“They” Said Don’t Do It…
Posted: March 4, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, violets, Year-round gardening 5 Comments
…don’t plant violets. “They” said they would spread and fill your beds.
“They” were right, as “they” usually are. Now my time is spent removing the violets that have grown out of their bounds.
But still, it is hard to resist the violets’ darling faces!
Hate and Love
Posted: February 26, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Kalanchoe daigremontiana, mother of thousands, Year-round gardening 4 Comments
When describing feelings towards the Mother of Thousands plant, the word hate has to come first. The plant has insured its existence by being able to reproduce by the thousands or perhaps millions.
The word love comes second, because no matter how much time is put into removing its many progeny, its flowers are beautiful enough to keep a few plants around.
Unfortunately, it blooms when it is the coldest on the Gulf Coast and it must be protected by carefully building a tent around it without breaking the stems.
The tubular flowers have a glorious combination of pinks, oranges and purples that are intensified when the sun hits them, resembling the colors of a desert sunset.
Click and enlarge the first and last photo to view the colors.
Blooming Weekend
Posted: February 21, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Flowers, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Year-round gardening 10 Comments
During winter months annuals are sometimes needed to add color to the garden. The ones we plant in the winter are short lived here and as soon as the summer heat and humidity come, they are gone.
Here are a few of the tough and true garden perennials putting out some blooms to keep the “winter” blues away.
Perfection
Posted: February 18, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, White by the Gate Camellia, Year-round gardening 8 Comments
White By the Gate Camellia highlighted by the early morning sun. Perfect!
One Lucky Lady
Posted: February 14, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Butterflly Weed, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Ladybug, Mexican Milkweed, Monarch caterpillar, nature photography, Tropical Milkweed, Year-round gardening 2 Comments
This lucky Ladybug was hanging out on the Butterfly Weed. I do believe her belly is full.
Aphids have taken over the plants and only one lucky Ladybug has found them.
Meanwhile, a rather large Monarch caterpillar was below munching leaves.
Someone is Home
Posted: February 9, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, chrysalis, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Monarch Butterfly, nature photography, Year-round gardening 5 Comments
This photo of a Monarch chrysalis was taken in early January. Since then, it has been cold and wet. The chrysalis turned dark and appeared to be rotting.
But the sun came out and it now looks like someone is home! Click and enlarge photos to see what you think.
After two days of trying to get a good shot with the right natural light (don’t have correct equipment), I finally took some pretty good photos.
The chrysalis has become transparent and it sure looks like there is a creature in it. Now if only I am ready with the camera when it emerges!
Good Golly Yellow-rumped!
Posted: February 6, 2015 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, nature photography, Year-round gardening, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4 Comments
Look who figured out how to use a nectar feeder! After about a week of exploration and observation, Yellow-rumped Warbler mastered hovering.
