Gardens – Page 2 – Organizing Threads

August 30, 2015August 30, 2015

A caterpillar

In creating our flowerbeds this year I insisted on leaving some milkweed growing in one bed. Today, as we were digging out hostas to rearrange them, I was informed by my coworkers that caterpillars were eating those milkweeds. I got excited! Sure enough, it was a monarch caterpillar! (We only found one.)But as you can see from the picture, the milkweed themselves were not looking good. They seemed to have a black mildew or fungus growing on them. I thought surely that isn’t good for the creature. Plus, we didn’t want that on all the other plants, and it was definitely spreading.

First I took the little worm and put it into a container with his leaf. Then we pulled all the milkweed plants (roots stayed in the ground for next year). Then I pulled all the pods off the plants. I hope the seeds inside are mature enough. I’m going to let them dry, then I will release them into the wild — beside our new sound wall. I hope some of them will grow.

This afternoon I carried the wee stripey fellow over to Cheryl’s house (doesn’t take it long to polish of a leaf, I had to get some more out of the garbage for him for the journey) and left him on a healthy looking plant. I hope this caterpillar continues to eat and grow and make a lovely chrysalis, that it becomes a healthy butterfly so it can fly all the way to Mexico! (Perhaps it will stop over in California and visit my grandkids, too.)

Learn more about caterpillars and butterflies: http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml

April 22, 2014April 27, 2014

Geraniums II

Not all the geraniums that I potted are growing, however, those that survived are coming along nicely!

I’d set them out on my balcony yesterday when the temperature went to 20+ degrees, but as there is possible freezing for the next couple of nights, they are back inside again.

April 3, 2014April 3, 2014

Geraniums

I do love geraniums, their bright colours, the ease of care.

Last fall I pulled all of my geraniums and the geraniums at First Mennonite out of the soil, shook the dirt off the roots put the whole plant into paper yard waste bags. I then put them into cool, dark storage for the winter.

DSCF0178 — Out of its winter sleeping bag.

I think they would have been happier if I had taken them out sooner, but once again I left the task to the end of March. I always have a few plants that don’t survive, and this year I learn an important lesson — don’t try to put too many into one bag! I did that with the church’s geraniums, and most of them died and got moldy.

DSCF0180 — A moldy mess. Only the top layer of plants survived.

I sort through the dried leaves and stems to find the ones with some green or evidence of life. I take off much of the dead stuff (though sometimes what looks dead isn’t actually, so I wait and see with some of it). Then I line the pot with brown paper towel to prevent the soil from coming out of the drainage holes and fill the pot with soil.

My spare bedroom is a nice bright locations so it becomes my greenhouse.

DSCF0182 — Potted plants on a vinyl table cloth in front of the window the spare room.

I have seven of my own geraniums this year, including a trailing plant — first time I’ve had one survive the winter, and twelve from the church.

One of my plants that is several years old, greening nicely. — One of my plants that is several years old.