Tag: Garden

Photo Friday: garden spider surprise

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This week in the garden I found a Wolf Spider with her egg sack in tow…

The white round thing is the egg sack, but even so, she herself (legs included) was the size of a silver dollar.  The bright silver bits in the lower right are the tines on my pitchfork.  I left them in for size comparison.

Can’t see her?  Oh, OK!

For a really close up view you can click the image and get as close as you like…

How’s that?

Personally, with the exception of Brown Recluse, I don’t mind spiders in my garden.  They perform a beneficial service for me by ridding my plants of bad insects.  She is obviously well fed living here in the compost pile.  From the looks of her egg case, her babies will be hatching soon!  Which means more hungry spiders to eat all those nasty flying Palmetto bugs hiding in there!

I have been partial to Wolf spiders since I was seven.  Back then I was brave enough to touch that gigantic fluffy looking spider in the barn…  Whereupon all her ‘fuzzy’ sprouted legs and went scurrying off her back!  Lady Wolfspider will carry all her babies on her back for a while after hatching thus making herself look even more enormous as well as affording her progeny a bit of extra protection!

Look! It’s a scam.

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My husband was on a Sun Chip jag last fall.  He was also irritated at how noisy the new “Compostable” bag was.

He didn’t believe it would work and said:  “Just throw it away, it’s a scam,”

Well, I am big on composting and I’ll do anything I can to keep as much as possible of the landfill.  I currently put all kitchen waste, smallish cotton scraps and thread from my sewing projects, any paper that comes into the house or via the mail so long as it is not shiny and/or brightly colored.  So when I saw the bag I thought OK I will try it!

Imagine my surprise today when digging out well-rotted compost for my new garden patch to discover this at the bottom of the heap!

The brag on the bag?  “Louder because it’s compostable.”

The bag also points out that it should be fully composted by week 13…

However …

My lovely assistant Polly would like to point out…

That the date on the bag is October 19 of 2010!  That’s 8 months, or roughly 32 weeks – give or take.

I think that makes it official.

As a biodegradable product it is  a “FAIL”

There’s no place like home…

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After running off to Cheekwood week before last I took a look around and realized I had some wonderful things happening “… right in my own back yard…”  Perhaps Dorothy was right?

What I found…

Iris in three stages of bloom

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Pink Dogwood in Bloom

I first visited our property in April and all the dogwoods were in bloom! We have twelve, but only this one is pink the rest being white.  It was their beauty and the seclusion of our little street that sold me.

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I know it’s dark.  It  was taken at dawn.

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Over the weekend I was working at the potting bench and kept smelling a wonderful perfume… I sniffed everything in sight and couldn’t figure out what it could be.  Then I took a different path to the front yard and passed by this!

There is no finer fragrance than that of Lilac in bloom.

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The summer’s strawberries are only blossoms now, but I can already taste them,  picked fresh of a morning and kissed by the Fairies with dew.

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And finally…

Three Chicklets in a Fringe Tree

So OK, technically this is not in bloom yet, but it wouldn’t be a visit to the Farmlet with out the ubiquitous chicken picture now would it?  But you have to imagine my surprise when I returned from picture-taking to find these three roosting in the little Fringe Tree in the back yard.  We have three of them, two in back, and one out at the end of the drive.  I love them!  They have a subtle sweet scent, but it is their fuzzy “Grandpaw’s Whiskers” (another name they are known by) that makes me love them so!  Want see one in full bloom?

Then follow this link to Clemson University’s Extension <— (Click here) for a view and a bit of information on these lovely native specimens!

Thank you for visiting, and see you again soon!

 

Photo Friday: and an answer to an old question…

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Ever wondered “Where do the squirrels go when they race up that tree trunk?”

Well, we took a break and went to the suburbs of Nashville on Saturday to visit Cheekwood.  It has become our go to place to visit for gardens extraordinaire!  When in California we often visited The Arboretum and walked the grounds for hours enjoying the gardens and looking for ideas to try at home.  At that time Cheekwood was a place on our list of “Maybe someday we’ll go.”  We never imagined then, that a cross country move would bring us to within driving distance of the estate.

Cheekwood was, as was the LA Arboretum, an old family estate.  Here you can stroll the grounds, go inside the home to view art on display, and enjoy the wild things that live on the estate grounds.  On this day we actually took time to go inside and saw the Faberge Eggs and other jeweled items on display.  They’ve had them on loan for five years and will soon be leaving.   (Glad we decided to go in!)   Sorry, picture-taking within the home is strictly verboten, and enforced!  But, I found you a picture of one of my favorites.  (Yup, it’s a chicken)

This is the little gift that started it all for Faberge!

You can view this and many other fine examples of Faberge Eggs here at:  HaupLight

All this loveliness is tucked away down a winding narrow road in Belle Meade.   A very exclusive suburb of Nashville.   (YES, that Belle Meade!  If you are into fine race horses then click the link for more information!)

Here is a peak of what you might find in spring at Cheekwood…

Tulips at the entrance are back-lit by the afternoon sun.

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The Cheekwood Manor

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Dogwoods in white and pink are all about the grounds

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An ancient Eastern Redbud, happy for spring, bursts into bloom from its trunk.

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Almost any path will take you by water… whether it’s the lake sized pond or one of the several little streams on the property it promises tranquility for the viewer.

And on this day…

There was preparation for a wedding…

The weatherman had predicted clouds and drizzle.

Mother Nature said, “Nay!”  and gave the Newlyweds a gift…

A perfect sunny day!

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Did you think I forgot the question about where squirrels go when they race up that tree trunk? No…

Here is your answer!

Fifteen feet off the ground this squirrel lives in the hollow hole of this tree, which is located in the fountain garden to the south side of the mansion.

Oh my! I just read on their official site that over three dozen trees were damaged in the storm that went through  on the April 5th.  (The one in my previous post)  I hope the little follow and his home were spared!

Read more about what Cheekwood has to offer on their official website ~ HERE:  http://www.cheekwood.org/