Monarch butterfly in pupa stage

Yesterday I noticed a rather large caterpillar on the clothes line. I moved it to the deck railing and let it move on from there. Imagine my surprise this morning to see it underneath the railing, hanging from the rear end of its body.

I googled monarch butterflies, because I had an intuition that this is what this was. And sure enough, there was a photo of a caterpillar just like this one. So this is the fourth stage of the life cycle, and now the caterpillar spins a pad of sticky stuff to which it then hangs.  It hangs in a J-shape, with its head at the bottom. If you stay and watch, you will see the caterpillar then slough off its outer covering and spin itself into a translucent green cocoon. 

I had to take the dog for a walk at this point, so I totally missed the "pupa dance" that I had heard about at the February horticultural meeting. It takes all of ten minutes, so it must be quite amazing to see this happen.

In the photo below, you can see the caterpillar has disappeared inside this green sack, which is about half the size of the caterpillar. The black fuzzy thing at top left is its skin, I presume. If you look closely, you can see the stripes that were the pattern of its skin.
Apparently, it will remain in this cocoon for about 15 days, during which time the cocoon will become transparent and you will be able to see the colour of the wings that are forming.

It is a truly amazing process and I hope to document it as it proceeds. I read that only 10% of these larva become monarch butterflies so this one has made it through 80% of the process thus far, and has a good chance of emerging in two weeks as a spectacular butterfly. Then it will live for about 2 weeks, during which time it will mate and produce another bunch of larvae that will go through the entire process again.

As for predators, the monarch butterfly tastes vile, so that is its best protection. And another amazing fact is its flying speed:  9 kilometres per hour, faster than the average jogger. All this done on the nectar and leaves of the milkweed plant growing in the field right next door. Nature is truly awesome.

End of July planting

A stunning daylily planted a year ago, such a pretty shade of salmon pink. I think that this colour and coral pink are my favourite colours in flowers.

The three Limelight hydrangea got planted on the edge of the front yard. They help to define the perimeter and hopefully will help to transform the "yard" into a "garden". They will grow to about 6-8 feet tall and wide. Beyond the hydrangeas there are just trees growing in a jumble and this is where the deer roam freely. There is a house through there on the next street over, but in summer we can't even see it. Since we are the last house on a dead-end street, there is a wonderful sense of privacy to our property. And we probably have more mature trees than most of the people in this town.

To the left, beside the birch tree, is a big pot of nasturtiums. I have always liked the cheery flowers of nasturtiums. My grand-daughter asked "what is the plant that looks like water-lilies?"  I had never noticed that resemblance before, but she is right. The leaves are like small water lily leaves.

You can see just how dry the ground is; even though we have got two good downpours this week, the grass is still pretty parched. The backyard is like dust compared to the front yard, which is more clay soil. 

At last count, I now have 16 hydrangeas planted in the yard. Now I am on the lookout for Invinciball which is a large leaf hydrangea that blossoms rosy pink right from the start.
I have seen a few in this town, so they must be somewhere for the buying.

Plant additions, more perennials

A trip to Gerber's nursery netted 4 new hydrangeas, a daylily, and a variegated Virginia Creeper.

I managed to plant the Strawberry Sundae hydrangea in the back where it will receive about  6 hours of sunlight daily, most of it afternoon sun. But this type of hydrangea thrives in full sun and will start out with white blossoms that turn rosy pink and then strawberry-red by the end of summer.

                                    

This is a photo of the two hydrangeas on the west side of the back yard. In the foreground is the new Strawberry Sundae, and nearest the fence is the Annabelle that was planted late last summer.

                                    

I plan on putting the 3 Limelight hydrangeas in the front yard on the perimeter. They will only receive filtered morning light, but I want to have as many self-maintaining shrubs as possible and I am willing to have fewer blossoms on these three.  They should grow to about 6 feet tall and, when fully grown, will help to define the property limits more clearly. Right now, we look as if the wild is just dying to get in and overtake the yard.

                                    

They will go on the edge of the front yard, between the birch tree and where the boat trailer is currently parked.

                                    

Now, this next one is a challenge. We have one of those old ugly television antennaes rising up high above the roof. And the triangular structure calls out to be covered up with something. So I bought a variegated Virginia Creeper at Gerber's and put it right next to the tower. When I dug the hole, I realised that this thing is set on a huge base of concrete, so I don't know how much chance this climber has of growing but it is worth a try. For now, it is a pretty vine.

                                  

                                           

And Home Hardware had all their perennials 65% off so I  picked up another brunnera. This one is Jack Frost and I put it in the front bed, replacing the struggling Lady's Mantle that was planted there.

                                 

I thought Lady's Mantle liked shade, but I have since learned that it thrives in dry sunny locations.  So I moved it to the bed  by the driveway that faces  east, but actually gets more than just morning sun. It also gets a lot of afternoon sun as it is open on the south side as well. The petunias are loving it there, so perhaps the Lady's Mantle will too.

The  daylily is very pretty and I put it in a bed in the front right next to another daylily. If one is thriving, the other one should too. This one is called Purple de Oro.

Before last year, I only really knew tiger lilies and one Stella d'or that tried to bloom in my shady Halifax yard. So discovering all the variations of  daylilies is a great thing, and the ones  with variegated colours are charming by far. Even though the flowers last only a day, there are so many on the plants that you can get a full month of blossoms if the plant is happy. They are pretty much maintenance-free as well, and that puts them at the top of my plant list.

                                     

I also cleaned up the edge on one of the beds in the front yard. It was getting taken over by grass and milkweeds and ferns, so a major weeding was in order. It didn't take that long to re-edge it, but it was very humid and I was so hot by the end of it.

There is so much that can be done with this large property. It really is a matter of how much energy I have and how to water these plants more efficiently. I figure I should invest in more shrubs as these won't require watering once they are established. The hydrangeas should only require pruning once a year to keep them looking nice. I currently have 11 hydrangeas in the garden and it could easily taken another 11 without feeling that I have overdone it. 

And these past few days, we have had rain every day. The farmers are thankful as they were on the point of losing their corn crops, which in turn would affect milk production and the price of milk as corn is the primary feed for cattle in this part of the world. I selfishly thought "oh yeah, I don't have to water the garden".  And I am very thankful for the reprieve. 

July Reflections

 Pride of place: a prolific dahlia. The transition of colour within one flower is amazing: deep rust orange changing to a peach. Next year, I will be sure to plant many dahlias of many different kinds. They flower for such a long time; they are worth the extra trouble that they require, lifting the tubers in the fall, cleaning and storing them, and then replanting next spring. They stand like soldiers, holding their magnificent blooms high and strong.

These are annual malva, that I grew from seed. With flowers that resemble hibiscus, they are another plant I will grow again. I even harvested seeds from the petunias today. I was so surprised to notice them, and quickly  put hundreds into an envelope for next year.

A view of the veggie beds, with a bamboo tripod of runner beans. I am growing these for the flowers, as I don't really like beans that much. I should have used taller bamboo stakes, but for now I am just folding over the vine when it reaches the top.

A close up of some of the many tomatoes that are forming on 15 tomato plants. I think I will be overrun with tomatoes come August and will be giving them away.

Another photo of the tomato plants. I only tied these to bamboo stakes, which may not be strong enough once the fruits get bigger. Next year, I will use tomato cages or rig up some kind of wire netting to tie the branches to.

Marigolds, happy little flowers growing amongst the veggies.

Some cosmos stuck in a pot at the base of the apple tree. I had so many tiny plants this spring that I had grown from seed that I had to put them somewhere, anywhere as there weren't enough flower beds dug for them  all. You can see just how dry the soil is, the grass in the back yard is yellow and the ground is just like dust. We  have been 3 weeks without rain now.

This year has been a steep learning curve for me.  And I have a better idea of what to do next year. First off, a proper compost bin has to be made this summer. Then two more raised beds for vegetables. Then more hydrangeas for many spots in the garden, to demarcate the boundaries and to provide some focus. More plants that are low maintenance, more plants that will endure dry summer heat. More mulch, widen the existing beds as they aren't  big enough to have much impact. And devise some way to water all of these babies. Many people here have giant water containers that they either use to collect rain water or they even truck them down to the lake and use a pump to fill them up. Town water is expensive and  few people use it to water their gardens. I guess I am  helping to support the municipality with my daily watering schedule.

Garden Progress July 2018

 This is a Quick Fire hydrangea 10 months after planting. It is a little lop-sided and will require pruning come fall, but it is full of blossoms and that's the important thing.

Sweet autumn clematis, I am thrilled with this little baby and can't wait to see its white blossoms in the fall, maybe not this fall, but next year perhaps.

A blossom on the rosa rugosa. It was so badly pot-bound when I bought it but I knew this plant was tough and could make it, it just needed to get out of that pot.
Perhaps I will try some other roses if this one is a success.

Baby hostas that were dug out of the front garden where they get eaten by deer. One plant yielded  three new ones and the original was here when we moved in. I am not a huge fan of hostas, having had a walkway covered by a giant one for years. But I like these smaller ones with the variegated leaves and what else will do well in total shade?

Another one of the hostas planted in the bed against the back deck. This bed is a cheat bed: underneat that mulch is soil/compost to a depth of about 4" and under that is heavy cardboard. I figure if anything can grow on top of cardboard, it might be hostas.

This is a viburnum that I have a particular affinity for. I really like the shape of the leaves. Anything else it gives such as blossoms and berries is a bonus.

A shasta daisy, Rebecca, planted in the back with echinacea. This spot gets a lot of sun and I am hoping to expand it each year with the same type of flowers.

I bought this somewhere and the label said clematis, but I have my doubts. It doesn't look like clematis to me. Little pink flowers are beginning to bud out, but they don't resemble anything that I can name.
Anyway it is pretty.

Annabelle hydrangea that limps are the first sign of being dry. This shrub lets me know when it needs to be watered, which is pretty frequently. I think it is doing great for its second year.

 The weigela that was in full bloom when I planted it a month ago, it has put on a second show of blossoms. I am just glad to see it perking up in this heat and putting on new growth as I lost one weigela already this year.

A very nice day lily that I planted a month ago. These plants are tough and that is what I need in this dry dry location.

Beyond our fence is a lot filled with milkweed and there are plenty of monarch butterflies around. This is their preferred plant for feeding and for laying their eggs. They spring up in our yard constantly and I pull them out without feeling guilty as there are so many just next door.

The milk weed plant isn't very pretty but the flowers certainly are. Such delicacy, it is just lovely.

Hot and dry in July

It looks as if this is going to be a dry hot summer.  It hasn't rained in over a week; usually with this kind of heat, thunder clouds build but not this week. Clear blue skies and temperatures reaching 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) and humidity to make it feel closer to 40 degrees.

Thank goodness for air conditioning.

Watering is a problem however. Most people here collect rain water in barrels placed under down spouts.  But it isn't enough this year. A number of people are taking large containers down to the lake and filling up that way. But you would need some kind of lift to get the container off the truck and a pump to fill it. So I am watering with city water,  which I may regret when I get the bill.

Meanwhile: an inherited peony in the bed beside the garage. This bed receives little to no direct sunlight as it is completely overshadowed by a maple tree. However there are 3 peonies in here, all of them with white flowers. If they can survive here, they get to stay.

A clematis that was planted last August; it appeared to die soon after, turning black and wilting. But it returned this year and has just blossomed with tulip-like flowers that are rose coloured.
I don't know what variety this is, I was expecting the large flower type to bloom and am pleasantly surprised by these dainty tulip-shaped blossoms.

And inside, they are white with pink edges. Just lovely.

One of the raised beds with leeks, carrots, green peppers, and two varieties of lettuce, plus cheery marigolds.

The other raised bed with runner beans climbing a bamboo obelisk, a few lettuces, and 15 tomato plants.  Two of these have just sprouted flowers. Some of the beans were attacked by the rose chafer beetle, but the infestation seems to have petered out now.  I picked hundreds off by hand, the honeysuckle took the brunt of the damage.

A dahlia that survived the dog's digging frenzy. These are such lovely flowers and they last a long time which makes me ask:  why didn't I plant more? Given our cold zone here, the tubers have to be dug up in the fall, but that isn't too hard of a task. I will definitely be planting more next year.

Some malva that I grew from seed. Lovely flowers, they resemble miniature hibiscus.

And in the front bed, the campanula that were moved last week have begun to bloom. I thought the short ones were blue, but I guess I got that wrong. No matter, I like the flowers whether they are white or blue.

Close up of the campanula carpatica.
I love all varieties of campanula and hope these thrive and expand to fill this bed.