Search results

The butterfly bed is blooming nicely still, but I still can't get a picture of the hummingbird although she comes everyday. But here's a tiger swallowtail that likes the liatris. It has been a cold summer with few butterflies. I seem to be hosting thousands more carpenter bees than anything...

THE PEAS will be done better next year. 1. Something sturdy to climb on even thought they are called "bush." Flopping sure is hard on the back come picking time. 2. Sart them here in PA by St. Patrick's Day and succession plant every month. For at least two, maybe three plantings. They...

Drake Maiden, That is a good suggestion. I haven't worked on it in a while--maybe I'll get back on it in the fall tree planting season. The wind is Westerly and I've started planting a wind block in that direction. I have two rows of evergreens on the other side of the "front yard." I...

Vfem, That's great! Yes, it is very exciting even for an adult. Your daughter must be enthralled. I think you might have a mild surprise coming. If I remember correctly, that is a black swallowtail caterpillar. I could be wrong. What kind of plants? Dill? I have a hard time keeping...

I planted a garden to draw butterflys last year and it is starting to come into it's own. Here are a few photos of my "fun with native plants in the landscape" project. Please join in if you are using native plants and add your pictures to the post. This zig zag fence was supposed to block...

I know you can prune them and I have the same questions because mine are where they will eventually block the view. However, I have learned one thing. When the straight, extremely fast growing, "water sprouts" shoot up above the rest of the growth, trim them two or three feet lower than the...

First time garden so I have no idea how it will turn out, but I planted winter squash between my rows of corn. Now the corn is so thick and tall, I'm not sure it will get enough light in there to do anything. (Likewise the beans growing up the corn.) Anyway it has sprouted and is growing...

WOW, just beautiful. D

Uh oh. I don't like to here about Japanese Beetles. You are several weeks ahead of us. If you have them now, we will soon. D

That bug is browner than the one I posted, but I think it is also a Palomena prisina--a stink bug. (More than one sheild bug is called a stink bug.) One "stink bug," which was just introduced to the United States accidentally in some pallets that came through Allentown, PA, about an 30 miles...

Thanks. I'll do just that. My three sisters are coming along, the potimarron winter squash is germinating... ...and so are the beans: You can see, I planted rows instead of hills. It will be interesting to see if it the beans pull down the corn. I gave the corn quite a head start, and...

Green shield bug? Palomena prasina...

Can I ask another corn question on this post? My corn is getting side shoots at the base that go off on a 45 degree angle. Am I supposed to take them off? Will they produce ears? Thanks, Debby

I'm sorry to hear that, GrowingVeggiesinSC. We're getting relentless rain, drizzle, clouds, downpours, showers and thunderstorms up here in PA, too. I would say it has been for three or more weeks. I wish there were something I could do to help you out. Good luck. I can't imagine how...

From this map of the recorded occurance, it looks like you could add to the known range of the species...

Reinbeau, I looked in Caterpillers of Eastern North America. Could it be a Turbulent phosphila...

. As I understand it, they add nitrogen to the carbon in the wood chips. Things heavy in carbon are hard to break down without nitrogen sources such as green material or manure. Debby

Wow, Ann. I bow down. You are a very hard worker and have lovely taste. I love your gardens. This is a great post. Lots of pictures and the progression is facinating. Debby

I have 2 horses and use pine shavings for bedding. Over the course of a year I get a pile about the size of VW bus. Then I move over and start another. After three years the first pile is compost even if I don't turn it. I do use the bucket on the tractor to push it up into a higher pile...

TomatoKate, I'm just putting two and two together and realizing that those were the little trees you put in this year. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing that the deer took off the fruit. I have heard that the first year the fruit should be removed to let the tree concentrate it's energy on...