Gardening, Flowers, And Strange Flies

I haven't been out birding much lately but have managed to keep the gardens going. This photo is a few weeks old. There are actually six barrels all together. I've been harvesting cucumbers, peppers and plum tomatoes in the six barrels( 2 out of view). Swiss chard has been my most used vegetable as it keeps coming back. I also grew parsley, micro basil, and rosemary. Herbs are easy to grow but I never seem to use as much as I grow,

I've got a flower garden going to. Each year I try to add a perennial so i don't have to use as many annuals to bolster the garden. This plant is called India Pink Spigelia. Hummingbirds have visited them a few times so far.

This insect was about 1-1/2" long and was hanging out in the mulch around the flower beds. At first, I thought it was some king of ground wasp. It had a big orange stripe around its abdomen. It turned out to be a Clubbed Mydas Fly which look intimidating but don't sting and are actually good pollinators! I'm starting to catch on with flies that don't look like flies. They all seem to have over-sized eyes.