Crocosmia

The crocosmia are just starting into flower, although some of the plants seem very dried out, and have no sign of buds yet. Usually it tolerates drought very well, but this year might be a bit extreme. These buds look as if they might be made of wax, although they'd hardly be surviving this heat if they were. It's just the common orangey crocosmia - the one that used at one time to be called montbretia. A tiny insect, an aphid perhaps, seems to be sizing it up for purposes probably inconsistent with the plant's best interests...