Home / Blogs / prairiefeather's Blog / June 2006 /

...and I begin with a sphinx moth

Category: my bug encounters | Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:25 am

---

Well, I thought I'd give bugs I see their own little space. This seems like a good place to keep track of my bugs. This one was on my porch this eve. I'm a pretty big fan of moths.
When I was little my mother used to bring in the caterpillars and we'd feed them, and then let the moths loose when they hatched. I sadly dont have enough time to keep an eye on them or I'll collect caterpillars again too.


This blog entry has been viewed 518 times

---

yucca

Category: garden plans and adventures | Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 3:35 am

---

Well, today the helpful hubby removed a yucca from the back yard. It had evil spines which I impaled my finger on one day. It made a horriblble icky bruise where it punctured a vein or something. It REALLY hurt. So, from that day I knew that plant didnt belong in a yard with my toddler or any other child frolicing about that might run into it. So, it was dug up leaving the back yard empty.
The previous owners werent much into plants, they did however leave the tag from the nursery on it so I now know its a spanish bayonet yucca.
Right, so maybe there was a little carnage, husband digging and the brandishing of the axe over this poorly thought out single planting right up next to the house.
I never like to remove plants, I feel guilty. There was a surprise though underneath, the yucca had over a dozen new shoots or suckers. I took those and am going to plant them either as a barrier or just ornamental here and there in the beds I'm considering.
I've been thinking of doing a cactus bed. Since we are in a drought, what a great idea to work on! Assorted yuccas mixed with prickly pear maybe?
I'm not sure what other varieties there are, suggestions are welcome!
Which reminds me, I have a recovering orchid or night blooming cactus I've dragged around in a pot through 3 residences. Its almost like an arm, I've taken that plant everywhere, I cant live without it. ;} It might do alright here in the ground with a little blanket on the handful of freezing weather days.

Ack I left my camera downstairs. I'll add the pics of my little yucca buds later. :}


*edited to add pics :] *
here"s the only pic I ever took of the back yard before the removal, theres the mean 'ol plant in the bottom left.


here is the collection of lil suckers.

and here, a better look at the green shoots.


Last edited: Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:01 am

This blog entry has been viewed 1379 times

---

the blank canvas

Category: garden plans and adventures | Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:31 am

---

Lets see, I'll begin with a description of my playground. I have 3 acres that were neglected for maybe 5 years before I got it. Theres a pasture in the back which hasnt been turned or planted in the same number of years. The neighbor's horses like to wander in it, and I dont mind since I'm not growing anything there... yet. Last summer and in the early spring it had a lot of pretty wildflowers, verbena, beebalm, pincushion, all sorts of blanket flowers and mexican hats. Theres plenty of thistle back there too.
Theres a brief wooded area between the pasture and my house and it has a lot of hackberry trees, hawthorne of some kind, a few of those thorny acacias, cedar, osage orange, and a few differnt oaks. Tucked and woven into a row of trees and shrub is some honeysuckle, which would be doing better if we had rain.
Theres a little road that runs from the pasture through the wooded part and snakes around to the back of the side yard. This is where it becomes immediately barren and boring. Theres the shadey back yard which is nice, but the whole rest of the yard around and in front of the house is dead grass mostly.
I do have a peach, a red plum, and a continuously fruiting pear tree. These are on the side and corner of the house The pear has been the only tree thats managed to start anything worthy of eating. (yay! its my favorite) The windy storminess we had after everything began to bud this spring knocked off most of the blooms, so not much fruit.

Here's the blank canvas.

(and yes, my house is like a shrimp pink which shall soon be remedied. I'm counting the days! ) Yeah, so its pretty naked as far as any kind of landscaping. This was taken in December so if you add green to the trees it looks mostly the same. Did I say boring? Yep, its boring... and what a challenge! :} It's actually been good that there's nothing, because I havent had to think twice about what I'm planning or work around pre-existing things much at all.
It the front of the house there is one small bed. Its what I did right after moving there. There had to be something pretty. Theres an overgrown silverado sage, which I surrounded with yarrow and dusty miller, a russian sage and a rosemary. Theres a yucca in there too but its too shadey, gotta move it.
I have a sea holly I'm trying again, I tried some from seeds and it never worked, this was a root, so I hope something will come of it. I think its too much in the shade also.
This is part of my flower bed by the front door.
It became an experiment of what could grow there and without much water. This was mostly because I have a toddler and I can barely remember my name most days, watering isnt at the top of my things to do list. hehe ;}. My yarrow has since bloomed a pretty yellow. I love that stuff.

This blog entry has been viewed 550 times

---

Home / Blogs / prairiefeather's Blog / June 2006 /