This is granddaughter week at our house. The 3 we usually only get once a month are spending 10 glorious days with us. * Along with them, we have had 1 or 2 others here spending the day and night also. I can't begin to explain how wonderful it is to have them here long enough to just be together and do ordinary things. Oh, we have done some special things, too, like spending the day at the Indianapolis Zoo. We have spent a day swimming and will do a day of shopping for school necessities. But the ordinary things are what I hope they remember most.
We have spent a lot of time in the gardens. They have helped me water and deadhead. I have told them names of plants and flowers. We have looked for and found butterflies and bees. And have even taken some pictures. This evening as we were doing our walk about the garden we found a very unusual insect. "Mama, what is it!?" I didn't have the answer-sadly, Mamas don't know everything.
So , I told them we would take pictures and put it on my blog and ask. Surely someone out there in blog land has seen this creature and will know what it is.
It's about 5" long and a very bright green. At first we thought it was a leaf stuck to the patio chair. It did not seem bothered by our presence or the flash of the camera.
We did get it to crawl onto a stake so we could get a better side view.
We did get it to crawl onto a stake so we could get a better side view.
Any ideas? Please!
They wanted me to show this picture as well. It is another Queen Elizabeth rose. Beside the newly bloomed one are 2 who have suffered at the jaws of the Japanese Beetle. "Why do they like roses, Mama?" Another question I couldn't answer. And I was wrong about them leaving. They are still here-maybe not in as great a numbers-but they are still doing damage.
They wanted me to show this picture as well. It is another Queen Elizabeth rose. Beside the newly bloomed one are 2 who have suffered at the jaws of the Japanese Beetle. "Why do they like roses, Mama?" Another question I couldn't answer. And I was wrong about them leaving. They are still here-maybe not in as great a numbers-but they are still doing damage.
I wish you all as much fun sharing your gardens as I have had this week!
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* one day, I will go into more detail about these 3 granddaughters, but for now-just know we are thrilled to have them whenever we can.
22 comments:
Beckie, Isn't it a joy to do the "ordinary" things with your grandchildren? They see the pleasure in the smallest of things.
I wish I could identify your strange insect, but I have no idea. I seem to have some aliens in my garden, too, including a few Japanese beetles. Like you, I thought they had left, but these must be the late party guests who never want to leave:)
Your last two pictures are beautiful; you have to tell me how you did that with the black background!
Enjoy the rest of the week with the girls and give them a hug for me; you are making special memories for them.
Beckie,
What a wonderful day! You have 7 granddaughters! We haven't any grandchildren and our only isn't in any hurry to help us out either!
Granddaughters reminds me of the hundreds of little girls and their moms visiting the American Girl shop in Chicago~what a fascinating phenomena!
I have smaller versions of the green bug, it looks like some kind of grasshopper but it is probably some fancy named something else! and like Rose, I want to know how you got the black background...the photos look great!
What a lovely way to spend time with your grandchildren, in the garden. My boys (especially my youngest) use to follow me around and ask me questions about the plants & insects. :) I think that is some type of grasshopper. Japanese Beetles love roses for the same reason we love them. They are beautiful, have wonderful fragrance & are tasty! :)
Start making gardeners of them when they are young:)
I hope your Japanese beetles leave soon. In my area they are here past the first part of September:<
Marnie
Hi Beckie ...how lovely to have the girls with you...fun times for all....the ordinary things are, I am sure, what they will remember....
The funny bug could possibly be a grasshopper...that is what it looks like to me....
Why do Japanese beetles eat roses....hhhhmmmm why not?
In the summer I drink rose petal wine...yes it is made from rose petals and tastes of roses....it is quite lovely and hard to find now....BUT if rose petals taste like the wine, I can understand why that beetle eats your roses!!!!!
Beckie-I can't tell you how envious I am of those granddaughters of yours. I spent much time with my grandparents when I was a child and enjoyed every minute. They loved gardening and I guess that is where I got my love of it.
I'm sorry but I don't have a clue what that insect is. It does look like some type of grasshopper though.
Beckie: I have been entertained and delighted by my three grandchildren for the past week as well. This afternoon they all went home. Tomorrow night our daughter's two year old comes back to stay for the weekend. We planted some zinnia seeds and tomato seeds for the 9 yr old to take home and nurture. He loves to spot the birds with me too. So much fun to pass along our garden passion.
Enjoy your time with your granddaughters... sounds like they are enjoying your garden with you.
Meems @Hoe&Shovel
Rose, I had so hoped the beetles had left early, but guess we are stuck with them for a while longer.
The girls have just been pure joy thse past few days. You know how much this has meant to me to have them for an extended visit.
I had to smile when I read yours and Gails questions about the pics. You know I have no talent when it comes to taking photos, so thse are pure accident.:) It was getting to be twilight out and the flash went off on the camera while I was taking the pics. I turned off the flash and you couldn't make out an details so I chose to keep the flash on. Actually, when I downloaded them, I thought they looked pretty good. Like I said-purely accidental!
Gail, all the girls are the light of our lives! We have truly been blessed to have them come into our world. Here's hoping you have one soon. One of the girls is really into the American Doll and has the one with her name. Her Mom bought her an outfit to match her doll and she is in 7th heaven. Her dream is going to Chicago and having lunch at the shop.(Don't tell, but that's what she is getting for her birthday!) The bug is some kind of toothpick grasshopper. I saw more kinds of them on that website-hundreds! Who knew. See my answer to Rose about the pictures...I am still smiling about it.
PG, I guess you are right about the roses and the beetles, but geez do they have to take them all!
Having little ones in the gardens is wonderful. They notice things that I don't and seeing thru their eyes is pure joy.
Marnie, I hope I am helping them to become gardeners and they will remember the times they spent with me in mine. I had hoped the beetles were gone early, but it looks like they are here til Sept. :(
Cheryl, rose wine sounds wonderful! I've never heard of it here though. Like you, I so enjoy having the grands with me and in the garden. They are such the great helpers and seem to really enjoy being out there. Tonight we found 2 cocoons! We took pictures(of course) and I am to keep track of them after the girls go home. I hope to make a picture record for them. Enjoy your weekend!
Susie, I too spent a lot of time with my grandparents! We worked in their veggie gardens a lot and I always found it amazing that such great food came from the garden. Although I don't grow any veggies now, I want the girls to know the joy of planting and taking care of plants and seeing what they produce.
Meems, don't you feel blessed to have been able to spend so much time with them? And you are sooo right they are very entertaining. How wonderful you have budding gardeners and a birder to boot! Our youngest is 3 now-going on 10, and even though she's a hand full, she is also such a joy. Oh...they are growing up so quickly.
I haven't seen a grasshopper like that here. However we are having a lot of 'different' looking grasshoppers this year. Today I saw one that was a rusty brown color with a loarge hear and body. When it hopped away it flew with wings that looked like a butterfly. I have also seen some large steel gray grasshoppers this year. I wonder if they are really grasshoppers at all?
Isn't it wonderful to have the house filled with children, laughing and making childhood memories "at Grandma's"? Enjoy your time together.
Jenny(morning-glories-in-round-rock)
My first thought is a katydid. I googled it and clicked on images and it looks like some of the pics I saw.
I have something similiar on my blanket flowers. I just thought it was a grasshopper and since it doesn't seem to be doing any damage, I left him alone.
What fun to have so much life around your house. I don't have grandchildren, to my regret. Enjoy them, they grow up so soon. My neices and nephews sure did. I miss them being little.
beckie, I would say its some type of grasshopper or katydid
Eve, thanks for visiting. They do grow up quickly. Seems only yesterday we were bringing home our first granddaughter and that was almost 17 years ago! But it has been so fulfilling to see them grow into such wonderful little people. The house will be so quiet after they go home.
This has been the year for strange looking bugs. Or maybe I am just taking more notice.:)
Gintoino, great to hear from you again. Yes, it is a type of grasshopper. But we don't have the full name yet. Still working on that.
I bet your granddaughters will have wonderful memories of being with you in the garden.
So sweet that you worry about me, but there's no need. I'm always a good girl and follow my doctor's/physiotherapists orders. I'm not one to take chances with my health. It's a constant balancing act right now, so when you read that I went berry picking or made muffins, it means that my husband probably made dinner, washed dishes, folded laundry and vacuumed!
Oh Becky, I am so happy that you are enjoying your granddaughters. There is nothing more satisfying than spending time doing ordinary things (and extra-ordinary things to) with them.
Bless you and your family.
The mystery bug looks like a katydid. It looks too soft to be a grasshopper!
Aiyana
I was surprised when you had said earlier that the Japanese Beetles were gone, as mine are having a convention right now on the Rose of Sharon.
It sounds like you had some great fun with the grands Beckie. I don't know what your bug is but maybe someone else can tell you. Good photos of it. It is big too.
I am still without a computer. I try to look at some blogs while at work but I haven't had much time to do so. Imagine having to work while at work. Ha....
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