Chronicaling the lunacy of taming three acres in Tidewater Virginia, one square foot at a time!

"Gardens... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves. ~H.E. Bates, A Love of Flowers


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Supporting the Monarch Population!

Poking around in the garden a bit ago and I came upon a monarch caterpillar bonanza munching away on the Butterfly Weed!
I suppose it doesn't make much sense to be so pissed at the hornworms and at the same time so excited about the Monarchs.

But I am.
I counted 7 caterpillars in varying sizes.


Elsewhere...the Hibiscus is chugging along in spite of the Japanese beetles...
I caught sight of this fly resting on the okra. I haven't seen it before but admired it's spirit- though badly tattered flying flower to flower.
SOMETHING DASTARDLY ATE MY CANTALOUPE!!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Buggy Things

There were lots of creepy crawlers in the garden today. The Assassin bug that's the size of a 50 cent piece is still on patrol on the porch. The color in this picture does this moth no justice...it was the color of Campbell's tomato soup...
This fierce looking spider had built its nest in the lawn...I walked wide around it in case it had it's eye on me!
Then I got TOTALLY creeped out...look at the top of this trashcan....WHERE IS THE SNAKE THAT LEFT IT"S SKIN ON MY CAN!?!?!?!?!? Ew ew ew ew ew. I hate that it was probably watching me...and I will not be touching that can!!!
Is it wrong of me to be sort of gleeful that this rotten hornworm is infested with parasitic wasp larvae...is this some sort of karma, I wonder??
Is this not the most incredible shade of blue...Agapanthas, Lily of the Nile...
Look my Edamame worked!!
This isn't the best hummer picture by far, but what was cool was that this little guy was less than 3 feet from me as he sat down on the leaf and just looked at me...of course, I didn't have my camera then. I went in and came back out with it, and waited...he returned but was a little more skittish.
Nothing to say about this...I just like it.

Monday, July 12, 2010

It's Not Officially the "Dog Days" of Summer Yet....

...but you wouldn't know it from looking at the garden. Some spots have that August look already in July...too much heat, not enough rain I suppose.
But some things are looking good...the Butterfly Bush has lots of visitors- bees, moths, perched dragonflies and a wide assortment of butterflies.
The acorn squash is coming along...

Okra is standing at attention!
Toothy grin looking at me while I watered...
He moved around as I did...his faceted wings caught shimmering light...
Thitonia loves the hot...
Volunteer morning glory reaching for the sun...last year the plant was blue...the seeds it dropped made this color...hmmm.

Couldn't miss the Zipper...