Camouflaged Caterpillar Culprit Caught!

But before we get to the main story, here's the regularly schedule weather report and garden status.

So it being consistently warm I am watering every other day. As I've said, if I had the right materials I would be mulching and watering much less. I put extra cups over the small zinnia babies overnight and removed all the covers this morning. The cucumber is showing signs of real leaves  now so it will be outgrowing the cup very soon.

The garden this morning (just after 11am) and the Giant Bird of Paradise.  I will never forget the one at an apartment complex that was that tall and I lived on the second floor near the stairwell where it was planted. We were eye level with the flowers with more plant above it.

Don't plant them near buildings. Bad idea... The flowers dripped sap on the walkway although it made it easier to prune flowers off. Not my plant, not my job.

 

 

All the others that were left uncovered survived the night but was concerned for the ones in the bed with the radishes that are getting munched.

I think it's pill bugs that are eating the radishes because there were at least two in the slug trap this morning. Poor things are getting ravaged.

 

And now for the big news, 'Camouflaged Caterpillar Culprit Caught!'

 

While watering today I shifted the tomatoes around, marveling and being very proud of myself at all the fruit, then noticed something... signs of munching on one of the smaller tomatoes ::cue dramatic music duhnduhnduhnnnn bongodrums::

First it was the tomato with definite chew holes so I picked it off then noticed a flower next to it had been plucked as well.... searching diligently, I found it! Remembering the position I had seen it the first time I looked at the curve of leaves and there it was. On the other side of the bush but not far from the damaged tomato.

It is a marvel of coloring and a beauty in itself, I didn't have the heart to outright kill it and there were no birds making sounds anywhere, too hot and late in the morning. I just took it on it's leaf and laid it in semi shade on top of the electrical box near the bird of paradise. It's far enough away that if it decides to take a walk it will encounter other leafy things to eat rather than my plants.

 

 It will likely be eaten or go the wrong way before it gets back to the garden. Or one of the other residents will see it and wonder why and how it got there. Thinking I should have hidden it because there are some well meaning but kind of daft people that might take it back to the garden.

So that's the big news for today, glad I got it because despite having more than enough tomatoes it would have been frustrating and disappointing to have it dig into a ripe tomatoe or ruin ones almost ready.

 

 

 

 

At least it's cloudy, rain coming soon.

 As soon as I say 'wait and see' for the weather, it does what it's predicted. No rain but definitely still blustery and cloudy. Love the wind because I know it brings different weather, I had to wear my long pants again today because it may not get to the high 70's.

So out to the garden I went. Everything chugging along, soil still 'moist' from watering yesterday but due to it being sunny and now cloudy I decided to water anyway. The pea I tried to support had been blown sideways so twisted it up to try and get it to stay.

Honestly considered getting my wire cutters out and opening that cage up flat but it's technically not mine. Didn't get a chance to go to HD yesterday, made a half hearted look at what Target had in their seasonal/garden section. Disappointing for actual gardening as suspected. Might go for a walk up the road to the little nursery and see what they have.

I am disconcerted every time I dig into the soil with the trowel and hear that 'scrape/tink' of hitting a small rock or pebble. I pulled pea sized rocks and slightly bigger out of the potato soil when I was loosening it. I did the same in the north bed and accidentally chopped one of the smaller pea sprouts. Oh well. I then decided to transplant the remaining one in the front over to the corner of the potato bed.

 

At least in the corner there I can set up a couple of stakes, I'll get some shade in the summer with the sun overhead even and now I have room to plant something in the front of the other bed. You can see how dark the soil still is but it's not very wet hence why I watered anyway despite rain coming in.

The lawn was wet as well which means the gardeners turned the sprinklers on this morning. Any water is better than none. Definitely getting darker outside from cloud cover, may have some sprinkles in a few hours. 

There was a flower blooming on my morning walk with Rocky but pictures on my phone didn't do it justice. I thought it was a Freesia at first but then got closer and realized I was wrong. I love Freesias.

The name of this one escapes me but now I want to go see if there's freesias somewhere so I can plant them. Way too late in the season for us though. Sigh.

It's finally raining!!! Due to the wind it's blowing around most of it but love that smell, the wind and everything. Sigh.

I got a better look at the azalea and am incorrect that it is an Alaska. It's a single flower so it's likely a Mrs. G.G. Gerbing. Had to look it up because it's been so long since I was working with Azaleas every  day I've lost a lot of the names.

Anyway, wonderful weather outside my window and keeping the blinds and window open for the breeze and smells.