Comment

Comment by Joan Denoo on June 6, 2015 at 11:13pm

A gardner needs to learn to be ruthless. When a tree needs to go, get it done, even if you cry with each stroke of the chain saw. 

If you plant too few seeds, you may not get a harvest, if you plant too many, you may have to thin them out. 

If you want a treasured plant moved, then grit your teeth and take the plunge. 

I successfully potted up and transplanted remnants of all my grandmothers' and great-grandmothers plants to the Generation Garden at my daughter's place. I am very nervous about a plant that was given to me by the family of a neighbor who was an English Shakespearean actor. He was Santa Clause at my Yule parties, and he told the neighborhood children wonderful stories in my back yard while he was alive. Those children no longer are children, they are all grown up. We had his memorial service in my back yard and his family gave me a Strawberry and Vanilla Hydragea after our celebration of his life. I just hope I can successfully move that plant. 

stock photo

Comment by Barbara Livingston on June 6, 2015 at 10:55pm

Kathy, you are so very far ahead of me. I have not seen any chrysalis, and since my plants are all intact have not been eaten I guess there is no activity. :(

Comment by kathy: ky on June 6, 2015 at 10:24pm

Thanks Chris. One of these days I'll remember to have my daughter show me how to post photos from this pad.
Barbara, last year there were so many caterpillars they ate the entire plant then starved l guess. I didn't know what to feed them or where to get it.
It's the crystalis(?) stage I'm uncertain about. When they make a cocoon and need, to my understanding, both a place to hang it from and a way to get out of it. Some type of enclosure. With shelter and an escape. If it were only a dozen or so l could move them by hand but last year it was probably closer to a hundred. I've never seen so many. And they were different sizes so different stages l suppose. I'mnnot sure what to do with them this year. I'm happy your plant is a success. I dug mine up from the roadside three years ago and it's just taken off really well this year. I have a tame one that is not as pretty but established itself much faster.

Comment by Barbara Livingston on June 6, 2015 at 8:08am

Kathy, I bought my first one last year and it struggled to establish. I gathered seed and kept in fridge for winter and then planted lots of them - talk about overkill. My original is now in bloom and I have many new shoots. It is my one true success!. You said you wanted to "figure out how to keep catepillar stage alive" - what do you mean?  

Comment by Plinius on June 6, 2015 at 1:21am

I had to look it up - it's beautiful, Kathy!

Comment by kathy: ky on June 5, 2015 at 10:14pm

My butterfly weed is in full bloom. And the second one isn't far behind. Beautiful, bright, orange color. Now if I could figure out how to keep the caterpillar stage alive and provide them a place to morph into butterflies. The websites I've found have been almost useless on that front.
I should say useless, to me, because of the large area involved.

Comment by Randall Smith on June 2, 2015 at 7:12am

Don, sure! I certainly have plenty of asparagus. Prepared any way suits me. I never tire eating it.

Comment by Don on June 1, 2015 at 1:05pm

Would anybody with an abundance of asparagus like an easy cream of asparagus soup recipe?  Good way to use it up when it's fresh.

Comment by Idaho Spud on June 1, 2015 at 12:32pm

Yeahhh for the butternut squash!  Booooo on fire ants.

Comment by Barbara Livingston on June 1, 2015 at 9:57am

I too get excited when I "unearth" worms as it gives me hope for my soil. 

I have itchy fire ant bites this morning - but, I also found one small butternut squash!  Yeahhhh!  There is so much truth in Gertrude Jekyll's statement. 

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