Wings to Fly

How very remarkable and fascinating every creature of God is. But the life cycle of a butterfly is extraordinarily unique.

The Chrysalis wasn't one I had seen before today. Even though I had been looking quite diligently in recent days for any sign of Swallowtail pupas hanging around. They are wonderfully camouflaged in their brown or green silk attire.

There were two others close by I was keeping an eye on daily. I had high hopes the timing would be in my favor when a butterfly emerged from either one. Those are empty today, too. I missed them all together.

On my way around to the back yard I pass by the vegetable garden in the side yard. The butterfly hanging near the edge of the pathway, utterly motionless, caught my attention early this morning.

Never before have I witnessed a brand new butterfly just emerged and completely stationary. Its wings uncrumpled and folded it hung in its resting mode readying for flight.
The sight of it immobile and gently latched onto a stem of Society Garlic bloom along with the open Chrysalis below was the confirming evidence I had stumbled upon a purely fresh new being. Brand new. Perfect in form and color. Its entire adult life still ahead of it.

No tatters, no tears, no scars. Pure innocence... just minutes away from taking flight into a brand new world. I observed it closely for long moments in awe of its instincts and wondered if it was one I had handled when it was still a caterpillar. There were several I had moved over to the carrots to provide them with more food when the parsley became scarce. I was tempted to see if it would crawl onto my finger but thought it best not to disturb the natural process.

It occurred to me to have a look around the area again. Surely there was a chance I had missed more pupas. After all there had been so many last stage caterpillars only days before voraciously feeding on the carrot tops in this same planting bed.

Lo and behold. Just around the corner of the first one hung another one. Its open chrysalis on the underside of a Purple Queen leaf. I'd guess this one is a female. Her upper wing a little paler and seemingly its body a little smaller overall.

For the next thirty minutes I kept an eye on them as I went about my gardening. Then, I actually got to see the first one spread its wings and fly away.

This one stayed in the hanging postion for longer. I missed its maiden voyage.

Tropical Come Back: Pagoda Flower

Some plants were hit harder than others this winter. We endured through a couple of below freezing, frosty nights in January and several of the tropicals were taken down to the ground.

On the walk around to the veggie garden from the front we pass by one of my favorite tropical delights. It is a Pagoda flower; Clerodendrum paniculatum which towers high above all other plants and shrubs in this setting.

My sweet neighbor started me on this interesting plant a few years ago. She gave me a leafless stem she didn't know the name of and her plant wasn't blooming at the time. Needless to say, since I had no idea what it was... I had no idea where to site it or what to expect from it. Taking my chances, I (literally) stuck it in the ground next to this oak tree and kept it hydrated. It worked and it was a happy place for it. Whew!

Not one of those ginormous heart-shaped leaves was alive after this winter's freezes. In my heart I knew the plant would come back. But with my eyes, looking at it in February, it seemed impossible. It was completely lifeless and not a leaf in sight.

It stands about 8 feet tall in all its July summer splendor. Looking at the photos of it from last year, I think it is actually taller and fuller now. I know for certain the flowers are taller and more Pagoda shaped.

Looking back to the Pagoda Flower from the entry to the veggie garden.

The foliage in the beds at the feet of the Pagoda flower.

Actually, I can remember the Pagoda flower inspiring me to finally develop these beds. They had been fairly neglected prior to the lush growth of the Pagoda. Oh, I had stuck a few things here and there but never really concentrated on giving them some permanent appeal before the centerpiece of the pretty orange blooms and lush foliage was there.

Street view...

Driving by you don't see any of the foliage underplantings (pictured in the previous photos above) or the veggie garden just beyond. But you can see the Pagoda Flower. The oak trees and the palmettos do a pretty good job of concealing a very different looking back side of these planting beds that lead to the veggie garden.

Speaking of the veggie garden...

It seems a shamble these days. The sunflowers say it all.

It is time to dismantle all the stakes, the railings, the dead vegetation, and turn the soil once again. I'll be planting some tomato seeds within the next week in small pots. They'll be transferred to the ground around the first of September for a hopeful fall harvest of yummy goodness. I'm slated to get around to all that work when I finish the front lawn project.

[Side note~~ update on the front lawn project: I am 9/10ths of the way finished with that project...almost have all the plants in the ground. It has been a very fun adventure. I will update when it is completed.]

About the only thing still growing is the green peppers. They have been amazingly prolific this year. I've been leaving them on the bush and they are turning red. Exciting stuff. There is still okra in the back garden. It's not getting enough sun but what it's producing is wonderful. I'll rectify that next year and plant them in the main veggie garden.

There is no lack of critter activity in July. I'm so grateful the zinnias are oblivious to the fact that the rest of the veggie garden is spent.

And the butterflies are just so beautiful to observe on a walk-by to the back garden. It might be my imagination but it seems to me the Gulf Fritillaries are more abundant in numbers this year. But, then again, it could be my imagination.

Mr. Black Racer is getting some sun on the old chair in the veggie garden. My resident 'garden snake' startled me a bit while checking on the Swallowtail cats. I came almost nose to nose with him before I saw him. I'm pretty sure this is the same one I've been seeing all summer in this area. He's a nice sized one. I've seen some babies too.

So maybe it's Mrs.Racer after all. I sure don't mind if it's keeping down the slug and mice population, although they are known to eat birds and worms, too. It's all part of the natural ecosystem so I figure they are important. And I don't try to dictate how it works. There was a time when I couldn't live peaceably with any reptile. But now I know better. I still keep my distance but I've learned to appreciate a good snake.

Exchanging More Turf for Plants: Update

This post was originally published on Wednesday, July 8. An update was added at the bottom of the post on Friday, July 10. Thank you for following along.

If you live in Florida it's that time of year when all the heavy gardening should be complete. Gardeners should be finding relief in the comfort of air conditioning or the pool or in an ice bucket... whichever is more convenient.

After all who, in their right mind, would choose to garden in 90+ temps and 100% humidity! Not this gardener I can tell you. But, we can't do anything about the weather now can we?

Every year my spring timeline for gardening projects starts in January with the goal to be finished with all of them by the end of May. We can assuredly count on some wicked temperature highs in June.

So as June melds into July the ideal plan is garden maintenance mode... the things that must be done in order to keep things in order. No new projects for sure.

Basically by the time summer officially arrives I'm weary from months of rigorous gardening. When the relentless July/August summer heat sets in I'm more than willing to keep the garden chores as simple as possible.

I confess it has only been in the last month or so that I've felt like the garden made its full comeback from the freezes we experienced in January. Some of the cordylines have not fully recovered and the Jatropha trees have not filled out but at least they are giving it their best effort.

All that to say, this July I have not slowed down in the garden.

Every year while spring projects are the focus, not to mention the time the veggie garden requires, I have lists of tweaks I'd like to do 'if I ever get around to it'. Only it gets too hot, too fast and many things on that list get rolled-over to the fall list.

This year has been different.

I've taken up plenty of turf in the back garden this year. And for some reason I haven't managed to even post about them... but I'll get to it eventually.

I'm also actually getting to the 'if I ever get around to it' list or at least some of it anyway. Along with moving plants and still dividing plants and starting even more new cuttings and trimming this and trimming that...

Like a crazy, mad, gardening woman I began a new front lawn project last weekend.

This area has been troublesome for a long time. The front lawn slopes down to the road and even with an irrigation system it is difficult at best to provide the correct levels of water. One of the issues that has kept me from diving into this project is there are cables and wires running under the ground here. Yikes.

And another one is that it is a large project. What I've measured off to cut out on the roadside is over 30 feet long and the side that joins my neighbor is 25 feet long.

It's a sunny corner in the afternoons so the plant choices will be subject to very different considerations than the rest of the mostly shady yard.

The overall plan for this corner is to use all Florida Friendly and native plants. Some will be divisions from my garden, some will be plants I've rooted already, some will need to be purchased.

Here's where I've gotten so far. I've left the strip of lawn next to the gutter until I'm ready to plant it out. I'd hate to lose my soil to the gutter with a big downpour.

What do you think? Maybe I'll be done in another week? I'm working early mornings and late evenings to avoid the mid-day and afternoon sun. Then I move around to the back garden where it is nice and shady.

Update: July 10, 2009, Friday

I'm lacking enough time to write another post so I'm updating this one (originally posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009).

Other than the strip of barrier lawn at the street which will come out when I'm ready to plant there-- the last of the sod was removed yesterday morning. There were other commitments that kept me from gardening all day (read:grandchildren for the day) but I got right back to it this morning early. Even though I was rained out by noon I managed to dig up some plants from the back yard, divided and planted them. I'm feeling like I have a much better idea of where I'm going design-wise but still have some decisions to make. There is purple muhly grass involved.

I'll do my best to post again when it is finished.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Tempted by the Dollar Sale

It does me no good to try to convince myself I can stop by my favorite local nursery just to have a look around. I have a feeling you know how it goes! You know it's about to happen when you have that justifying conversation with yourself that goes a little like this, "let's just drop by to see what's new or just to grab a bag of soil or some such excuse ... anything really that confirms the need for entrance."

Step away from the garden center!

Pseuderanthemum, 'Black Varnish'

On one recent drop-by of this nature my favorite nursery worker greeted me with her usual enthusiasm and excitement to show me the new arrivals.

Lysimachia procumbens 'Aurea' Variegated Golden Globes

As she excitedly showed me some new plants she just happened to take the route by a certain sale table. So strategic she is in pointing to the current sale offering 4" pots of what they call "accent plants" that had been marked down to $1 each.

Plectranthus 'Silver Shield'

There were a few specific plants that jumped out at me. Each displaying unique qualities and foliage color. Immediately ... container arrangement designs were dancing in my head. I could see them blending together for a flower-free combination that would require little maintenance.

Still, I walked away. So proud of myself I left that day with the purchases that were on my list and the ones I had intended in the first place.

Yes I did just what you are thinking. I went back the next day to get those few little plants. Just couldn't get them out of my thoughts. (You know you would have done the same thing).

The showy red salvia in three 14" pots in the back garden was beginning to look very leggy and needed to be purged after all. They had been delighting the garden since last October but were ready to be pitched.

I left the potato vine in the pots from the previous arrangements. All new plants in three pots for approximately $20 total. Not too bad (Read: more justification).

I'm not one for matchy-matchy. But in some cases it just makes for better flow. Since these pots are the same style/size and they always stay together wherever I move them about the garden... I keep them arranged with 'like plants'.


I buried some Gingerland caladium bulbs in them (which are just starting to come up) and now they are sitting in a semi-shady spot beyond the pool cage for my constant enjoyment.

Container plants. Can you have too many?

Swallowtail Cats and YES! A Chrysalis

Please bear with me as I bring you even more photos of the outdoor caterpillar hotel occupying what's left of the parsely in the veggie garden.

They are fast growing little fellows. There are more of the first stage instars and cats of all sizes but mostly older ones now. Hopefully they are not going to eat their way out of food supply.
The parsley WAS looking very full and ready for dining when the eggs were first laid.

Now these big fellows are eating stems and all.


I find myself walking over to the veggie garden several times a day to check on all the babies.


Every single time they are doing the same thing.
Eating or sleeping. And the birds haven't found them... yay.

I marvel at their tenacity and rythmic ways. And finally I've spotted a brown chrysalis.

... and a green one, too.