My Garden-Vistors (UPDATE)

UPDATE to My Garden-Visitors (originally posted 06/14/09), my one and only dill plant was totally devoured in about a week and now all the caterpillars are gone. I hope they did not meet the demise of the purple martins and other birds I had flying around my yard......

My Garden-Cucumbers (UPDATE)

Update to My Garden-Cucumbers (originally posted 06/07/09), After replanting my over seeded cucumber plant into 7 different plants, I got a rather deformed cucumber on one plant and a couple more other cucumbers (however they were rather wrinkly and I was very skeptical of eating them, to the compost bin they went). I lost 2 plants, so I put more seeds in them and they have sprouted already (probably due to the rather hot days we have had). I think one more plant will have to be pulled to the compost bin as well, does not look that well. I was very excited to see the 3 cucumbers that I did get and it saddens me that I could have already been enjoying them by now and have made pickles, but you LIVE AND LEARN.

My Garden-Fall Planting Planning

I know it is early to be thinking of what I will be planting for the fall season, but since I am new to this, I wanted to sit down with a spreadsheet and see what type of time frame I had for starting my seeds to when they go into the ground. I now know that I have to start thinking about where I want to order my seeds from so that I am not left without anything or having to use less than good seeds. WOW it is a lot of work and you really only have a short window of time to get your plants started and then you have to worry if you have an unexpected season change. I still can't fathom how it was done in the Olden days, but then again that was all they knew (no hoping down to the local grocery store to get fresh (or some semblance there of) of fresh produce, if you did not plant it you did not have it so to speak). I really hope that next year I can get some tomatoes (I won't be doing the upside down method), there must have been something that I did wrong and I hate to have a whole season go by if I can't figure out what it is. Thanks to emilyrhp, her blog helps the beginner get an understanding of the whole process. Nothing like looking at real life photos and reading others comments on how they are doing with their garden, especially one on a smaller scale, like mine.

My Garden-Visitors

Well I noticed on Friday that I had some caterpillars on my dill plant, I was about to spray this off when something told me to investigate (remember self, there are beneficial bugs in the garden, no matter how creepy crawly they are). Well after some research, I discovered these many (and I mean at least 10 on a very small recently planted, less than a month, dill plant) caterpillars may be Swallowtail Butterflies http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/swallowtails.html. I plan to leave them alone and see what happens. So far they are not migrating to any other plants in the raised bed. Also, it will be nice to know that I allowed another generation of butterflies to survive. And if they are not what they seem to be, I will know as well and then I will have to call on my husband to take care of business. I hope I don't have to do that (as I so eloquently explained to them). The photo of them is not that great (still researching for my next camera).

Is This Pay Back?

I have been having a rough month so far (all the way around) and today I was looking forward to the nice salad I made for lunch this morning with some stuff from my garden that I picked fresh this morning (arugula and mixed lettuces, I also picked one very small radish) I added tomatoes (mine are not coming in yet to eat), english cucumber, carrots and some grapes. Well I finally sat down to eat my lunch (which was very late for me) at 1:30 and guess what I found on the very top of the salad looking at me when I took off the lid......a very unhappy green caterpillar. Why you say did I know that it was unhappy because it left me a nice surprise on the cucumber next to it (you can guess what that was). Well that went in the trash. I then went downstairs to our lovely cafeteria (not lovely and not so much edible either) to order a hamburger (figured very tough cooked meat was safer than a caterpillar) and guess what.......they ran out of meat. OH MY GOODNESS. So my lovely lunch today is a bag of Cheetos and a sprite.

The reason I say this must be punishment is because of the 3 tomato horn worms I had killed earlier this week and then I used some "natural" caterpillar killer on some of my plants last night before the big huge thunderstorm we had.

All I can say is laugh or you cry. HA HA

My Garden-I HAVE BEEN ATTACKED!!!!!

I just so happen to find 3 Tomato Horn Worms on my tomato plant. I also found some droppings in my pepper plant and was wondering what bird did that. After research and the discover this morning, I now know who the culprit was. I was so disgusted, I had to call my husband to come and help me (or should I say take care of them because I was not touching them even with a stick). I already read those suckers are hard to pull off, because they hold on for dear life and try to bite back. I thought my husband was just joking with me when he said the thing was trying to bite through the glove.

I know you say, you better develop some thick skin because this is nothing. Oh my gosh, I am still reliving the moment when I discovered the bug. GROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Earlysnowdrop has a video on her blog of the crazy looking worm http://earlysnowdrop.blogspot.com

Also here is another website I found http://www.gardengrapevine.com/TomatoWorm.html

My Garden-Cucumbers

This is how my sad cucumber plant looked prior to separating it. I really hope this works. I hate to have to throw the plants in the compost bin. I made the BIG mistake of planting almost a who seed packet of cumbers in one pot. I could not understand why the plants would wilt so fast after watering them. Turns out the many plants were competing for water as well as space. I was so surprised when I pulled the plant out of the pot the whole thing came out together with no problem. The roots were in real good shape.

Before (poor plants)

After separating the plant I made 7 separate pots, could have made more, but did not have any more pots. Plus I hope at least 2 of the pots work out. I will surely know how to do this next year. Sorry for the dark photos, I lost daylight as I was finishing up the potting. Glad to have gotten it all done after work. I had to wait until this weekend to add stakes.

My Garden-I Think I Know Why...

My cucumbers are looking crazy everyday. What I mean by this is....when I get home the stems/leaves are laying on the ground. I give them water in the morning and in the afternoon and they perk up.

First--I thought I have it a real terracotta pot and maybe the hot sun is drying out the soil and depleting the plant of moisture.
Second--So I put in one of those water globes. Same thing.
Third--So I ADDED a water bottle with pin prick holes (I double checked to make sure that it was letting water out slowly). Same thing.
Fourth--I moved it from its location (the patio) thinking it was extra hot there, out into the yard, next to the other plants. Same thing.
Fifth--I put the terracotta planter inside of another plastic planter with a little soil (hoping this would keep in the moisture. Same thing. ARGGHHHHHH
Sixth--Realized that when I first planted the seeds (I AM NEW TO THIS) that I planted way to many (almost the whole package), so there may be about 5 or 6 cucumber plants in one small pot, fighting for all the water, nutrients, etc. Soooooooo

This weekend I will start again and this time I hope/pray that it will work. I was so looking forward to cucumbers by now.

Now to figure out why I have no tomatoes in my tomato hanging planter after 2 1/2 months.....

My Flowers-Can You Recognize These Flowers? (UPDATED)

I have had some of these for quite a while so the tags have since disappeared or got covered up by dirt or mulch and can't be located. If you could help me rediscover what they are it will help me a whole lot. Thanks.


This flower produced a real pretty spindly orange bloom, nothing since then. However I think it may still produce as I still see 3 heads on the plant.


This plant reminds me of a cabbage. I can't remember what type of flower it produces, if one at all.


This one kind of reminds me of a bromeliad, but could be wrong.


Hope you can help with some of these.

My Flowers-Can You Recognize These Flowers?

Revised previous post....I have had some of these for quite a while so the tags have since disappeared or got covered up by dirt or mulch and can't be located. If you could help me rediscover what they are it will help me a whole lot. Thanks.

This is a purple plant that is real pretty. I think when the time is right I will prune it so that it is not so leggy next year when it blooms.
You are a Plumbago (http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/plumbago.htm)








This flower is more red to me than pink.
You are an Oleander-(http://www.floridata.com/ref/N/nerium.cfm) now I remember why I moved you from the back with the dogs.




I am just plain baffled about this plant, it was given to me by a co-worker who found it on the property they were building on, she said that it produces big orange flowers. I think I have seen this plant at the garden center before, but can't recall.
You are a Canna-(http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofile1/p/Canna.htm#)


This plant produced a beautiful white flower with pinkish like stripes. See the picture next to it. The flowers dropped off and nothing since then. The head of the first flower looks so weird (alien like, wonder if a bug did this) now.
You are an Amaryllis-(http://www.amaryllisgarden.com/)



This plants goes woody like when it gets cold, but it produces these beautiful yellow flowers when it blooms.
You are a Tecoma (Yellow Bells)-(http://www.floridata.com/ref/T/teco_sta.cfm)


This plant finally bloomed this year. I believe I have had it for 3 years now and all of a sudden this year I saw the long flower stalks come up (5 of them) and then in the last 2 weeks they opened and these beautiful blue/purple flowers came out.
You are an Agapanthus, Lily of the Nile-(http://www.ehow.com/how_13986_grow-lily-nile.html) This video was very helpful (http://www.ehow.com/video_4986800_grow-lilyofthenile-agapanthus.html)




Hope you can help with some of these.