why people like brugs. I have figured out that a shrub my neighbor lady planted by the fenceline is a brug of some sort. It's pure white flowers have an alluring scent. Much different from gardenia or jasmine, which can be very thick and heavy in the air. Brugs are more ethereal smelling. I'm a little concerned that the dog might accidentally ingest a leaf or spent flower from it, as she loves to eat grass in the yard. I'll have to watch it so that any dead flowers are tossed back over the fence or put in the compost bag.
Now I understand...
It didn't make you get the fever for them? I love them.
GL, if it weren't for the fact that folks around here have DIED from these plants, I'd probably get the fever for a brug. Some places around here you can't buy, sell, or plant them--it's illegal. They are quite an interesting plant but I stick to the native plants for the most part. Since I've been putting in native plants, I have seen a lot more wildlife in the yard. It's only about 1/4 acre, but I've seen owls, possums (had one living in the walls of the house that we had to evict!), rats, squirrels, downy and red-headed woodpeckers, warblers, cardinals, mockingbirds, mourning doves, titmouse, yellow throated vireos, what I think was a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, a red-tail hawk, blue jays, green anoles, all kinds of butterflies, a black racer, a corn snake, three species of tree frogs, leopard frogs, toads galore, and that's only what I've personally seen. When we first moved in we had a couple of toads, mourning doves, and mockingbirds. That was about it. The rest has come with the landscaping I've added which gives them shelter and food. Course I also added a pond, so they have plenty of water. I can see lush tropical greenery at Disney--and they can afford to replace regularly, too--so I'd just as soon stick mainly to what grew here before man introduced new things. I make exceptions to that, but for the most part I put in natives. They don't usually have as high water needs and water is getting precious and expensive in central FL.
I have most of what you mentioned. Could do without some of it, like armadillos, rats, snakes. We enjoy the birds so much, in fact the computer is directed toward the large windows and French door that has feeders on the other side. Right now there are hundreds of birds feeding, cause they know it's gonna get colder. Got to go put out more feed. Always hate to disturb them, but they come right back.
Gingerlily, you can keep the armadillos. I have plenty to deal with having possums around. We paid $175 to catch a baby possum that had made himself a home in the wall of our house. When he was balled up in side the concrete block, all you could see was his little ear sticking out. The rats are another story...they kept stripping my plants by the front porch and putting all the leaves and twigs in the top of the pillar. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it with all the pothos and fern fronds sticking out. It was pretty funny looking. Course I really knew whatever was in there had to go when I heard growling. EEESH! Had a couple of b'fly visitors today (a sulphur, a monarch, and a fritillary). Hope they found somewhere warm to go for the next couple nights. Supposed to hit freezing the next three nights in a row after tonight.
I read somewhere that armadillos can carry leprosy--ack!!!!!! I had dug for fishing worms under my apple trees and our neighbor commented that we must have armodillos because of the holes. My husband made little secret jokes about our armodillo vandals--and our neighbor. Then one night low and behold---we saw an armodillo in our yard. how humbling.....
DS brought in a young snake a few minutes ago. he was holding it by the neck. honestly, i was taking a nap and he woke me. i wish i had taken a pic. i just asked him to put it back where he found it, was in a clump or rocks trying to stay warm like the rest of us i guess.
now ms brugie he was really really cute. i like snakes that eat rodents!
Anybody know a way to get rid of armadillos besides shooting them? DH gets up in the night sometimes cause he thinks he hears it or the dog is barking and he just knows it the dilly. But he never sees him. Anyway to catch these critters?
Arlene, you aren't going to let me forget mentioning that I hate snakes, are you? I'm crossing my fingers that they don't get into the greenhouse again this year. I'll be wearing rubberbands around the legs of my jeans. :-)
lolol. i understand ms brugie, i guess i've gotten kind of used to them. it was a really cute little guy, i think maybe a baby corn snake.
btw, i saw the glue traps at walmart, big like for rats, but for snakes. i love having them around myself, knock on wood, black snakes and corn/rat snakes can live her all they want.
Well, now that the chills have gone away, I can write this. Just don't think I'll ever get over my dislike of them. I'm not afraid of them, just don't like to be surprised by snakes when I pulling rhubarb or in the melon patch. I made Jim kill a meadow viper the first year we lived here. It looked like a cobra when it had it's head up and flared out. That was enough for me. Now I hear that they are nearly extinct. Have a great night!!
shirley,lets NOT send you to any rainforests......