Showing posts with label bugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bugs. Show all posts

Thursday, June 22, 2017

The Saga of the Drive Bed...


You've heard the story of the
Drive Bed,
many times.

I did a long history blog about it 

Well...it changed again.


I thought maybe I could save this big Prickly Pear.

The Cactus Bugs had done a real job on it.

I began trimming back and cleaning up the ruined pads.
That's when I began to see even more of the awful bugs.

Why do all that work, just to have it continue to fall apart?


So, I started hacking it out.
Not an easy job, with such a big mess.


I finally got it hacked down, and the trunk dug up.
I hauled it out and piled it all in the Grove, where it began years ago.
Maybe some of the pads will root, and grow again.

By the way...these can be vicious plants.
Long spines are not the biggest problem.
Those mean little stickers...glochids....are.
They were even in the soil.
They worked their way into my gloves,
and since I sit on my behind, while I garden...
Well...you get the picture.

NO FUN!!

Anyway...here is the new incarnation...


So far, I like it.


These Golden Barrel Cacti needed to have more sun, anyway.
And, the little Bunny Cactus fit in, nicely.


It looks especially nice, in the morning light.



I'm sorry to lose such a beautiful plant.
But, the bugs won this one.

That's the thing about gardening...
it's never DONE.

Hope you're enjoying your ever-changing gardens.


Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

A Prickly Situation..



We have a prickly situation here....
 a Prickly Pear, situation.



This is the Prickly Pear 
(Opuntia engelmanii)
 I transplanted from the Deer Grove.

It has grown a lot, since then. In fact, this is just HALF
of it, when we moved it from the side yard,
to the Drive Bed.

This is how it looked last year,


This is how it looks now.


It's really spread out.


It's full of buds.


But, this is how they end up.


They try to open, but they get the life sucked out of them.


By these...
Hesperolabops gelastops.
In other words, Cactus bugs.

They suck the juices out of the pads.
See the damage to this new pad?


They've been making a mess, out of the whole thing.

The treatment is blasts of water, or soapy water...
or Neem...

There are hundreds of these vile little creatures.
And, they're fast...running to the other side of the pads,
when you walk up.

So far, I've been trying soapy water...
going around and around the cactus, trying to hit them.

More entertainment for the neighbors.
Maybe they think it's some kind of 'Cactus Ritual'...

So far, the bugs are still there.

I'll keep trying the soap.
Then, I may have to go to the big guns.

I'll let you know, how it goes.




The marks on this cactus are from the hail we had a week or so ago.
Can't do anything about that.
But, at least no bugs....
yet.

With gardening...
it's always something.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Happy Spring....



Spring has sprung!

It's been pretty warm here, the last few days.
Monday, we got up to 94 here at Patchwork Garden.
A 'cold front' came through, and yesterday was only 86.

Last night, there were storms in the area.  
Some got pretty good sized hail.
We didn't.  But, we did get .16 inches of rain.
It all helps.

Spiderwort

We have very few blooms, so far.  Those nights in the 20s, do take their toll.

Turk's Cap

But, there's lots of new growth going on.


There are several new fans on this palm.
I didn't write the name down.   
So, we just call it the 'Island Palm', since it's in the Island Bed.


And, I think the Yucca Rostrata is getting bigger.


We have a lot...A LOT...of Mexican Feathergrass babies.
Some will be moved to other places. 
 But, some will just end up in the compost.


Speaking of compost...
I dug out some from the bottom of our pile to spread in the Veggie Garden.


I poured out a bucket-full, and found this guy.
I know...he looks like a regular grubworm.


But, this guy is a little bit bigger.
Usually the size of one of those leaves, this guy was about THREE INCHES long!
I put down my glove, so you could see the size.

I think he liked the compost.
Sorry.  I didn't want to even imagine the June Bug he might become.
So, he became bird food.

*******

I hope you're having a wonderful first day of Spring.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Sunday, September 4, 2011

What's That, You Say?...

There's a cold front coming?

When?

Are you sure about that?

Ah....no more triple digit degrees......

Some nice cool nights....

Will it be a good thing, Mommy?

Woo Hoo!!!  You bet it'll be a good thing, Kid.

This is gonna be NICE!

Now, if we can just get some rain.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~