It does get cold in Menifee, didn't know you would ever get snow! Everyone looking for spring to come and I'm still waiting for our small touch of winter. What I'm really looking forward to is rain which is needed. Looks like we may have another drought year. Love your butterfly garden sign.
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Hi everyone~
I have been keeping busy. The unseasonably warm weather has caused me to work harder than I thought I'd be working this time of year. However it looks like we are going to have some rainy weather for the next few days.
For those who don't know, my Mom is in hospice care, and the last stages of Dementia. It's been really hard to deal with. Family members that live out of state have been coming to visit. It's been hectic. If I seem to suddenly drop from sight it's probably because of Mom.
Nonetheless I keep going out to work in my gardens. I am very pleased to report that the butterfly bushes and the red salvia came through the snow with no problem. The jury is still out on the lantana. The lantana that I have in pots are showing new growth. One I have planted in my bfly garden at the house is actually flowering already.
I have been trying to clean up the plants that got frost bit. Most of them appear to be recovering.
I took advantage of the warm spell and sowed a bunch of milkweed seeds. I am currently transplanting them out to the BEES gardens.
I have a lot of weeding and more dead brush to remove, but so far it's coming along nicely.
I hope to be back in the next few days to post some photos of the progress I'm making.
WIB~
SW
Hey Jules good to hear from you.
We had some rain today too. I already have monarch cats and cocoons in the garden. Now if the bushes would put some more leaves on, well that would be nice. I've already had to move little cats to bushes that have leaves on them. I have so many "stick" bushes that haven't started leafing yet seems silly to try to start more but I'm going to be desperate for food for them if they keep showing up.
I have sooo much weeding to do, seems like the weeds are worse than ever this year.
Sorry to hear your mom isn't doing well. I cared for my dad when he got dementia so I know how hard it can be.
On a happier note, are you going to do a round-up this year?
I hope so, I could use the trip.
Dee
Hi Dee,
I am amazed at how fast the weeds are growing. We are still having intermittent showers, and I am happy. We really needed the rain.
I am glad that you already have Monarch cats. I have to admit that I'm a bit envious. I have seen some butterflies around, so I figure that I'd better get more host plants started. The MW that got snowed on aren't dead at the bottom of the stems, so I am hoping that they will start putting on some new growth soon. I still have a bunch of seeds and seedlings too. I need to get the passiflora planted, seeing as how my mature plants got frosted too.
I have been thinking about the RU, and was thinking that I might not do the RU this year. Then I decided that since I always enjoy myself, and I get the guys to help clean up the yard, it's worth it. :-) We can talk about this more on the CA forum. You do know that you can come visit me any time you want to. :-)
I didn't know about your Dad, Dee. I am dealing with things as best I can. Sometimes I don't know what to expect from her, she really is living in her past. But then there are moments of clarity. Sigh.
Well the good news is that the weather man says we'll have some warmer and sunnier weather the rest of the week and through the weekend. That should really help all the wildflowers.
March really is coming in like a lion. I wonder if it'll depart like a lamb?
WIB~
SW
Jules, I'm so glad your plants survived through snow. Can't wait to see pictures from your garden!
Julie...
It's nice to hear your news about the BEES garden... I wondered how it was faring.
We have had some much needed rain here... and like Dee... I am seeing some cats on my milkweeds. I purchased some plugs because I know I will need them. I also planted lots of seed, but time will tell how it will do...
Dee... I have some blue tweedia sprouts! They went out into the rain last night for a drink from heaven! Something about rain that is so much better than anything else. I am excited to see if I can keep them growing - the trick will be to get them large enough before the heat sets in... if not... they will stay inside until next year...
I also purchased a dutchmans pipevine for the swallowtails this year... now to find a place to put it... :-)
Nancy
WHOO HOO! You go girl! Let's hear it for California Butterfly Gardeners. :-)
Nancy, I have some Maypops passiflora seeds saved for you, if you want them. Send your address to my dmail so I can shoot them out to you. Evidently they require a long germination period.
I was busy in the greenhouse today. Sad to find that tomato worms are infesting some plants. Sigh. But the chickens seem to like eating them, so it all works out.
I have been wanting to train the overgrown passion fruit vines in there. So I asked the kids to help. A couple of minutes into the job, and they came in and told me that they couldn't proceed.
When I questioned him he showed me his cell phone which had a photo that he'd just taken. I had to agree, since the Mama hummer built her nest right where the vines need to be moved. His photo showed what appeared to be a hatchling and some broken shells. I haven't tried to get better photos since she has clutched earlier than usual, and there are usually two eggs in each clutch. Don't want to disturb her, but I do need to remove her nest after the babies are on their own. I'll see if I can get a photo of Mama hummer on her nest.
My tweedia did fine last year, and I was successful in over wintering it outdoors. Despite the snow, it never lost all of its leaves. It does seem to like the sheltered location I found for it. I think that you will enjoy having it in your garden. :-)
I found something unusual in the bell post planter, one of the So. African Foxgloves that I planted last year has sprouted from the same roots. It seems to be the only one that has. I think that they are annuals. Anyway I was pleasantly surprised just the same.
WIB~
SW
So this hummingbird is nesting INSIDE your greenhouse? Wow, that is so cool
The Tweedia is much hardier than they say. I have mine in full sun outside year round and they are doing fine, some are three years old now. It doesn't snow here but we do get light freezes now and again. I have one that is already blooming, they are a really pretty blue.
I have been weeding and seeding. Lots of Zinnias and other flowers for the butterflies and bees to feed on. It's been a good day, I found someone interested in my Agaves. I have sooo many and I just don't enjoy selling to the public. So I may have found some retailers I can wholesale to, that would be perfect for me. If I could rid myself of the Agaves I could get excited about growing herbs or some natives to sell.
Dee, I'm impressed that your tweedia is already blooming. :-) Mine hasn't flowered yet. Probably needs more Sun. I planted it in a pot, which might make a difference too.
Yea! I am so happy that you found someone to buy your excess Agave. You seem to have the right touch with them. I found some Starfish Flower seeds today. You interested?
We finished (almost) transplanting the rest of the milkweed out to the BEES gardens. I was hoping to get more done this week but DH tells me that we are leaving for the Christmas Tree Growers Convention tomorrow instead of Friday. The kids will take care of the farm while we are in Placerville.
I see that a lot of the poppies I sowed have germinated, and the next few days of sunshine will probably make them bloom. :-) There are wildflowers blooming all over the farm. I was surprised to find Baby Blue Eyes flowering on the upper slope of the BEES. They are nestled at the base of some cactus plants. I always get a kick out of the Crockeria, Little Pink Maids, Desert Bells, Indian Lettuce, Munsen's Onions, Pineapple Weed, Buttercups, but my favorite is probably the Baby Blue Eyes. I guess because it's so delicate. I almost always find it growing on the north facing slopes not on the southern slopes. I have never found them there before. I do walk the farm regularly, and have been taking photos of the wildflowers on the farm for years now. Maybe the wild ones brought it in. I still miss the Owls Clover and plan on bringing them back next season. :-)
I'll start seeding when we get home next week.
I think that the lantana and the hibiscus that I planted in the BEES gardens are dead. I thought that one survived, but upon closer examination I saw it was a Scarlet Pimpernel. I like them, so it gets to stay, even if it did fool me for a moment.
Does anyone have suggestions for non prickly annuals that I can plant directly in the ground in the BEES gardens?
WIB~
SW
By starfish flower are you talking Stapelia grandiflora? or maybe another Stapelia? I'll think about the annuals, I'll go through my "spring" planting box and set some things aside for you. The poppies are starting to look good. I thinned some of mine out today, no use in having them too crowded they get so big. I have tons of little violas blooming and the bletilla orchids are starting to bloom early too.
Dee... I am always excited to plant zinnia seeds out in the wine barrel in my backyard. I grow the taller varieties and I just love them because they seem so easy and carefree. It's one of those 'passage' moments when you know spring is here! I have some pretty colors and this year a fellow DG'er shared some gorgeous pink zinnia seeds with me that I'm looking forward to sowing... the color is really nice.
Do the tweedia hold up to direct hot sun? This is my first year growing them and we do get some pretty scorching summers so I want to make sure I place them correctly. Right now they're enjoying the garden window in the kitchen.
I love baby blue eyes! I haven't had much success in growing them though... most of my butterfly gardening has to be in containers due to lack of garden space... maybe that is why... but I'm trying again this year... they are so delicate and sweet... I really hope I can get some to germinate this year.
Julie... I'm not familiar with 'little pink maid' flowers... do you have a pic? Annuals... how about ammi majus, cosmos, nicotania, snapdragons or bachelors buttons? Those are what jumped into my mind when I thought 'non prickly'...
Well... gotta get myself back to work... just checked during lunch-break... have a great day all! Nancy
I have similar suggestions:
Bachelor Buttons - easy from seed and a pretty good nectar plant
Cosmos - easy from seed and has a nice airy look
Zinnias - easy from seed and kids like them
Snapdragons - a little tricky direct seeded but tolerate a wide temp range, and are entertaining
Four-O'Clocks - attract large moths and if they get late afternoon shade, they will open earlier
Marigolds and calendula - easy and edible
Pansies, Violas, etc - for fall, WINTER, spring, and a host plant, too; not for direct seeding
Dill - host plant, grows like a weed,
Basil - love the way this smells and some have showier flowers or foliage
Wallflower - I haven't had a lot of luck with it, but if it likes your location, it is both a nectar and host plant
I have my Tweedia in full sun and it seems to do better than the ones in part shade. We don't get very much hot weather here though, we say it's hot when it hits the 80's.
Oh, Wall flowers, there's one I haven't had in a while. They are lovely plants, now I'll be looking for one at the nursery. They are perennial here.
Jules, I have a bunch of tall white marigold seeds if you'd like some. I think they would like your hot weather, they didn't do so well here last year and I think it just didn't get hot enough for them. They're kind of neat being white and about 18" tall. They remind me of little carnations.
I have lots of violas blooming, they are so delicate. I put in hundreds of snapdragons in the front of my flower beds today. I hope to get a nice full row of them. I'm sure the grand babies will love to pick them and then of course I can teach them how to make them talk.. I'm going a bit flower crazy this year. Some of the Zinnias are sprouting, I bought so many fancy kinds they should be stunning. My favorite from last year was an orange and pink, putting in a whole row of them.
WOW! You have been busy, Dee. Sure, I'd love some .
I planted about 5 flats of seeds yesterday for the Butterflies. I don't have the violas coming up yet. I direct sowed them in the garden, but the haven't come up yet. I'm blaming the weather.
The lantana is finally starting to leaf out. I am so relieved. The milkweed seedlings are doing well, except for the ones that the snails got. Who knew that out of all the plants growing in the greenhouse and garden that the snails would think that milkweed is a treat.
I found a painter who is going to trade me a sign for some of the oak we had to trim. He is a carver and artist. He is going to make me a sign for the entrance to the BEES. That is an answer to a prayer. :-)
Well, I need to get out there and get some work done. Thanks for the suggestions on what to direct sow out in the BEES gardens. Right now I'm leaning towards some of the zinnias.
Pollingarden, thanks for the suggestions. I do love 4 0'Clocks, and will consider using them. I like the idea of using the Dill and Basil, along with some of the alfalfa seed my neighbor gifted me with. :-)
Wallflowers, I didn't know that they were a host plant. I'll have to check into it.
I have a lot of wild flower photos to share, as soon as I get some time, I'll post them.
That's it for now.
WIB~
SW
Wallflowers are, believe it or not, related to cabbage. So they can be a host plant for thse white checkerspot butterflies. Supposedly European Cabbage butterflies/moths prefer cabbage, which originated in Europe.
Thanks pollengarden it never would have occurred to me that the wallflower would be an acceptable host plant. Now I just need to figure out how to incorporate them into the garden. :-)
I have been thinking about your suggestions for using some of the herbs in the BEES gardens. I think I need to create a flower bed that would be just for them. I have this large pot that has an iron hanger. I plan on using the ground under the hanging planter for the herb/alfalfa plants. I plan on labeling the plants so people can see what they are.
Happy news is that some of the seedlings are poking their heads up. I also discovered that one of the rose cuttings that I took last fall then forgot about has roots. I was hoping that I could add this one rose to the gardens, because I love it's fragrance. Do you think that I should add it to the BEES gardens?
The cubscouts were out this morning. :-) Such nice kids. Their scout leader likes my BEES idea and is going to try to find some older scouts to help me with my projects. :-)
After the scouts left, we had to set up for the wedding. I hope to have some photos when the Newly Weds return from their honeymoon. They got married by the Root Oak, but for some reason, they spread out into the BEES gardens. They took most of the wedding photos underneath Grandfather Oak. There were butterflies about too. I was really pleased that everything went well. Beautiful weather too. When the date was reserved, we were hoping that we might get some rain this year. :-(
Worked out well for both the scouts and for the wedding.
I think that I am happy knowing that even though the BEES gardens aren't completed yet, people still gravitate to them.
But now, I'm tired.
WIB~
SW
Hi everyone,
I just handed over my sketch to Art so he can make the sign for the BEES.
Here is a photo of my sketch.
WIB~
SW
That will really be a great sign, Jules.
I see you found and old black and white photo of yourself too, great minds think alike!
You know I will have to look for a black and white photo of me. You've started a trend! :-)
Sending a photo of the concrete benches DH moved out to the BEES gardens. We can't set them up until we do some more ground prep and clearing out some more dead brush. Progress people! I'm making progress. :-)
WIB~
SW
Awesome!!
Progress is good! The benches look pretty...
I love your sign! And the wedding sounded lovely! Great post.
Have you thought about growing nicotania? I have some red and lime green... I love them both... the lime green has been flowering gangbusters and is such a lovely, unusual color. The pollinators are attracted to them.
Nancy
Save seeds!!! I'd love to try the green. I have red and light pink, the deer have been eating the flowers the last couple of days but there are more on the way. I may have to put some cages around them. They have been some of the first plants to flower this year. The Bletilla orchids and Calendrinia are in full bloom too.
Would anyone like either of these? I have extra plants of both I could bring to the round-up.
We have so many frogs this year . . . don't tell the neighbors I still water my garden, LOL.
Dee...
The Bletilla orchids are so beautiful! How tall do they get?
I will certainly try to save seeds of the lime green nicotania for you... I was looking the plant over last year at the end of summer... hoping I was actually spreading what I thought were the seeds... the little seed heads were small and the seeds even smaller...can't tell yet if the seeds are germinating... the plant I have now is the one that I planted last spring.... I'll do some research this year and definitely save you some. They are amazing and very prolific as to flowering... they look like easy reseeders.... and I think they would thrive where you are... too bad about the deer... do the cages keep them out? I have to live with the possums, raccoons and tree rats eating everything I grow. You wouldn't think there would be so many critters in such an urban area...
Still waiting for my milkweed plugs to arrive...hopefully they come soon... I'd like to get more growing with the others so there is enough food when the cats are here. Wish I had more time off work to play outside!
Julie... where did you purchase the benches? Are they easy to assemble? I've got my dutchmans pipevine in and growing nicely... I am hoping for some swallowtails... Nancy
I grow the Bletillas in pots, the plants themselves are like 18" tall. They have these weird bulbous roots that spread outward so I end up dividing them every couple years. I have like six big pots of them in my yard now! I should divide some of these up for the round-up, are you coming?
We have tree rats too but the owls keep them in check. We're out in the country so there are all sorts of little mouths to feed. The deer are pretty easy to deter with just a circle of fence material around the plant, they're not as clever as raccoons which we don't have. Nothing seems interested in eating the Bletilla orchids.
Hi Dee...
Yes.. I would like to... that is my tentative plan...but I need to wait until we get closer to the date to know for certain... did we actually pick a date? Hope you don't have any kitties outside with those owls!! -:) I would love to have some of the orchids... most of my gardening is done in pots... sadly I don't have much room for a big garden... but I improvise...
That little frog is adorable... wish I had some here... we have everything else... no owls ... but I have seen hawks...and I can always tell when they are near as all the songbirds go quiet. The raccoons make me crazy... they were in the recycling last night... there is no stopping them.
Hi everyone. :-)
The benches are made of concrete. They were given to me a couple of years ago by one of our tenants. After the wedding I decided to take them out of my yard and put them down in the BEES gardens where people can use them. I plan on having my YS disc up and level the ground out there. I am planning on setting them up around the edge of the creek in what shady places I already have.
Don't know if I mentioned that my MIL came by as we were moving the benches. She brought me my B'day and Christmas present this year early. :-) She gave me a beautiful new bench for my Butterfly Garden here at home. :-) When she saw what we were doing, she told me that I could have her old round cement table and benches. She has been storing it behind the Bee Barn, and I thought that the crew was using it, but DH says that they don't. :-D.
Dee I love the plant in the first photo. I have two of the second already planted in the BEES gardens, but could find room for more. The frog is just adorable.
Nancy the RU is planned for the last Saturday in April.
You know I was going to post something about the BEES but I forgot what. Hmmmm.
Okay, I did want to share that I found a couple of Gulf Frittilary eggs today. :-)
I plan on spending most of the day tomorrow out working on the BEES gardens. I have some weeding to do. Nancy, you know how I was worried about how long the Maypops passiflora seeds take to get started? Well, a couple of them have just popped! :-) So I have to get their garden bed ready to go. I see gathering lots of rocks in my near future. I have been planting seeds like crazy. I have all the seeds I got from geoseed planted now, and I'm going to keep on planting the ones that you and others have given me. Speaking of which, the hollyhock planted in the ground before the end of the week.
More soon.
WIB~
SW
I have lots of Maypop seedlings also. I'm planting like crazy too, I have a box of seeds to go in out back tomarrow. Some are the ones you left for me Jules.
I counted 14 caterpillers on two milkweeds today. They are the first ones to leaf out but won't have leaves for long at this rate.
And I have frogs in my seed trays out in the greenhouse. Maybe I'm watering too much, LOL, frogs aren't the only wildlife that is camping out in my garden. You walk out the back door in the morning to dozens of birds taking flight. It's like some strange sci-fi movie, I had a snake in the rafters in the pole barn yesterday chasing after a tree rat and I saw a great horned owl in one of our trees. It's got to be because I'm watering and it's so dry out.
Yay! Monarch cats already! :-) Good for you Dee. I have been thinking about how to keep up with the Monarch cats voracious appetite. I think you have to plant Milkweed like you plant corn. Every two weeks plant more Milkweed, and maybe there will always be food for them. Just a thought.
Really happy to hear your Maypops are popping up too. I found a bunch more popping up today.
I have only seen my turtles, lizards, them welfare ducks who ate most of the tadpoles, and the odd egret. However, my sister tells me that it's really noisy out in my yard from all the birds. It is already getting crunchy when I walk the hills. Sigh. Rain would be awfully nice.
I was out working in the BEES gardens today. I ended up replacing most of the Lantana out there. I am still trying to figure out what to put in place of the hibiscus that didn't make it. The milkweed I transplanted out there is still mostly alive, but I may have to thin out a couple of places where my summer kid planted them too close together. The plant I think is a Calendrenia is blooming. The flowers are small and a lighter shade of pink. Sure are pretty. The Butterfly Bushes and red Salvia are pretty happy out there, and are putting on new growth.
Tomorrow I'll be going back out to clean and weed out the gourd tunnel. I am still planning on planting gourds, but I am intending to use the inside to sell some of my excess plants. I have a perfect opportunity with the Farmers Market being here to make some money for buying things that I need for my BEES.
I am moving on to the seeds that Sheila from Fort Worth sent to me. I miss the evergreen wisteria that my Dad had growing in his yard. She was kind enough to send me seeds. She sent some other cool seeds too. More on that later.
The kids went in and removed a lot of dead brush today. Tomorrow we'll go back out with the weedwhacker, and the chainsaw to finish clearing out that dead brush. You know I thought that it was going to take a lot longer to get to where I am now. :-) When they get that done, we can disc up the ground and level it some. Then we can put up the benches.
I have found two different colors of nicotiana out there so far. I must take photos.
More soon.
WIB~
SW
Jules, spring cleaning seems almost done. Is the brush all dead?
Sounds like the kind of work we're doing here. All of the pines out front on the road have died and it could be years before we get them all cleaned up. But we're trying to get as many of the downed branches as possible burned before the end of burn season. What a mess.
The Oak trees have dropped so many leaves this year. Yesterday I spend hours raking an area about 10 by 30 and I took out 7 wheelbarrow loads of leaves. But it's exciting as I put in hundreds of Impatiens balsimina seeds, should be really pretty this summer. I have most of the raking done in the back yard, thank goodness as my back can handle only so much.
Hi Adina. Been missing you. :-) I am only trimming out the dead growth. That area, and the creek bed itself have never been cleared of the dead brush. At least when it rained it would clear out some of the dead brush, but since we haven't had much rain, and it is a fire hazard, not to mention ugly, I'm taking out the dead stuff. It's taking longer than I hoped. Mainly because I need to get the chainsaw blade changed out. Still it's more progress. :-)
I will try to remember to take photos tomorrow. The Cubscouts will be here in the morning. I will be out doing some work on the Farmers Market garden. Yep, you guessed it, weeding. :-| Spring cleaning is ongoing.
Dee, our oaks don't drop leaves like yours do, but I know what you mean. Ooh, the Impatians balsimia sounds lovely. I might have to find an excuse to come see them when they bloom. :-)
My back hurts too. However, when I am out in the garden and I see the various butterflies flitting about it makes it all worth it. I have been seeing some swallowtails, lots of the little white ones, and some okay, lots of these cute orange tipped butterflies. I found about 10 Gulf Frittilary caterpillars on my passiflora today. :-D. It's been a good day.
WIB~
SW
Hi everyone. :-)
I had a very exciting weekend. I had a visit from my apprentice Spencer. He is wanting me to write him a letter asking for his help to develop my BEES, that he can take with him for approval for his Eagle Scout Project. Which means that he can get a whole bunch of other Scouts to help him with this project.
I have been worried about how to phrase things, and breaking things down by importance. Things like drip irrigation, and clearing flower beds. Putting in the borders, and planting the seedlings. Oh, yeah, and clearing out the dead brush from the area.
Spencer wants to make a Butterfly enclosure. But I don't want to enclose the whole garden any more. I think after seeing all the visitors this past weekend that enclosing the area would detract from the experience. I did tell him however that I would like to have a large enclosure to house the cats/chrysalis and have a safe place for the butterflies to hatch out. What we affectionately call a cat house. I even showed him a sticky from this forum that gave him an idea what I was asking for. I am open for suggestions on how to make it. I would like to build one that is screened in and large enough for people to go in to work while standing up, and it must have an airlock with storage. Have I missed anything?
I was also thinking it's time to put in a puddling station. I have one here at home. I use the top of my old birdbath set into the ground. That way I don't loose my sand. I am going to use some of the sand that I got from Pismo Beach (go ahead and laugh Dee), which already has some salt in it. I was wondering though if regular table salt is good for the butterflies. Or if there is some mix I can get to give them the salt/minerals that they need?
I went out to the Farmer's Market on Sunday to try to sell some of my excess plants to help fund the BEES. I didn't sell but one plant, but I had the most amazing time watching the activity in the Butterfly Gardens. :-) Several groups of people migrated over to Grandfather Oak and some had picnic lunches, while others were playing on the tire swings. One fellow came out with his camera, looking for birds and the hiking trail. He spent a goodly amount of time on the farm. While I was sitting there, I saw and took note of all the butterflies I saw flitting about. I saw Sulphur B.flies, Orange Tips, a Mourning Cloak, Painted Ladies, Gulf Frits, Tiger Swallowtails, and regular Swallowtails. Still waiting for the Monarchs to show up. :-) I'm so not complaining. I discovered that the cute little Orange Tips, like to light on the Fiddleneck. I never planned on getting rid of all of it, and even though I cleared most of it from the BEES, I did leave some for them. I'm glad it's got it's admirers. I don't know if they were just nectaring, or if they were ovipositing, but I surely did enjoy seeing all of them.
I am also surprised by all the LadyBugs I'm finding all over the farm. I've never seen so many here before. Does this mean that I'm doing something right? I sure hope it's not because I have too many bugs that they like to eat! :-) It's all good, but they do creep me out when they start to climb on me. I guess I've been finding too many creepy insects in the garden of late.
I am happy to report that I'm seeing a lot of growth going on with the annual seeds that I planted for the Butterfly Gardens. Those Maypops Passiflora are going nuts. Popping up all over the place.
I was really tired yesterday, and I have to get going to keep making progress. I really do have photos of everything, but I have so little energy to spare for posting them right now. I promise I will get them posted soon. :-)
What's going on with your Butterfly Gardens? I really do want to know. :-)
WIB~
SW
Jules, you are so busy, where do you find all that energy!! Love all the pictures. I'm still not doing much in the way of gardening, still trying to get rid of DH's junk which seems to be an endless chore.
SW- you arent forgotten, but I understand the exhaustion thing. Last trip to the house was seriously too short, but I let my great grandson watch me and 3&1/2 yrs old is wear me down fast mode. So, digging is coming up when I get to the house at Easter. That and trying to get seeds into the ground, fireants removed, and weeds temporarily pushed back. Lavendar blooms doin good with 7" above normal rain. Ground is so saturated, i dug a hole for bulbs and it seeped water faster than I could dig. By summer this sinksand will return to concrete!
I just got my butterfly area weeded up and some new plants in. I put in like 10 of those Maypop seedlings near the fence so they can enclose the whole garden. I also put in some of the Buddlea we got from Geoseed. Tomarrow I plan on putting in some Dill seeds, I already put in the fennel but they're not up yet.
I had a "pet" monarch for four days. His wings didn't dry properly so he couldn't fly. I fed him with oranges and moved him around the garden so he could enjoy some of the flowers. He was gone today when I went to find him, I'll miss him but maybe I was able to give his life a little joy.
Sami, I saw a plumeria in Claremont today that was as big as a tree. The trunk was about 10in in diameter, and even though it wasn't blooming yet it was gorgeous. :-)
Just work on one piece at a time, until you get one corner clean, that is what I have been doing. That and being a slave driver. LOL! Seriously my kids and DH have been helping a lot. You know that I put some prayers out there asking for help to make this BEES thing happen. After getting the support of DH, I came here to DG' s Hummingbird & Butterfly Forum where I asked for help. The support has been awesome. I truly feel blessed.
Hey kittriana, is the cute kid playing ball your grandson? What kind of critter is in the bucket? I think it's a salamander, but DH thinks that it's a lizard. Your lavender looks great! Okay what's with the moonshine? I am so jealous that you got rain, and I didn't. :-( I am happy that you got rain though. Even if the ground turns into concrete this summer. It is a busy time of year. :-)
Dee, so glad to hear that your Butterfly Garden is coming along. Encircling the garden with the Maypops is a great idea! Are you going to build something higher for the vines to climb up, or are you going to train them like a hedge closer to the ground? I can't wait to see it! I just got my gourd seeds so I am still planting. :-)
Sounds like you became fond of the butterfly. It's hard not to get attached. I always feel bad when their wings don't dry properly. I feel bad when I find them dead too. I found a pretty swallowtail that had flown into the greenhouse and then died. I could tell that it had been around long enough to lose a piece of its wing to a bird. I think it died of natural causes. I think that you were nice to give him a taste of oranges and the other flowers. I am the same way. I think that you gave him a lot of joy.
Today I played hooky from the farm, and went on a photo safari. :-) Despite the lack of rain, this year, the wildflowers are just gorgeous. I got lots of great photos, and we saw a Mama Bear and her Baby crossing the road in front of us! They sure can move fast, and disappear in to the brush like they were never there. I almost doubt that I saw them, but DH saw them first.
I don't feel as tired now. I have been to the wild, and am recharged. :-)
WIB~
SW
That's what I need, a trip to the wilds. We have talked about just going for a couple days up to Pinnacles National Park. I think it's about 3 hours drive. A little wilderness time might make me a nicer person, LOL.
Great grandson, and its an anole. He caught half a dozen, none bit him, none lost their tails, and he watched them turn brown and green and back to brown as he released them. So much rain! I would watch the boy one day, then it would rain and i would rest the next. Squirrels were fighting spring territories and bullfrogs and rainfrogs were breaking the sound barriers. I loved it.
Seems like Illinois is declaring some kinda drought- the moonshine is easier to buy than water..
Dee you should go soon before things dry up. I have never been to Pinnacles Nat'l Park. I'll have to Google it. :-)
My Dad loved his anole friends. We don't have them here, but I did find a shed alligator lizards skin today. :-)
When my kids were young, I used to give them a bucket and a flashlight and let them see how many toads they could find. It was a lot of fun for all of us, except for the toads, I suppose. I always made sure that they were released after they were done. One morning after a toad hunt, I kept hearing a high pitched chirp. When I tracked down the source, I discovered that the kids had filled up 3 buckets with toads, instead of their normal 2 buckets. Thankfully there was only a couple of toads in there. I released them right away. :-) And that is how I learned that toads chirp when they are distressed.
I am getting the nightly chorus from the toads and frogs. They usually don't lay eggs unless it rains. Since it rained at the end of February, we haven't gotten a drop of rain.
I have a small fountain on the front porch, and keep water in it for the dogs to drink. I haven't even turned it on this year yet. I discovered that some sneaky amphibians were messing around in there and now I have tadpoles. When they are gone I'll have to turn it on to keep the mosquitoes away. I was kinda happy to find the tadpoles, since those welfare ducks went and ate most of the ones in the turtle pond. I don't mind feeding the ducks, but I do wish they'd stick to the pellets I toss in there for the turtles and the fish food. Poor ducks. There just isn't much water.
California's Governor is making a 25% water cut mandatory in urban areas. Thankfully it won't affect the BEES gardens since we are on well water out there. DH thinks at some point the government will regulate the ground water from the wells but even if that happens we should be okay. :-)
What a relief.
Thanks for explaining the moonshine photo. I hope that it gets better soon.
I liked your pretty little frog photo, kittriana. :-)
WIB~
SW