterflies do.  And this gardener will keep doing what she does: allowing manky zinnias and crispy Cosmos to stay in a less than perfect but perfectly hospitable garden ...