What in the World? or Mystery in the Garden!

***Update- after searching thru 70 some pages of pictures on What's That Bug, we have narrowed the bug down to some kind of toothpick grasshopper.

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.

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.

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.

Note to Self!

To: self

Subject: Tutorial on photography

Step 1: find subject


Step 2: frame subject in center

Step 2: frame subject in center with wings open

Step 2: frame subject in center with wings open

Step 2: frame subject in center with wings open

Step 3: frame subject in center with wings open (close enough!)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Surprises and Thank Heavens The Move is Over!

It has been a long couple of weeks! Between working, packing, moving, unpacking, making phone calls, meeting with lawyers and fixing meals-I am pooped!

The good news is my Dad is now in his new apartment and for the most part settled in. We had lots of help the day of the move, mostly hubby's side. Two of his brothers volunteered and of course our daughter and some of the grand girls. Our 2 son-in-laws had to work so they missed all the fun. We made it in one trip with 2 trailers, a couple of pick ups and of course a couple of cars. The men did most of the heavy lifting and we girls sorted and put away. I had almost everything packed before hand and that was a big factor in being able to do the move in one day. All workers were treated to a spaghetti supper at our house-who had the energy to go out. I had planned ahead and made the sauce the day before so it was fairly easy to throw together a salad and slice some Italian bread while the spaghetti was cooking. By 8:00 that evening, all but 2 granddaughters had gone home and I could finally put my feet up. This week we(my Dad and I) have been finishing sorting and putting away and finding things that were lost. Today, I took him to a bank that is much closer and got his new account started, called Social Security and changed where his check would be deposited, called Dish TV and set up a time for them to put up his new satellite, and paid bills for the month. I think we are done!


Do you remember my post about the Japanese Beetles eating my sunflowers? Well, an apology is due them. They weren't the culprits in this case.

With apologies to Mary and Cheryl for the quality of my pictures, I'll show you what has been eating the sunflowers. So please bear with the horrible pictures-they were taken through a window, and try to imagine my delight. I have gold finches by the dozens! They are eating the seed.

This one is sitting on one of the leaves. Enlarging the pictures does seem to help.

Another one deciding if the coast is clear.

They are such fun to watch trying to get the seed. They flutter their wings trying to stay in one place long enough to eat.

And they even hang upside down to get their lunch!

Some of the sunflowers have very few seeds left on them. But that's okay. I am enjoying the finches!

The beetles seem to be leaving, although it's a little early. Queen Elizabeth has bloomed without them destroying her bud.

A new climber this year Golden Showers, has finally bloomed. I didn't expect too much from this and a couple other roses I planted this year. They were very small and probably not #1 grade. These were some I ordered on line from Direct Buy Gardens. I don't think I will order any more from them. The plants were all small, they arrived way to early and some of them were not in a survivable state. I could have gotten them replaced, but figured I had learned a good lesson. Order from a well known reliable source.

I know I have shown this before, but I am so thrilled to have one in bloom. It is the Butterfly Weed, I started from seed March 30. 5 of the 8 I planted lived to be transplanted outside and so far all of them are doing well. I am hoping they winter over and come back next year.

My Moon Flower Vine, is certainly vining! It just keeps sending out runners and they are growing on the sunflowers now. Long ago, it out grew the lightning rod I planted it on. My question is, When does it bloom?

My zinnias are so pretty and I am really enjoying the groupings of them I planted. I intended to plant even more next year. The cutting bed is coming along a little slow, but that is my fault. When I made the new bed, the leaves weren't out on the trees yet, and so I have it in the shade. This is a green one-not sure if I like it or not. It's different, though.

And finally,the last oriental lily bloom. I am going to move these this fall. They are in an area I don't see every day and these deserve to be seen and enjoyed.

I have so enjoyed reading your posts- taking a few minutes each evening when I get off work. I still feel connected at least by doing that. They brighten my mood and make me smile. Thank you!

Have a great gardening week.

August Muse Day

Muse day, August 1, 2008. Brought to you by Carolyn Gail of Sweet Home and Garden in Chicago.

"Fairest of the months! Ripe summer's queen

The hey-day of the year

With robes that gleam with sunny sheen

Sweet August doth appear."- R. Combe Miller

"Whilst August yet wears her golden crown, Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn."- Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown

"Summer's lease hath all too short a date."- William Shakespeare

Hope August brings you lots of gardening joy!

A Little Whimsy, A Little Gardening!

I have been reading in others' posts about 'Whimsy' in their gardens. Gardening Gone Wild's designer workshop this month in Whimsy in the Garden. I have loved all the art work, fanciful and playful creatures, and downright silliness. I don't have much, as I just can't seem to find things that jump out at me and say 'take me to your garden'. But I decided to show you what I do have. What would Dragonfly Corner be without a dragonfly?

And you may remember the antique lightning rods rescued from the roof when we put on new shingles. I have 3 of these-only 2 have the glass balls. This one has a morning glory growing up it that is the same color blue as the ball. Another one is covered ball and all with a moon plant.

I have always loved yard or garden flags(I think that is what they are called). This is my first year to have one. Notice the Kobold liatris beside it that is just starting to bloom. I found these bulbs at Aldi's (discount grocery) this spring for a really good price. My first time for these, too.

And that is my little bit of whimsy. I have been thinking of adding more, but probably not til next spring. Maybe I just need to loosen up a little and let whimsy take hold.

This is a container with my yellow impatiens that I paid a fortune for. I am not very happy with them as they are much more a peachy color. Maybe they are getting too much sun. But what I really wanted to show you were the Bells of Ireland! I started these from seed and was so pleased to see them actually bloom. They would have looked great with a yellow to contrast or compliment the pale green. Oh well, they are still pretty.

I just had to show Silver Mound Artemisia, another first for me. Planted this spring from an 8" pot, it has more than doubled in size! I think I will have to get some more of this next year. What a great plant. Above and beside it are some pass along plants. Yarrow from Rose and I'm not sure now about the top one.

A small mass of zinnias started from seed indoors.

This was the first day lily I ever planted. I have had it about 5 years now and divided it 3 times. It is a prolific bloomer and a fast grower. Wish I knew the name! (sigh)

Yellow glads planted to try and get some other colors in my garden besides pink and purples. I did plant some purple ones thinking the combination of colors would be pleasing. As it turns out the purples were more lilac with white throats and they bloomed a lot earlier than the yellows. Not all plans work out the way you want.

My coral bells are blooming, although they are puny little flower stalks. I have seen some with blooms that really show. I shouldn't complain as the foliage is exceptionally nice this year.

My first delphinium! This is one of those plants I bought a little later in the spring. It is supposed to be Magic Fountain Lavender. Even taking into account the camera's penchant for turning purples into blues, this is not lavender. So, I'm not sure what the actual name is. But being as it is purple-it can stay!

Some of the caladium bulbs I planted have really grown large leaves. This one is cupped and holding rain drops from the light showers we had the night before. The red doesn't exactly go with the pink and purple wave petunias, but does look good next to the sweet potato vine. As large as this vine has gotten, next year I am thinking of doing a container of just them and a couple of tall plants-maybe the dark red spikes they have now.

And lastly, Sum and Substance is blooming. I love the big snow white flowers almost as much as I do the hosta's leaves. If you look really closely or enlarge this picture, you will see..... did you guess? A Japanese Beetle! I couldn't believe they were going after another kind of plant. They are really being obnoxious this year, sampling just about every plant and bloom in my garden.

This is probably it from Dragonfly Corner for this week. We have the 'big move' on Saturday. I am going to my Dad's Tuesday to help (do) with the packing. He will be staying with us for a couple of weeks while waiting for his new apartment to become empty. Luckily, we can store all of his things in the garage of the new place.

I hope all enjoy their gardens this week!

Butterflies, Bees, and Beetles!

*** Updated July 25, 2008
I found the name of the butterfly. It is a Red Spotted Purple-limenitis arthemis and can be found here!

Posting twice in one week...yeah! Life is getting better. I am still busy with a lot on my plate, but I think for now things are somewhat under control. I have finally gotten the big 'move' organized, accepted the fact that my Dad will have to stay with us for a couple of weeks while his new apartment is finished, decided not to stress too much about the lack of help from my the siblings, it has rained so I haven't had to water, the weather has moderated, I didn't have to work this evening, I've gotten my house in a semi-state of clean, and I spent some quality time in my garden today. Yes, life is improving.

I couldn't resist showing my favorite day lily again, so bear with me please. I smile every time I see her blooms.

This picture shows the color much truer than the one I showed last post.

As the title suggested, I did manage to photo some butterflies . This one was so patient with me as I tried to get just the right shot.

I am sure someone out there knows his name....

A Painted Lady on a sunflower. She, however, wouldn't open her wings for me and preferred I take a side view.

Bees on my cone flowers...I am so happy!

Japanese Beetles on my sunflower...I am so not happy! I noticed something had been eating the immature seeds and had hoped it was birds, but I think it was this guy. Is there anything they won't destroy?!

Do you remember the last time Rose and I went plant shopping? I vowed not to buy any more annuals. My intentions were good-but the 'gotta have it' syndrome kicked in today. Those zinnias were on sale and looked so pretty. Did I mention they were on sale?

The smaller pots are Angelina Sedum, a perennial. I did get one back in the spring and then saw it planted as a border at the Idea Garden. I am going to try to do that with these along the roadside burm alternating with Artemisia Silver Mound. Can you believe these were on sale for $1.00?! I stopped by Rose's to show her and she is going plant shopping tomorrow...after all a sale is a good thing!

This is one of the planters now that it has filled in some. The wave petunias in the top just haven't done as well as I had hoped, but all in all it looks pretty good. Next year I think I will put something taller in the top to emphasize it more. And maybe still have something that trails down onto the lower part. Summer is only half over and I am already planning for next year!

This is also a whiskey 1/2 barrel. And it didn't turn out the way I pictured. The waves just haven't done well this year, but even if they had, this sweet potato vine would have taken them over. I added this long after I planted the waves and just look at how it has grown!

Lisa showed a field of wildflowers a while back that was beautiful. I found this patch just on the outskirts of town. The state highway department is trying to do more 'prairie' restoration along their right of ways-less mowing.

There are 'blackeyed susans' (Gail did a great post on these) and I know that white flower must be a daisy relative, but we know it as a weed.

Cone flowers, of course! I wish I knew what the name of these are. They are just a little different than the ones I have-thinner petals and a darker color.

And these. Does anyone know what they are? All these planted together with a sprinkling of vetch made an impressive display.

I hope your gardens are doing well and that you are taking time to enjoy them. Have a wonderful weekend!

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."- Hans Christian Andersen