Garden Friday

 

 

It's Garden Friday and summer's heat is hanging on!

Although our mornings are relatively cool,

we are still hitting near 90 midday.

The summer blooms are a joy to behold.

 Look who decided to stop by!

The Monarch caterpillars showed up this week to my delight.

With plenty of milkweed to enjoy,

I'm hoping they will be very happy while they chow down.

I'd love for them to tell all their friends!

 

 

It all starts with these teeny eggs on the underside of the leaves.

The cats come out of the egg, eat it,

and then proceed to devour the leaves of the milkweed.

It is the only plant that they eat.

Once they have had their fill,

they find the perfect spot to form their chrysalis,

where the dramatic transformation takes place.

The whole process, from egg to butterfly takes about 3-4 weeks.

Our butterfly bush has been covered with these yellow swallowtails.

They are enjoying the nectar of the butterfly bush, lantana and milkweed blooms.

Most of the garden has been taken out.

I'm planning to sow Dutch white clover and maybe some red clover here,

in order to provide for the pollinators and chickens,

as well as keeping the leach field easier to maintain.

I've learned that it's a good idea to grow shallow-rooted plants

over the septic leach field, as it helps with absorbtion 

and does not interfere with the workings of the system.

The chooks love foraging every evening before heading to bed.

It's become a nightly ritual that I myself relish.

 

Here's hoping that you find your peaceful spot this weekend.

 Blessings to all dealing with the hurricane clean up.