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Butterfly Junction
+23
CapeCoddess
AtlantaMarie
DorothyG
Roseinarosecity
donnainzone5
BlackjackWidow
Ginger Blue
farmersgranddaughter
sanderson
countrynaturals
Scorpio Rising
Avinash
Turan
Greenbeard
GWN
Mimi2
Windmere
BeetlesPerSqFt
trolleydriver
yolos
ralitaco
hammock gal
Kelejan
27 posters
Page 10 of 38
Page 10 of 38 • 1 ... 6 ... 9, 10, 11 ... 24 ... 38
Re: Butterfly Junction
Yup. The adults fly around, sip nectar and go out on dates. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.sanderson wrote:So, I gather the adults were eating the nectar or pollen from the flowers, but when they lay their eggs, it will be on the Dutchman's Pipe?
Re: Butterfly Junction
Huge garden expansion in progress. I'm planting the Rescue Garden in a combination of containers and BTE. Went to my favorite nursery and scored HUGE! They had 11 asparagus plants that didn't sell last year so they potted them up in 1 gal. pots. They wanted them gone so they let me have them for $6 each! These are now 3rd year plants, already producing spears. I can't believe I could get that lucky, to have a 2 year head start on an asparagus bed.
My next lucky break was strawberries. I have always bought them mail-order and got puny little twigs with a couple of half-dead leaves on them. I'd try to nurse them back to life and always figure on losing half (last year they all died). These babies were only $6.50 a dozen and they're HUGE -- already blooming! All 24 are happy today. I cut the bottoms out of the 1 gal. pots and put them around the bed as a chicken-barrier. I think I'll plant marigolds in them.
The tree trimmers came last week and left me a beautiful new pile of wood chips from our own trees. I still have plenty to use from last year, so this pile will be for 2018.
We have a huge pair of Century Plants (agave) which I hate, but the crazy thing bloomed last year and the skeleton of that blossom is pretty kewl so we had the trimmers take it down for us. We have a huge trunk from it -- don't know what we'll do with that -- and 2 pieces of the "blossom." They also cut down a rotten vine maple, right by the butterfly/greenhouse. Hubby got the brilliant idea to make the stump into the base of a plant table and put that blossom in the middle like an umbrella in a patio table. I probably won't get that until fall, with all his other projects ahead of, but I'm really excited about it. I will definitely be the only kid on the block with one of those. (The tabletop will be on top of the 3 stumps with the agave "tree" supported in the middle.)
Also, the trimmers showed me a whole bunch of "agave pups." They're baby agave plants that sell for $6 to $9. We have about a dozen of them. I don't like them anyway, so we will probably put an ad on Craigslist and see what we can get.
My next lucky break was strawberries. I have always bought them mail-order and got puny little twigs with a couple of half-dead leaves on them. I'd try to nurse them back to life and always figure on losing half (last year they all died). These babies were only $6.50 a dozen and they're HUGE -- already blooming! All 24 are happy today. I cut the bottoms out of the 1 gal. pots and put them around the bed as a chicken-barrier. I think I'll plant marigolds in them.
The tree trimmers came last week and left me a beautiful new pile of wood chips from our own trees. I still have plenty to use from last year, so this pile will be for 2018.
We have a huge pair of Century Plants (agave) which I hate, but the crazy thing bloomed last year and the skeleton of that blossom is pretty kewl so we had the trimmers take it down for us. We have a huge trunk from it -- don't know what we'll do with that -- and 2 pieces of the "blossom." They also cut down a rotten vine maple, right by the butterfly/greenhouse. Hubby got the brilliant idea to make the stump into the base of a plant table and put that blossom in the middle like an umbrella in a patio table. I probably won't get that until fall, with all his other projects ahead of, but I'm really excited about it. I will definitely be the only kid on the block with one of those. (The tabletop will be on top of the 3 stumps with the agave "tree" supported in the middle.)
Also, the trimmers showed me a whole bunch of "agave pups." They're baby agave plants that sell for $6 to $9. We have about a dozen of them. I don't like them anyway, so we will probably put an ad on Craigslist and see what we can get.
Re: Butterfly Junction
I'm not sure of which I am more excited, your asparagus and strawberries or the delicious pile of ramial chips. If I were you, I would move them right now to an area you want to enrich. Let them build their beautiful fungal web on site. You can use the old dry wood chips anywhere, but those ramials are special.
Re: Butterfly Junction
Great idea! Now why didn't I think of that?sanderson wrote:I'm not sure of which I am more excited, your asparagus and strawberries or the delicious pile of ramial chips. If I were you, I would move them right now to an area you want to enrich. Let them build their beautiful fungal web on site. You can use the old dry wood chips anywhere, but those ramials are special.
Re: Butterfly Junction
Super scores, Country!!! Oh I KNOW that feels good, right?!
Those strawberry plants are huge!
And the asaparagus...wow! So when can you starting eating new 3 yr olds?
Those strawberry plants are huge!
And the asaparagus...wow! So when can you starting eating new 3 yr olds?
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 68
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Butterfly Junction
I'm watching those 5 little spears. If they grow big enough, they will be eaten, but that might not happen.CapeCoddess wrote:Super scores, Country!!! Oh I KNOW that feels good, right?!
Those strawberry plants are huge!
And the asaparagus...wow! So when can you starting eating new 3 yr olds?
Re: Butterfly Junction
Major Update -- FINALLY! Here is what winter did to my "Salad Bar" followed by 20 hours of hard labor, and what it looks like this morning.
The most labor-intensive part was hauling in the wood chips for the "floor." It took at least 20 trips and several weeks as I sandwiched this job in with creating the BTE.
The "island" in the middle is my Weed Garden. That's all host plants for the butterflies. The vines are Dutchman's Pipe for the Pipevine Swallowtails -- already raised one batch -- and the rest are various types of milkweed for the Monarchs -- they should arrive later this month.
To be continued in next post.
The most labor-intensive part was hauling in the wood chips for the "floor." It took at least 20 trips and several weeks as I sandwiched this job in with creating the BTE.
The "island" in the middle is my Weed Garden. That's all host plants for the butterflies. The vines are Dutchman's Pipe for the Pipevine Swallowtails -- already raised one batch -- and the rest are various types of milkweed for the Monarchs -- they should arrive later this month.
To be continued in next post.
Re: Butterfly Junction
The first shot is down the left side as you come through the gate. It's all kale and broccoli from last fall.
Around the corner to the right is Asparagus Beans. I will plant more today. We love these.
Around the last corner is my 4th try at Daikon Radishes. It's probably too late, but we love them. Rollies got the first 3 tries. This time, I planted them in peat pots, and when they sprouted, I stuffed the pots into plastic bags, cut out the bottoms, and planted the whole thing. A few of them didn't like that idea, but I still have a dozen survivors. Fingers crossed this plan will keep out the rollies and slugs until the Daikons can get established so I can pull off the plastic.
On down that same row are the purple beans (love them) and the Swiss Chard (don't like it raw -- will try cooking it when it gets bigger).
And that concludes our tour for today.
Disclaimer about sfg grids: I have no discipline in my gardening life. I can't even keep track of what I plant where. I am not grid-worthy. Sorry.
Around the corner to the right is Asparagus Beans. I will plant more today. We love these.
Around the last corner is my 4th try at Daikon Radishes. It's probably too late, but we love them. Rollies got the first 3 tries. This time, I planted them in peat pots, and when they sprouted, I stuffed the pots into plastic bags, cut out the bottoms, and planted the whole thing. A few of them didn't like that idea, but I still have a dozen survivors. Fingers crossed this plan will keep out the rollies and slugs until the Daikons can get established so I can pull off the plastic.
On down that same row are the purple beans (love them) and the Swiss Chard (don't like it raw -- will try cooking it when it gets bigger).
And that concludes our tour for today.
Disclaimer about sfg grids: I have no discipline in my gardening life. I can't even keep track of what I plant where. I am not grid-worthy. Sorry.
Re: Butterfly Junction
Grids or no grids, it all looks very nice CN.
trolleydriver
Forum Moderator- Posts : 5395
Join date : 2015-05-04
Age : 76
Location : Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Re: Butterfly Junction
CN, All that work paid off, it looks great. Wasn't there a "stream" through the salad bar area? The wood chips should greatly help getting in there when it rains. hat do Daikon radishes taste like?
Re: Butterfly Junction
My daikons tasted like very mild icicle radishes, but I have heard horror stories that they can be very hot. I don't know what makes the difference, but I will definitely collect the seeds if this batch turns out as well as last year's.sanderson wrote:CN, All that work paid off, it looks great. Wasn't there a "stream" through the salad bar area? The wood chips should greatly help getting in there when it rains. hat do Daikon radishes taste like?
Re: Butterfly Junction
Yes, which is the main reason I laid down all those wood chips and stepping stones. I couldn't even walk out there last winter. The bubbling stream was behind where the blue chairs are in this pic.sanderson wrote:Wasn't there a "stream" through the salad bar area? The wood chips should greatly help getting in there when it rains.
Re: Butterfly Junction
Good call. In my experience all white radishes are finicky and they take forever, too. I have planted hundreds of daikons and only reaped 3-4 so far. Looks like this last batch of 16 may only yield another 3-4 -- if I'm lucky.sanderson wrote:Okay, I will stick to French Breakfast radishes. Thanks.
Re: Butterfly Junction
Thanks, Marie. I love it out there. It was a ton of work and another ton of money, but it was all worth it.AtlantaMarie wrote:Suz, that's a beautiful area!!
Re: Butterfly Junction
CN, you have your own spot of paradise in your garden.countrynaturals wrote:Thanks, Marie. I love it out there. It was a ton of work and another ton of money, but it was all worth it.AtlantaMarie wrote:Suz, that's a beautiful area!!
trolleydriver
Forum Moderator- Posts : 5395
Join date : 2015-05-04
Age : 76
Location : Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Re: Butterfly Junction
Love love love the before and afters!
Yeah, but oh those yummy seed pods...!
Which you can get from regular radish plants also come to think of it.
countrynaturals wrote:Good call. In my experience all white radishes are finicky and they take forever, too. I have planted hundreds of daikons and only reaped 3-4 so far. Looks like this last batch of 16 may only yield another 3-4 -- if I'm lucky.sanderson wrote:Okay, I will stick to French Breakfast radishes. Thanks.
Yeah, but oh those yummy seed pods...!
Which you can get from regular radish plants also come to think of it.
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 68
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Butterfly Junction
5 days of potentially record-breaking heat starts today. Highs over 105 (could be 110-111). Lows in the mid 70s. I'll take pics right now to show how beautiful everything is. Then I'll hold my breath for a week with my fingers crossed to see if there's anything left. Our water bill is already $100, so growing our own veggies is not going to save us any money, and running to the store is definitely easier, but if it's possible to grow good stuff in our brutal heat, it will be well worth it.
Re: Butterfly Junction
I'll have to water 3x a day until this is over. When I went out to water at 10am this morning, some of my plants were already wilted. I brought in one little tomato plant and all of my lettuce plants yesterday. They will be houseplants this week.countrynaturals wrote:5 days of potentially record-breaking heat starts today. Highs over 105 (could be 110-111). Lows in the mid 70s. I'll take pics right now to show how beautiful everything is. Then I'll hold my breath for a week with my fingers crossed to see if there's anything left. Our water bill is already $100, so growing our own veggies is not going to save us any money, and running to the store is definitely easier, but if it's possible to grow good stuff in our brutal heat, it will be well worth it.
Re: Butterfly Junction
CN, your garden area is beautiful! I have a square of Daikon going to flower right now, gonna try the pods! Like you, I got 4 nice big ones last fall out of a square...they were very tasty though!CapeCoddess wrote:Love love love the before and afters!countrynaturals wrote:Good call. In my experience all white radishes are finicky and they take forever, too. I have planted hundreds of daikons and only reaped 3-4 so far. Looks like this last batch of 16 may only yield another 3-4 -- if I'm lucky.sanderson wrote:Okay, I will stick to French Breakfast radishes. Thanks.
Yeah, but oh those yummy seed pods...!
Which you can get from regular radish plants also come to think of it.
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8687
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: Butterfly Junction
That brutal heatwave in June left gaping holes in my garden. I late-planted Armenian cukes and they're already up, but nothing else is cooperating. Any suggestions for what I can plant right now that will tolerate triple-digit temps?
yolos- Posts : 4152
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 74
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
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